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Farm School » Academics

Academics

 
Math
  1. For Math, please feel free to sit down with your student and look at their Google Classroom. All of the assignments and due dates are listed. If they have a “0” for a grade, it means the assignment was never turned in. “Missing” does not actually mean the assignment is missing; it just means a grade has not yet been entered. Students do not turn in any work into Google Classroom; it is a gradebook for guides as well as a calendar and to-do list that helps students know what and when assignments are due.
  2. Typically, a “Lesson Set” lasts for 2 ½ weeks and students will have a Daily Review packet (with 84 problems covering new topics as well as reviewing old concepts), 3 Follow Ups (4 problems from their packet that go in their notebook), 4 Lessons (3 new concepts and a review lesson), and an Exam during this time.
  3. If a student does not do as well as they would like to on an exam, they are encouraged to meet with their math guide, review the concepts, and take a retake exam.
  4. Students have until the end of the following set to turn in any missing work from the previous set. After that period of time, the assignment can no longer be accepted for a grade. Students are still encouraged to complete the assignments so they do not fall behind in curriculum, but a grade cannot be entered. 
  5. Students will also typically have one Major Project and a Seminar Style Project during each semester.
  6. The MIM Hub is a resource your student can access online that has all lesson notes, practice problems, videos, and Daily Review packets.
  7. Questions you can ask your student:
    1. Have you done your 8 math problems for the day?
    2. Do you have any zeros for this lesson set?
    3. How are you feeling about the 3 topics for this set?
    4. Do you think it would be helpful to use the extra practice in the Mim Hub?
    5. If you missed a lesson, have you gone to see your math guide to schedule a makeup and gotten your notes from the bin?
ELA & Humanities
  1. Each student will have 3 composition books labeled for each subject
    1. Red- ELA
    2. Blue- Weekly Work
    3. Green- Humanities
  2. ELA expectations: Students will have one ELA lesson a week, with each quarter focusing on a different project. Each lesson typically has a follow-up assignment that is due at their next lesson. These assignments culminate into a final project at the end of the quarter. All follow-ups, the project, and weekly work must be completed by the end of the quarter to receive a grade.
    1. Students will have Weekly Work which consists of:
      1. Journal 
      2. WOW - Word of the Week
      3. POW - Practice of the Week (editing & grammar)
    2. Students will participate in literature groups that complement the humanities curriculum.
  3. Humanities expectations: Students will have one humanities lesson a week.  Each lesson typically has a follow-up assignment that is due at the next lesson. Additionally, periodic individual and group projects occur during the year. 
  4. All missing work must be submitted by the end of each quarter to get a grade.
  5. We encourage families to review your student’s Google Classroom. All of the assignments and due dates are listed. If they have a “0” for a grade, it means the assignment was never turned in. “Missing” does not actually mean the assignment is missing; it just means a grade has not yet been entered.
  6. When a student misses a lesson, they must check-in with their guide on the day of their return. Work can be turned-in electronically from home during the absence or turned-in the day of their return. 
  7. Questions you can ask your student:
    1. Have you done your 3 weekly work assignments this week?
    2. Do you have any zeros in Google Classroom?
    3. What project/topic are you working on? 
    4. Are you current with your assignments and reading? 
    5. Show me your planner.
    6. What novel are you currently reading?
Science & Occupation
  1. Deadlines for late work are quarterly. For example, the first late work deadline is the day before fall break in October. Any work assigned before this date can no longer be turned in for credit once this deadline passes. 
  2. Excused absences will be evaluated on a case by case basis. See your science guide to communicate an appropriate deadline for the work that was missed. 
  3. SIG Terms (Science Illustrated Glossary). These are terms students must alphabetize in the back of their notebooks. They must find the definition and draw a picture. These terms are provided during each lesson. 
  4. Each student will have 1 occupation lesson and 1 science lesson per week. Follow ups are usually assigned after each lesson. 
  5. Notebook checks occur periodically throughout the semester. These consist of having the lesson notes and SIG terms for that unit. 
  6. Shift work is unique to each occupation. This work is encouraged but never forced. Students are responsible for showing up on time to their shift, working hard, and then turning in a shift slip to be signed. Once returned to the student, the slip must be taken to the bank to receive microeconomy credit. 
  7. Questions you can ask your student:
    1. Are you up to date on your SIG terms?
    2. When is your next notebook check? 
    3. What shift work have you done this week?
    4. How many shifts do you have so far?
    5. If you missed a lesson have you spoken to your guide?
 
9th Year Geography & Civics

As 9th graders, Farm School students move from Humanities lessons in their Occupations to work with Microeconomy and 9th grade Humanities Guide Paul Morf for high school level Geography and Civics coursework. Students earn .5 credits for each of these required semester long courses which count toward their High School graduation requirements. Beginning with Geography in the Fall, students study the physical and political geography of the modern world to understand how societies are influenced and shaped by the environments in which they live. In the Spring, the focus shifts to learning about the historical and intellectual origins of democracy in the United States. Civics coursework is grounded in the study of primary source documents from the Mayflower Compact to the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution to Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.  We end the Spring semester with a study of  immigration and naturalization that brings the subjects of Geography and Civics together to help students better understand and evaluate the difficult and controversial questions of nationality and citizenship in the context of domestic and international political orders.


Expectations:

Attend 1 lesson each week. Every  Monday morning the week’s lesson schedule is posted in the lesson area.  Students must sign up for a lesson time that fits into their overall work and lesson schedules.  Lesson times will vary from week to week.  If no lesson is available that fits a student’s schedule they can request another time to receive the lesson. Similarly, if a student misses their scheduled lesson they may request a make-up lesson.


Complete one hour of independent work each week. Independent work should be completed in the lesson area.  Students are responsible for planning a time to complete this weekly requirement in their schedules. Students must sign in and document their independent work in the Work Log Binder which is kept in the lesson area.  If a student is unable to complete this requirement due to excused absence, make up work can be arranged.


Complete one lesson follow up each week. Each weekly lesson includes an assigned reading and/or written work (usually both.) Follow ups are generally due before the next week’s lessons.  Students who feel they would benefit from additional time to complete follow ups are encouraged to sign up for a lesson early in the week.  Late follow up work is accepted for up to one month past the original due date.


Maintain a notebook and a folder with weekly lesson notes, readings and other hand outs. Each lesson presents written information on the board which students are expected to copy into their notebooks. Notes from all weekly lessons can be reviewed in google classroom. Any materials which are handed out during lessons are expected to be used and kept in a lesson folder.  Both notebooks and folders are collected two times each semester and are graded for completeness.


Valorization work is also integrated with the academic work of Geography and Civics lessons. Valorization workshops occur 4 times each semester in accordance with the Farm School’s Grade Level Workshops.  All 9th grade students are expected to attend these meetings and to participate in the discussions and activities which prepare them in the planning process leading to their Valorization Trips and Projects in the Spring.


Grades:

Student’s grades in the Geography and Civics courses are calculated as follows: 

Weekly Lesson attendance and participation = 20%

Weekly Follow up work = 40%

Independent work = 15%

Projects = 15%

Valorization workshops = 10%