MHS HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT (LANGUAGE ARTS AND SOCIAL STUDIES) DUE DATE AND LATE WORK POLICIES

The following policy is in effect as of September 2017:

When a Humanities teacher assigns a major assignment (defined as constituting a significant portion--i.e. 20% or more--of a student's marking period grade), such as an essay, paper or project, the assignment must be turned in at the beginning of the class period on the day it is due.

Any major assignment that is not submitted at the beginning of the class period on the day it is due is considered LATE.

Late work may be accepted within three school days of a given due date, but that work will receive a 20% grade penalty.

Late work submitted more than three days after the due date will not be accepted for any credit and will receive a grade of zero. The department will consider 3:00 p.m. on the third school day following the due date as the deadline for late work.

No essay or project due dates are adjusted for absence; due dates are given well in advance. For example, college visitation days and unofficial vacation days will not excuse late assignments. This is true for ALL students, regardless of whether they have an IEP or 504 accommodation plan. If absent, students should send in such work by the start time of the class period on the due date via email or Google Classroom, or with a reliable person who will bring the assignment to the teacher before the beginning of the class period on the day it is due. Teachers who accept work via email or Google Classroom will consider work as “on time” provided the time stamp on the email or submission is prior to the beginning of the class period on the due date and the file is accessible to the instructor. If a student fails to submit a major assignment via email or Google Classroom or through a reliable person on the day that it is due this work is considered LATE and subject to the 20% grade penalty.

Suggestions for Students to Avoid the Late Penalty:

Students should take Chromebooks, textbooks and notebooks home each night. They should also select at least two class contacts whom they KNOW have good attendance and homework records, and email, text or phone those contacts the evening of the absence to check on classwork and homework assignments.

In the event of extreme or unavoidable circumstances, teachers will handle each case individually. Any requests for due date extensions, however, must be presented to the teacher at least one day before the due date.

Teachers are under no obligation to grant extensions, but each individual Humanities teacher will exercise discretion in matters as they arise.

In all cases, communication between the student and teacher is absolutely essential; parental involvement is encouraged when reasons for a requested extension involve family or medical issues.

In the case of anticipated absences, students may elect to submit assignments in person to the teacher prior to the absence or submit assignments electronically on the due date, bearing in mind that the timestamp must be before the beginning of the class period on the due date and the file is accessible to the instructor. However, considering the potential for technology and internet connectivity issues, students are encouraged to submit work prior to anticipated absences.

Students are responsible for all missed classwork, homework and assignments due if they are absent due to a field trip. Our school policy states that all work will be completed and submitted within one school day of returning back to class.

The following guidelines have now been adopted for general use by the Humanities Department. Students and parents should familiarize themselves with these guidelines and can expect that teachers will adhere to them consistently when confronted with late work or missing assignments.