Yearbook

Publications
Mr. Benincasa
La Plata High School
MrBenincasa.com
rbenincasa@ccboe.com
Overview
As a member of Te Excalibur staf, you must understand that producing Te Excalibur is a tremendous responsibility.
It requires hard work, dedication and time outside the regular school day. Tasks involved range from fun and exciting to
mundane and tedious. All need to be taken with the same seriousness and commitment to excellence.
Te standard of quality that has been established from previous books is extremely high. You must endeavor to not just
meet, but exceed those expectations. Many obstacles will present themselves along the way. It is your responsibility to
prevent problems before they arise and quickly fx those that couldnt be forseen.
Te students of LPHS depend on us to produce a book that meets their needs and expectations and is delivered on time.
You must strive to never let down your adviser, editors, fellow stafers and, most importantly, your customers. Only those
100% committed to this goal are welcome to undertake creating this book.
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.
Classroom Procedures
1. Staf members are expected to be in class and on time daily.
2. Before leaving the classroom on an assignment each staf member is
required to sign-out and notify the adviser of the destination and the ap-
proximate length of time to be outside the classroom.
3. Whenever a staf member needs to miss another class in order to com-
plete an Excalibur assignment, that student must get the signature of the
teacher whose class is to be missed. Tis signature will indicate that the
student has been given permission to participate in the Excalibur activ-
ity. Tis signature must be secured at least one day prior to the class to be
missed.
4. Press passes are a privilege and will not be used to roam the hallways.
Press passes will only be used for Excalibur assignments. If a teacher or
administrator fnds that a student is using a pass for non-yearbook pur-
poses the pass will be revoked and the student will not be allowed to leave
the classroom for the remainder of the year.
5. Non-committed student behavior will not be tolerated. Such behaviors
include frequent complaining about or refusal to do assignments, not fol-
lowing adviser or editor instructions, habitual tardies, skipping school or
wasting class time.
Violation of any of these rules can result in the removal of a student
from Yearbook Publications.
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
Staf Manual
Staff Manual
Every student will receive a staf
yearbook manual this year, which
will outline all things that you must
know for producing a high-quality
yearbook. Te Statement of Com-
mitment attached to this manual
must be signed by both the student
and guardian, demonstrating your
willingness to work toward the
creation of a strong book.
Please consult this manual for
all questions when working on
assignments.
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. Please talk to your editors before reaching out to the teacher about what you
missed. More ofen than not, your editors can direct you where you need to be.
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 produce an award-winning yearbook 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.