Course Syllabus

Grading

Grading Visual Fine Arts Courses ONLY: Grades are all standards based and extremely rigorous. Please do not assume that this class will be an automatic A. You must work hard and follow through with provided skills and criteria. Your grade will be reflective of a number of things including, but not limited to: your skills, understanding, daily performance, criteria follow through and final presentation.

• 20% of your grade will be based on Visual Arts Standard 1 - See It; Observe and Learn to Comprehend
  • Use the visual arts to express, communicate, and make meaning. To perceive art involves studying art; scrutinizing and examining art; recognizing, noticing, and seeing art; distinguishing art forms and subtleties; identifying and detecting art; becoming skilled in and gaining knowledge of art; grasping and realizing art; figuring out art; and sensing and feeling art.
• 20% of your grade will be based on Visual Arts Standard 2 - Think It; Envision and Critique to Reflect
  • Articulate and implement critical thinking in the visual arts by synthesizing, evaluating, and analyzing visual information. To value art involves visualizing, articulating, and conveying art; thinking about, pondering, and contemplating art; wondering about, assessing, and questioning art concepts and contexts; expressing art; defining the relevance, significance of, and importance of art; and experiencing, interpreting, and justifying the aesthetics of art.
• 20% of your grade will be based on Visual Arts Standard 3 - Create it; Invent and Discover to Create
  • Generate works of arts that employ unique ideas, feelings, and values using different media, technologies, styles, and forms of expression. To make art involves creating, inventing, conceiving, formulating, and imagining art; communicating, ascertaining, and learning about art; building, crafting, and generating art; assembling and manufacturing art; discovering, fashioning, and producing art; and causing art to exist.
• 20% of your grade will be based on Visual Arts Standard 4 - Live it; Relate and Connect to Transfer
  • Recognize, articulate, and validate the value of the visual arts to lifelong learning and the human experience. To respond to art involves relating to art; connecting to art; personally linking to art; associating with art; bonding to art; moving toward art sensibilities; shifting to art orientations; thinking about art; attaching meaning to art; replying to art; reacting to art; internalizing art; personalizing art; and relating art to diverse cultures.
• 20% of your grade will be based on Studio Citizenship
  • This consists of following through with daily behaviors that will ensure that you will succeed in the Visual Arts Standards, including safe conduct in the studio space, tool and material maintenance, self-challenge for growth, and respect for self and others.

A single project will have a grade broken up between the Visual Arts Standards, so will not appear as a single grade in the online grade book, but will have 4 or more grades! 

If we are in person: Studio Citizenship will be assessed on a daily basis. You will earn up to 10 participation points each day. If you miss a day, you must arrange a time to meet with your teacher outside of class to make up time and content in order to make up these points. 

If we are in a hybrid schedule: You will earn up to 10 participation points for each in-person day and 5 points for each remote Wednesday meeting, for a total of 25 points per week. Again, if you miss, you must arrange a time to meet with your teacher outside of class to make up time and content in order to make up these points.

If we are entirely online: We will follow the same criteria set-up for a hybrid model.

No matter the format or total # of points, Studio Citizenship will be 20% of the grade.

For more information on the Colorado Visual Arts Standards click HERE.

Late work policy:

All work will have a due date.  If work has not been completed by the due date, the grade will remain blank in canvas until the assignment has been completed.  A temporary 'failing' grade will be entered in Infinite Campus until the work has been completed. Your grade in canvas does not mean that you no longer have the opportunity to complete the work, it simply means you are failing the assignment until it is completed.  Any project that has been assigned has a two week grace period.  If it is turned in within this grace period, it will still be given full credit.  Once the grace period has expired, the work will no longer be accepted for full credit, though the teacher reserves the right to require the work to be completed before moving on if it is necessary for successful completion of future tasks.  Exceptions will be made at the teacher’s discretion based on extenuating circumstances, so talk to me.  The sooner you talk to me about an extension, the more likely it will be granted, so don't wait until your time has run out.  I can't grant you an extension if you don't ask!

Ceramics/Sculpture Classes ONLY

Clay has very specific deadlines with kiln firings. Please ensure that you pay attention to when the firings will happen.  Specifics for in-person, blended or fully remote firings will be provided with each project.

Attendance:

Attendance is VERY important.  One missed class in art is very hard to make up and can put you far behind.  If you miss a class you need to be prepared to make up the studio time whether that be during ELO or open studio.  If you fail to make up the time that you have missed you will lose participation points in the Studio Citizenship category, which, again, is 20% of your grade, and will impact other categories because you will not have time to do as good a job.  If you know that you are going to be gone then you need to request the work that you will be missing in advance.

WHS Tardy Policy:

Prompt attendance is a key component to academic success.  Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class period.  If you are tardy to class the teacher and/or administration may institute consequences including lunch detention, missed studio citizenship points, etc. for students who are repeatedly tardy to classes.

If you have three or more tardies in the art room it will result in a reduction in your Daily Participation Grade, which is part of Studio Citizenship, 20% of your grade.  It will also impact other categories because you will miss information and time to work.

Phone Use Policy (in class):

Phones will ONLY be permitted for approved research, photographs or music.

Music must be at a reasonable volume and you may only have a single earbud in.

Videos of any and all kinds are NOT permitted.

Phones will be taken to the office if multiple warnings have been given.

Multiple offenses will result in the phone being turned into the office and/or taken at the start of every class.

 Food & Drink:

Closed container drinks are the only things permitted in the classroom. There are ZERO exceptions to this rule!

Treat each studio as a science lab. There are different materials and equipment that could be damaged. Additionally their may be potentially hazardous chemicals that you do not want to unintentionally ingest.

WHS Dress Code:

While in school and attending school sponsored events, your appearance should reflect good taste and decency. Clothing that is too revealing, contains references to alcohol or drugs can distract from or interfere with the instructional program or image of Windsor High School.

Students are not permitted to wear hats, bandannas or any other head covering, including having the hood up on a shirt or sweatshirt.

Clothing must cover underwear, midriff, buttocks, lower back, and chest (covered when standing upright). Tank tops, spaghetti straps, or strapless tops are not allowed to be worn in school. Exposed back and low necklines are not acceptable for school.

Clothing made of see through materials or torn clothing may not expose underwear, midriff, lower back, or chest.

Short shorts and short skirts are not allowed in school during the school day. Skirts and shorts must be at least mid-thigh length.

Clothing that displays profanity, gang references, sexual innuendos, and drug, tobacco, or alcohol references will not be permitted.

Any jewelry or accessories that could be used as a weapon will not be allowed (i.e. spikes, etc.).

Clothing that is pre-approved for a school sport or organization will be allowed with administrative permission.

Students who choose to violate the dress code will be asked to turn their shirt inside out, put on other clothes, or take off the unacceptable item. If a student does not have a substitute item of clothing, one will be provided by Windsor High School. Failure to comply or multiple violations will result in disciplinary action.