Course Syllabus

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ARC-9

Course Description:

The 9th Grade Academic Resource Center (ARC-9) is a brand new program designed to help students by providing a dedicated space to learn and practice the skills needed to be successful and independent throughout the remainder of high school and beyond. 

We’re here due to either low grades and/or low attendance rates in 8th grade. Being here is not a reflection of you as a person, it’s merely a recognition that you had a bad year or semester and need to get back on track. While you do not receive a grade for your work in this class, success in ARC-9 means success in all your classes. Depending on first semester grades, attendance, and academic confidence, you will stay in the full ARC-9 program or only A-block ARC-9 for the second semester.  

The sole purpose of this class is to help you by teaching you to help yourself. Obviously, life gets in our way sometimes, especially the past two years; this class is here to help you learn to manage the school side of things so you have time to manage the non-school side of your life. Think of all the times you’ve been stressed because of schoolwork, dreaded seeing a teacher because you know you didn’t complete an assignment (big or small), skipped school or came in late to avoid a quiz/test/presentation, slept through a class because you were up all night on COD, or fought with adults in your life because of your grades -- ARC-9 is your chance to help make those pains vanish.

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be where you’ve always been.” 

- T.D. Jakes

Goals:

This is an ungraded course in which you will be provided plenty of opportunities to improve the following areas during class time:

  • Short/Long term planning of school work, extracurriculars, and personal life
  • Study Skills
  • Note Taking
  • Organizational Skills
  • Test-taking strategies
  • Habit training 
  • Improving attendance rates
  • Any other areas that may be holding back your potential
  • Self-Advocacy

ARC Lab vs Class:

Most ARC-9 students have ARC class during one of the color blocks and lab during A-block, first thing in the morning. For those who have Lab, during this time we will establish a plan for what we need to do in order to be successful that morning, day, or week. That may mean: 

  • Coming up with daily/weekly goals
  • Establishing a daily schedule via your HW log/assignment tracker
  • Contacting or planning to contact teachers for clarification on projects/tests
  • Getting organizational/assignment help from Mr. Collins.
  • Even getting some assignments completed*.  → → →          *do not rely on this time to complete work
  • In general: Figuring out what you need to do in order to be successful at that moment

 

Mr. Collins Role:

  • Help you organize yourself through monitoring your work completion/attendance
  • Assess/Reassess your progress
  • Speak to your teachers and counselors about your progress
  • Contact your families when progress is or isn’t being made
  • Instruct you on the skills/strategies you can use in order to be successful
  • Advise you on ways to help you reach your goals by listening to your concerns and help you develop ways to address them and reach your goals. 

If you need to contact me the best way is via email, collinssp@wellesleyps.org. I’m genuinely glad to be here to help each of you this year. Good luck!

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due