Class Constitution!

Good Afternoon!

     All the students in Clan Dundee have been working hard for the last three weeks.  They are learning to cope with a new grading system, adjusting to a new teacher, and keeping track of their homework assignments.  Today, at long last, marks the completion of their first unit of study.  They studied parts of the US Constitution, and today they officially signed their own Class Constitution, which will now be the law of the land in Language Arts.

     You should be very proud of the work that went into this document.  This is entirely student-created, from the wording of the laws to the content of each Article and Section, which they also chose and organized.  As the year goes on, and some laws need to be revised or removed, the students and I will negotiate amendments.

     Read the Class Constitution below!

Yours Sincerely,

Mr. DeMaris


    Dundee clan this year has written their own Constitution! The Constitution is about the rules of our ELA classes. These may include being safe, responsible, and respectful. Some of the rules also may apply for the whole school. The Constitution goes from being silent to having class debates. Yes, school may not be our favorite, but you must participate! Some other things may include asking questions and helping other students getting their work done. This year’s Dundee classes will be respectful, responsible, and safe.

Article I:  Safety

Section 1:
    We will keep all materials to ourselves and avoid distracting others with personal objects. We will sit in our chairs correctly to avoid injury or distraction to others, and when we leave we will quietly push in our chairs to keep the room looking sharp. To avoid damage to our laptops we will at all times keep food and drinks away from our laptops. Students will have the right to eat and drink in class, as long as they obey the laptops rules and don’t cause a distraction. If they break the rules their freedom to eat and drink will be taken away.

Article II:  Fun Learning

 Section 1:   
    To avoid sitting around and listening to lectures, students will have the right to have fun while being taught as long as they earn it. In the classroom, we will promote enjoyable learning by having class-wide activities. During class, we will make time for reading. Depending on how the week went, every Friday we may have the privilege to choose fun activities to do for the class. If we behave, we will be rewarded for our good behavior.

Section 2:
    To avoid conflicts and to make learning more enjoyable, Dundee will create a classroom government to discuss and fix issues. For a healthy balance, the classroom will have healthy debates on the subjects we are learning about. If someone breaks the Constitution, we will have classroom police to punish them. While teaching, the teacher may select a student to teach for him if that student is on task.

Article III:  Respect

Section 1:
    Be quiet, but not silent, when working with partners or in groups. Students shall be nice to the people around you. This is a bully free zone, so be respectful to other students. No matter what the situation is, be honest.

Section 2:
    Say thank you if you learned something new in every class. Students should listen to the teacher, and the teacher should listen to students when it is their turn to talk. Students may listen to music, but only when we are working on work or homework and it is okay with the teacher. Don’t interfere with teaching or the learning of others.

Section 3:
    Respect any materials that are given to you. Be mature at all times, especially when working with others. If you have any trash, dispose of it into the nearest trash can. Be quiet when others are talking. Respect everyone's personal space and don’t touch their personal belongings either.

Section 4:
    Use a two foot voice at all times unless you’re outside. Use respectful body language. Do not swear or use other disrespectful language. Stay out of shenanigans, which includes screaming and yelling. If someone tells you your music is too loud, turn it down. When the teacher or a speaker is talking, laptops should be closed at an angle or all the way. 

Article IV:  Students

Section 1:
    As students we shall work hard and be prepared with laptops, pencils, etc. Classes will be able to go outside on Fridays as long as the weather is nice and all of their work is done with an exception for homework. Students are allowed to edit papers whenever we like. You should come to class delighted to be here and do your best at everything. You shall come to class with all your supplies.

Section 2:
    If there is good behavior in classes it shall be rewarded. If good behavior has been maintained throughout the month, the clan should be able to watch a movie as long as the majority has voted for it. Students shall also be able have snacks in class provided that their laptops are put away and they are not making a mess. Students shall receive individual rewards for good actions.  Students may try to make baskets into the trashcan. If they fail, they may be laughed at.

Section 3:
    Get homework done and hand it in on time or as soon as you can. If anyone is absent they are given one extra day to make up the work they missed. If students don’t feel good, we can put our heads down or request to be left alone to some degree. Students may draw on specified whiteboards with teacher permission. Do not sing during class unless it is mouthing the words. We will have a 5 minute break in this class, three times each week, when we decide, where you can eat, talk quietly, or keep working quietly. There shall be no acting hyper or disrupting the class.

Section 4:
    The teacher has to follow the same rules as the students to an extent. Keep your hands and feet to yourself. Don’t touch things you are not supposed to and don’t bother people by touching them or kicking them without asking first. We can listen to music when we are allowed to, but it has to be at a level of volume so others can’t hear it. We are allowed to make up any homework or tests as often as necessary.

Section 5:
    Be polite to other people and be respectful. Ask to go to the bathroom; don’t run out the door. To use laptops responsibly students must avoid playing on games, stay off of non-educational websites, treat laptops with care, and stay on task unless it is free time.

Article V:  Schoolwork

Section 1:
    Homework will almost never be assigned on weekends, but when it is assigned, it shouldn’t take more than half an hour, and we will go over it together as a class on Monday. We shall have no more than a page of homework per day, but if we do, we shall have at least two days to catch up on it. On the rare occasion of tests and quizzes, we may be given the privilege to use our notes from previous classes. If homework is not passed in within a week of when it is due, students shall have an acceptable excuse.

Section 2:
    Our class will be productive; we will work hard the entire class, and everyone will participate. We will stay on task, and focus on the daily lesson. If students receive a grade which they are displeased with, they will be given the privilege to make it up for extra credit. On Fridays, unless something else is happening, we take part in “Review and Improve,” where we will be given time to work on current or previous assignments.

Section 3:
    The teacher must return graded work a week after it is due, or a week after it is capitulated, and if the teacher fails to do this, the student gets recompensed with a homework pass. Although we shall do it occasionally, we should do more than just textbook work. In order that people stay productive on a project, we are able to work in groups or projects about three times a week. Provided that we are still learning, we shall have several different ways to do and pass in an assignment; an example is that every quarter we act out a story as a class.

Article VI:  Technology

Section 1:
    Students shall have the choice to either keep their phones in their pockets or put them on the table as long as the phone does not get in the way. Phones may be used to listen to music, but nothing else, and if a student is caught using a phone for something else it can be taken away until the end of class. Do not go on other sites, applications, or games on the laptop that are not work related, unless given permission by the teacher or another appropriate adult. Computers must always, when open, be on a hard flat surface.

Article VII:  Amending the Constitution

Section 1:
    We as a class shall be able to go over the Class Constitution at the end of every quarter to see what we think is irrelevant and what is relevant. Any amendments made to this Constitution have to be voted on by the class. The consent of three-fourths of all students in the class is needed to pass an amendment.