Jenny's Seminary Handbook

Description

This is the handbook I'm using for Seminary this year in PDF and Open Office formats. It was useful for me as a new Seminary teacher to write out my rules and expectations. The academic grade is determined by whatever means the teacher determines. All I care about is the reading, and so that's what I grade. You may choose something different.

Hope this helps!

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Seminary Handbook

What to Expect

Each day at Seminary we'll follow a simple routine. Here's what to expect:
1) Sign in - You'll write your name, the time of your arrival, and whether or not you read your scriptures the evening before.
2) Pick up / drop off materials – Get your binder, pencil pouch, notebook, and other items from your cubby. Place your cell phone (in airplane mode) and any schoolbooks in the cubby until class is over.
3) 6:10 AM, Welcome – the class president or vice-president will welcome you to class and make any announcements. He or she will also select a name for the opening prayer.
4) Opening Prayer / Song – Students will take turns conducting the music while we all “make a joyful noise”.
5) Scripture Mastery exercise – nearly every day we'll spend a few minutes mastering the assigned scripture passages
6) Study review and lesson – the best part!
7) 6:55 AM, Closing prayer
8) Clean up – we'll have assignments for taking down the tables and putting away chairs. Some days we'll need to vacuum and clean the bathroom.

The #1 Most Important Thing: Keeping up on your Reading
My number one very most important thing that I ask you to do is stay up on the reading. I will not be requiring you to do any other work outside of class – no devotional preparation, nothing – except to stay current on the reading. I've worked hard on the reading schedule to make sure that no daily reading assignment takes more than 30 minutes to complete, even when read out loud. Most assignments are in the 15-20 minute range.

Please read the day's reading assignment before class whenever possible. If you miss a day – that's okay. Read the next day's assignment. You can make up missed reading later.

Please stay with the reading chart as closely as possible. You can split the block of scriptures up into 7 days if you prefer, but please, please, please stay with the chart as closely as you can.

Reading the material we'll cover is the single most important thing you can do to get maximum results from Seminary.

Grading / Seminary Credit
A student must attend at least 80% of classes to receive Seminary credit.

Attendance award
Students receiving 100% attendance qualify for the attendance award at Seminary graduation.

Tardies / Early departures
Please arrive on time for Seminary. Tardiness and early departures are reported to parents quarterly on the Seminary report card.

According to stake seminary policy, flagrant tardiness or early departures may result in Seminary credit being with held, and makeup work may be assigned.

Inclement weather policy
Seminary is held on dates when school is in session. When schools are closed, there is no Seminary. Snow days do not count as absences.

Report cards / Grading
The Seminary report card has 3 parts: attendance/credit, conduct, and an academic grade. Students who receive 80% attendance or better receive credit for Seminary. The conduct grade is a self-assessment completed by the student and reviewed by the teacher. The academic grade is given by the seminary teacher.

My academic grading policy is simple: keep up on the assigned reading, and you've got an A.

A+ – 100% of reading assignments completed
A – 95% of reading assignments completed
B – 80% of reading assignments completed
C – 70% of reading assignments completed
D – less than 70% of reading assignments completed
I – Incomplete means less than 25% of reading completed

Report cards are passed out quarterly at the same time as Stafford school district.

Makeup work
Students desiring the 100% attendance award or who miss too many classes (thereby losing seminary credit) may make up absences by completing makeup work. Makeup work is similar to work completed by those who were in attendance and will take approximately the same amount of time to complete.

Students can easily pull up a disappointing academic grade at any time by catching up on their reading.

Scripture Mastery
Memorizing each scripture mastery passage word-for-word is not required to receive Seminary credit, nor does scripture mastery memorization affect your grade. Each student will, however, be expected to be able to find, understand, and apply all 25 passages. We will have many opportunities during class to study and learn scripture mastery passages very well. You will memorize many passages just by participating in class.

Jedi Scripture MASTER
Those wishing to advance beyond Padowan learner and become a Jedi Scripture Master memorize all 25 scripture mastery passages word-for-word and quote them to the class. Masters will be rewarded with a prize of their choosing, AND may enjoy Seminary while relaxing luxuriously Jabba the Hut style on one of our cushy green couches for one week!

Developing leadership skills at Seminary
Our seminary class will be developing leadership skills that will both enhance the gospel learning process and help you engage with the teacher and other students. We use an acronym (SLAMM) to remind us of these leadership skills:
S – Sit up
L – Look at the speaker
A – Apply messages to your life
M – Make relevant comments
M – Mark your scriptures

Leadership skills like being alert, looking at those who are speaking, making relevant comments, personal application, and note-taking apply not only to gospel study, but to secular learning, future missionary work, students' future careers, and home gospel teaching.

Other policies

Parking
You can park anywhere in my driveway or along the sides of the long gravel drive. The farmer often brings in trucks or equipment in the morning, so please be sure that your vehicle is parked completely off the gravel.

Food/beverage policy
Beverages are allowed at class only if they are inside of a spill-proof container. No one wants soda on their scriptures. Please note that bottles with twist-off lids are not spill-proof.

Dry food is allowed IF you clean it up afterward AND your mother says you can eat it properly without a utensil. Food privileges will be revoked for the class if eating becomes gross or distracting. Please be considerate.

You are welcome to send in food for the entire class. I don't set tables up every day, so please check with me before sending in food for the class to be sure students will have a place to gorge themselves on your kindness.

Cell phone policy
Cell phones must be switched to airplane mode before entering the house. Cell phones will be placed in your cubby when you enter the class room. Cell phones are not allowed at your table under any circumstance.

Contacting a student during class
Your student's cell phone will be unable to receive calls or messages when he or she is in class, but if there is an emergency please call our home telephone number at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Schoolwork policy
Schoolwork may not be completed during Seminary. Leave your backpack and/or school books at your cubby when you enter your classroom.

Scripture policy
Students should have a full set of scriptures with all four standard works for reading at home and study at Seminary. I prefer that you have one set that you bring back and forth each day; however, some students keep a set at Seminary and one at home.

Electronic scriptures
I am going to try allowing students use of electronic scriptures on a three-week trial basis this year. If you wish to be part of the group that sets the stage for the use of electronic scriptures, you must:

1) Turn your smart device to airplane mode before you enter the classroom. Failure to do so will result in immediate loss of the electronic scripture privilege.
2) Use the official LDS Gospel Library App available for iPhone, iPad, iTouch, and Droid.
3) Show me that you know how to use the following functions before class begins: footnotes, highlighting, opening multiple windows, notes, and cross-referencing.

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