Newspaper

Publications
Mr. Benincasa
La Plata High School
MrBenincasa.com
rbenincasa@ccboe.com
Overview
Te purpose of this course is to expose students to the principles of journalism. Tis course will examine the history of
journalism, journalism in its current form, and what changes can be expected for the future. Students will be exposed to
a variety of journalistic mediums, with a focus on newspaper and online forms. Includes the study and application of the
diferent styles of writing found within a metropolitan newspaper, including but not limited to news, feature, editorial,
review, entertainment, sports, editorial cartoons, and letters to the editor. Tere will also be a large focus on the applica-
tion of AP (Associated Press) style. Students will write, edit, and create the La Plata High School monthly newspaper
(Te Gauntlet) in print and online. Please note that students WILL be required to spend time afer school to work on
the newspaper and gather photographs and interviews for their articles and must have rides home.
Classroom Rules
1. Be respectful. While we try to incorporate an active learning
environment, it is important to not only be respectful of your teacher, but
also your peers.
2. Listen to your teacher and classmates when they are speaking.
3. Follow all other school rules.
Consequences
If the school rules and classroom procedures are not followed, the order of
consequences typically are:
1. Verbal Warning
2. Student-Teacher Conference (afer class)
3. Lunch detention and parent notifcation
4. Sent to Administrator (also for severe cases)
Problems are not anticipated in our classroom, and due to their rarity they
rarely escalate past student-teacher conference.
Classroom Procedures
1. Students must be SEATED by the time the late bell rings for class.
Students not seated before the bell rings will be marked as tardy for the
day.
2. It is required that all students notify the teacher before leaving the class-
room for any reason. All students are given a year-long hall pass to inter-
view, photograph, and attend events during the school day. However, it is
always at the teachers discretion, not your editors, if you may leave at a
given time.
3. Bathroom/water breaks are ONLY allowed during independent work
time at the teachers discretion.
Materials
Please be sure to bring the
following everyday:
ALL graded work must be kept
in a three-ring binder. Tis
will be checked periodically.
Pen AND pencil (no purple,
pink, or red ink)
Separate notebook attached to
binder
College-ruled fller paper in
binder
HIGHLIGHTER
Any text we are reading in
class.
Production Schedule
Te ANTICIPATED production
schedule for La Platas monthly
newspaper, Te Gauntlet, will be
as follows:
October 23
November 20
January 8
February 12
March 19
April 23
May 21
All issues will also be available on-
line at lpgauntlet.com for parents and
the community.
Late/Make-Up Work
1. If you are absent, please check the appropriate folder in class to see what ma-
terial you missed. Any questions will be answered during the class independent
work time.
2. Te latest I will accept an assignment is THREE DAYS LATE, unless prior
arrangements are made before the due date. A deduction of ten percentage
points will occur for each day the assignment is late.
CCPS ATTENDANCE POLICY: Please see pages 2-5 of the LPHS Student
Handbook for the full Charles County Public Schools attendance policy.
Policy on Editing Student Work
Due to the number of assignments, students will be responsible for editing their
own drafs, as well as their peers work, during our in-class editing time. Tis
gives the teacher the opportunity to comment on strong points, as well as items
that need to be improved before the fnal draf. Research shows that this separa-
tion places more emphasis on the quality of the students writing, as well as their
own editing capabilities (NCTE).
Technology In (and Out) of the Classroom
Due to the huge advancements in educational technology, we try to use as much as we efectively can in the classroom. Tis
includes the daily use of SMART Boards, in-class computers and laptops, and design programs such as Adobe Photoshop
and InDesign, while helping to create and maintain a print and online newspaper from the ground up.
However, the out-of-class services we use for class are ofen even more important. For students, we maintain our paper
using services such as Google Drive, and hold out-of-school discussions on Schoology. As always, student grades are ac-
cessible 24 hours a day on Edline.
Grading Policies
Similar to most classes at LPHS,
the grading policy is as follows:
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = 59-0%
Typed Work
All typed work should be 12-
pt., Times New Roman font,
or a font of equal readability
and size.
All papers, unless otherwise
specifed, should be double-
spaced.
Typed papers must have a
one-inch margin around the
entire paper. Handwritten
papers must have a one-inch
margin on the lef and top of
the paper.
Students, please sign below to indicate that you have read and understand the syllabus and classroom expecta-
tions, and agree to adhere to it to the best of your ability. Parents, please sign below indicating you have read the
syllabus and agree to aid in your childs success throughout this academic year. DUE FRIDAY, AUG. 29.
Student Signature Parent Signature
Parents Email Address
For classroom communication purposes
Students Email Address (optional)
For academic communication purposes
Expectations Outside of School
All students in this course will at some point be expected to stay afer school to
work on their assignments. Tis may also include going out into the commu-
nity to sell advertisements, calling businesses, or interviewing those in the area.
We will make every attempt to notify parents of student obligations at least 24
hours before, however some circumstances may require that the student stays
afer school unexpectedly. It is ALWAYS the students responsibility to notify
their parents or guardian if they must stay afer school.