INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS
Portland Christian High School — Spring 2012 – Dr. Jones
Period 6
It is the mission of Portland Christian Schools to educate students in the truth of God’s word in every area of instruction and activity so that their lives may be transformed by the renewing of their minds.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
An introductory course in business covering the following topics:
- Business in the Global Economic Environment
- Business Organization and Management
- Business Operations and Technology
- Personal Financial Management
OBJECTIVES
- To provide an overview of the world of business
- To have students develop a Christian business world view
- To provide several guest speakers who will share their business experience and expose students to current real-life business practices
TEXTBOOK
The instructor will be using Principles of Business 8e, by Dlabay, Burrow, and Kleindl. Lecture notes will be on the instructor’s website along with additional resources. http://staff.pcschools.org/sjones
REQUIREMENTS (includes information from the Student Handbook)
Attendance
Excused Absences
Portland Christian Schools and the State of Oregon recognize three categories of excused absences:
- Illness
- Administratively-approved prearranged absences (i.e. parental requests, field trips, athletic trips, other school-sponsored activities for which a student will be missing a class.)
- Emergency absences (i.e. such as death of a family member, etc.)
When a student returns to school after an illness or emergency absence, the absence will be excused if:
A phone call has been received from the parent or guardian by 9:00 a.m. on the day the student is absent OR,
On the day of return the student presents to the office a dated note from a parent/guardian explaining the circumstances.
If none of the above steps is followed, the absence is unexcused.
Oversleeping is not considered an excused tardy or absence, even with a note or a phone call from a parent or guardian.
If students are absent more than half a day, they will NOT be allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities that day without special permission from the administrator. This includes sports practice and competition.
Makeup Work for Excused Absences
Students must make arrangements to do all work missed in all classes (including PE).
Students participating in athletics and extra-curricular activities must make every effort to turn in all work due before leaving school. Scheduled tests and quizzes must also be taken before leaving unless other arrangements have been made with the classroom teacher.
If students are excused absent any part of the day, they must turn in all work due in all classes that day and arrange to make up any tests or quizzes missed during the periods absent.
Prearranged Absences
All absences other than illness, family emergencies, or school-sponsored activities must be prearranged. If not, they will automatically be unexcused.
If parents know in advance their student will be absent, the procedures below must be followed in order for the absence to be excused:
A Prearranged Absence Request Form (or a note to be attached to the form) must be given to the office giving the dates of and reasons for the absence. If more than one student in a family will be gone at the same time and for the same reasons, separate notes or prearranged absence forms must be submitted for approval.
It is the student’s responsibility to speak to teachers individually before the absence to make arrangements for makeup work as indicated below.
Every effort should be made to schedule medical appointments outside school hours. This is particularly important during final exams.
If the Prearranged Absence Request Form is completed but not turned into the office before 8:30 a.m. the day of the absence, the student will be unexcused.
Makeup Work for Prearranged Absences
Students with approved prearranged absences must have all work done before leaving unless other arrangements have been made with the classroom teacher, including athletic and other school sponsored absences.
Long-term Illness or Injury Absence Agreement
It is the school’s policy that a student’s parent or guardian presents a note from a doctor and also a written request for a long-term illness agreement to an administrator. If an agreement is granted the following will apply:
No more than 22 class periods in any one course may be missed in one semester for any reason
The student may be asked to repeat a course or to attend summer school in his/her local district to make up the course missed if the time period is beyond 22 class periods
Extra assignments may be added to make up for time not in class
Assignment collection will be the responsibility of the parent unless an administrator makes an exception
Extended Absences
If a student is absent due to illness for five or more consecutive days, a note from the parent must be received describing the illness and what, if any, medical attention has been sought. According to state law a student returning after a serious contagious disease is required to have a doctor’s excuse and admittance by the administrator.
If a student is absent for 10 or more days in any one 9 week quarter, excused or unexcused, he/she will be placed on an attendance agreement with the administration and must abide by that agreement or may be asked to retake a course. A pattern of excused or unexcused absences is of great concern and will be taken very seriously by the administration. Accommodations will be made for a long-term illness.
Penalties for Unexcused Absences
For each block a student is issued an unexcused absence, the administrator will assign after-school detention, 3:15-4:10 p.m. This may include a work detail around the school.
A pattern of continued unexcused absences will result in an in-house suspension and/or behavioral probation.
If a student has as unexcused absence any part of the day, they will NOT BE ALLOWED to participate in any extra-curricular activities that day. The administration may review this policy on a case-by-case basis.
No work done in class on the day a student is unexcused may be made up. This includes tests and quizzes. Long-term projects, however, must be turned in when due.
Additional consequences may be imposed by the administration.
Tardies
Students must be inside the door of the classroom when class begins or they will be considered tardy. Some teachers may require students to be in their seats and ready to work when class begins. It is important that students get to class on time so class time is maximized and class disruption is held to a minimum. The following will apply:
Students less than 15 minutes tardy to class the first block of the day should report directly to class. The teacher will take attendance.
Students more than 15 minutes tardy to class the first block of the day or late to school anytime during the day must report directly to the office and are not permitted into class without a pass.
Students with prearranged appointments, (doctor, dentist, etc) arriving or leaving after the beginning of the school day, need to check in and out through the attendance office, receive a pass and go to class.
Students late to other blocks without a pass are unexcused. A tardy may be excused if a pass from a teacher or the office is presented upon arrival to class.
If a student arrives to class more than 15 minutes late without a pass from a teacher or administrator excusing the tardy, this tardy will be treated as an unexcused absence and treated as such.
If a student is released from class with a pass and does not come back to class within 12 minutes, or the time allowed by the teacher on the pass, it will be treated as an unexcused absence.
Penalties for Tardies
Excused and unexcused tardies are considered equal. When a student acquires a total of 5 tardies in any one quarter, the following penalties apply:
5 tardies — after-school detention from 3:15-4:10 p.m.*
6 tardies –- after-school detention from 3:15-4:10 p.m.*
7 tardies — 1/2 day in-house suspension and parent meeting
8 tardies — 1/2 day in-house suspension and parent meeting
9 tardies — behavioral probation and all day in-school suspension
*After-school detention supersedes all other activities including athletics, music, drama, etc. and may include a work detail around the school.
Exams and Homework
Assignments
Some courses require more work than others; however, all students are expected to have assignments completed on the date due. The teacher reserves the right to accept or not accept late assignments. If late assignments are accepted, they may receive grade penalty. For prearranged absences (athletic trips, dental appointments, family trips, school sponsored trips, etc.), it is the student’s responsibility to obtain assignments and turn in work before leaving unless otherwise indicated by the teacher. Students will not be given assignments specifically to be done during Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Spring Break. Long-term projects or papers, and in some cases tests, are still due upon return from an illness.
Assignment Makeup Work
Students who are absent are expected to contact fellow students or the teacher with parent permission for class and homework assignments. In the event of an extended absence (2 or more days), a request asking teachers to send student assignments home may be made to the office staff upon the third day absent. Requests should be made prior to 12PM to ensure assignment availability that day. Parents may come to the school and request access to their student’s locker so they might obtain any necessary textbooks, notebooks, or other materials their student might need in order to complete assignments at home.
Late Work and Extra Credit
Assignments turned in late will be taken at 50% value. Late work accepted up to and no later than the start of the last class on June 7. No extra-credit work will assigned.
Participation (Approximately 25% of final grade)
Students are expected to attend class, contribute to class discussions, small group exercises, and work diligently on in-class assignments.
Quizzes (Approximately 20% of final grade)
Students will be taking 20 quizzes over lectures. Make-up quizzes must be completed before the next class period.
Making Connections (Approximately 25% of final grade)
Weekly in-class writing assignments will be given to help students reflect upon the lectures and to create a better understanding of the material.
Response Papers (Approximately 20% of final grade)
After every two guest speakers, students will type a paper comparing, contrasting, and reflecting upon the messages using the 4 points below. These response papers will be due at the beginning of class the following Monday after the second speaker. If a student is absent the day of a speaker, the student is responsible to get notes from a student who attended the missing class period.
- Discuss how the businesses are meeting the needs/wants of consumers.
- Which business has withstood the challenges of the recent economic downturn? Describe why/how.
- Which business was personally most interesting and why?
- How did the speakers demonstrate their Christian walk while working in the world of business?
Final Exam (Approximately 10% of final grade)
A comprehensive final exam over class lectures will be given at the end of the semester.
Grading
Grading Standards (6-12)
All classes will be graded based upon the following standard:
A+ 98-100% 4.0
A 93-97% 4.0
A- 90-92% 4.0
B+ 87-89 % 3.3
B 83-86% 3.0
B- 80-82% 2.7
C+ 77-79% 2.3
C 73-76% 2.0
C- 70-72% 1.7
D+ 67-69% 1.3
D 63-66% 1.0
D- 60-62% 0.7
F 59% or below 0.0
Incompletes
No grade of incomplete (I) will be given unless permission is granted by the administration and arrangements made with the course instructor. All incompletes will become F’s two weeks after grades have been posted if makeup work is not completed
Cheating
It is our desire for PC students to conduct their lives with integrity; therefore, cheating in any way (using someone else’s work and/or answers, electronic devices, plagiarism, etc.), will not be tolerated. Each individual assignment is considered as a separate cheating incident. The following consequences will apply to cheating or plagiarizing:
First Offense During One Year: Contact with parents will be made and a record of the incident will be kept in the student’s file. The student will receive a zero on the assignment or test.
Second Offense During the Same Year: The student will be placed on behavioral probation and may be subject to course failure.
Third Offense During the Same Year: Dismissed from school.
Daily Participation Grade
Classroom experience (lecture, discussion, and interaction) is valuable to the learning process. Therefore, a student must attend classes on a regular basis. In each class, students may receive a daily participation grade. Students absent from class for any reason other than for a school-sponsored event or long-term or chronic illness (parents may be required to provide a doctor’s note), will lose participation points. Participation may vary for each class and depend on the nature of the subject and should be clearly stated in the syllabus for each class.
When a student is ill for an extended period of time and/or suffers from a chronic illness, the teacher will be required to evaluate the student’s participation portion of the grade based upon days that class was attended by the student. Days missed due to the long-term or chronic illness will not figure into the participation portion of the grade. This will not be the case for general illness. Administration must be informed in writing of the chronic or long-term illness by the parents of the student. The administration will then inform the teacher of the illness and the teacher can adjust his/her grade accordingly.
Classroom Conduct, Expectations & Safety
Attitude
Expressions of contempt, disobedience, pride, haughtiness, a disregard for those in authority, and most seriously, a disregard for the counsel of God’s Word will not be tolerated at Portland Christian Schools
Communication
Cruel and profane language proceeds from an unclean heart. Therefore, profanity, gossip, filthy words, sexual innuendoes, and degrading comments will not be tolerated.
Classroom Conduct
The teacher has been given the responsibility by God to teach, and the students have been given the responsibility by God to learn. Therefore, no student has the right to interrupt a teacher in the teaching process or another student in the learning process. All conduct and attitudes should reflect this expectation.
In the event a student’s behavior disrupts the classroom and learning process:
The teacher will speak directly to the student about his/her behavior. The teacher may arrange a private conference and/or send the student to the office.
If the unacceptable behavior persists, the teacher will inform the parents of the problem.
If these two actions do not produce the desired results, an administrator will meet with the student and, determine further action.
Cell phones must be turned off and not used during class time.
Classrooms
No food or drink will be allowed in the Lecture Hall, Library, computer labs, or classrooms unless special permission is obtained from the administration.
Students are to respect school property. Students found to be defacing chairs, writing on desks, tables, etc., will be given a detention, assigned to cleaning duty, and held financially responsible for any damages which may have occurred.
Disruptive Behavior
Disruptive Behavior such as listed below will be subject to discipline:
Bullying/harassment
Cheating/plagiarism
Damage to school property
Knives, mace or other objects that could be used as weapons
Inappropriate display of affection between students
Inappropriate off-campus behavior
Inappropriate use of electronic devices
Obscene language, clothing, pictures, reading material, music or videos
Theft of physical property
Threatening language or gesture
Use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or firearms
Vandalism, starting fires, pulling fire alarms, possessive/use of explosive devices
Yelling, pushing, screaming in halls, etc.
Emergency Procedures and Drills
Fire Drills
The school is required to hold monthly fire drills. The fire alarm bell will sound to begin a drill. Teachers will explain the exit procedure from each classroom.
At the onset of the bell, students must walk quickly and quietly to their designated exit and gather as a class. Attendance will be taken.
Should a fire drill occur between classes, students must go directly to the nearest exit and proceed immediately out of doors to the gathering place of their next class. Attendance will be taken. Students are to remain outside until the all-clear signal is given. The all-clear signal will be two long blasts of the passing bell.
Earthquake Drills
The school will hold periodic earthquake drills. The signal for an earthquake drill is continued pulsating sounds of the passing bell (may last 30 seconds or longer.)
At the onset of an earthquake or an alarm signaling an earthquake drill, students are to follow instructions of the faculty and staff. Students in restrooms or otherwise outside the classroom must seek immediate shelter where they are.
In accordance with the national standard of Duck, Cover, and Hold, students should:
Move away from windows and areas of potentially falling debris such as wall pictures, hangings, bookcases, etc.
Seek shelter under desks, tables, etc., and hang on.
Students must remain in the duck, cover, and hold position until the signal is given to exit the building.
Students will exit the building following the same procedure as in a Fire Drill.
Lockdown
Should a situation arise where an administrator determines an immediate lockdown is necessary, the following procedure will take place:
1. During Class Hours
An all-call will go out throughout the campus halls and outside areas directing students in halls or out of doors to return immediately to their classrooms.
An all classroom call will follow directing teachers to secure their classrooms by:
Locking doors leading to hallways.
Closing windows, curtains/draperies.
Moving students to areas of the classroom that are least visible from
hallway or windows. This may include closets, corners, rear of
rooms, under desks, tables, etc.
Turn off lights.
2. Before School, After School, or Lunchtime
Students are to go to the gym, cafeteria, or library and follow instructions of faculty in charge.
Power Failure
In the event of a power failure during class time, students are to remain in the classroom until directions are given by the administrator.
Should power failure occur between classes, students are to go quietly and directly to their next class. Students must remain in the classrooms until directions are given by the administrator.
Other Emergencies
Should an emergency situation arise such as extreme wind or thunderstorm before or after school, all students on campus should proceed to the main hallway or gym lobby. Administrators will give appropriate instructions.
Visitors
Any person entering the building MUST check in and out of the school office. All visitors must wear a Visitor’s Pass at all times. Classroom visitors must have the visit prearranged through the school office by completing a Guest Information Form at least one day prior to the visit.
Must sign in at the office upon arrival and receive a Visitor’s Pass for the day. Must follow school guidelines, including personal appearance guidelines. May not visit more than once a year.