NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

PROGRESS HIGH SCHOOL FOR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS

William C. Jusino. Ed. D.
Principal
Assistant Principal, Frank Whelan Smith

September 16, 2015

Dear Parents and Guardians,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to your students African Studies teacher. I am looking forward
to a terrific school year! Over the upcoming months, students will engage in an intensive and
achievement oriented course that will cover the essential knowledge and skills required by the
state of New York. I have a BA in History with a concentration of American and African
American history. I am honored to be entrusted with your student, and I am thrilled to be able to
work with you as well.
As the instructor for African Studies, you and your student can expect that I will provide extra
help when needed, to ensure a safe classroom environment where students feel comfortable, to
be consistent and fair, to make myself available to address any concerns the student or parent
may have, and to take no longer than two days to answer parents emails and return calls from
parents.
Let me be very clear, I uphold high expectations for every student in my classroom. I view each
day as an opportunity to succeed, and I expect my students to put in the necessary hard work that
is a prerequisite to success. I have made my academic and behavioral expectations clear to your
student, and I am confident that he or she will meet and exceed my expectations.
All children can learn no matter what their economic backgrounds or situations. I come from a
culture where it takes a village to raise a child in the proper way. Let the teachers at Progress and
parents work together to ensure that our students achieve and become distinguished members of
our society. I know you are invested in your students life. To this end, I would appreciate your
support at home over the entire school year. Please make sure your student is attending school
every day this is absolutely vital. Also, please make sure that your student is completing all
assigned homework. Effective and open lines of parent-teacher communication are imperative to
your students academic success, so please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. I look
forward to communicating with you about your students successes. Welcome aboard!
Sincerely,
Mrs. A Edwards
Email: ablackmanedward@schools.nyc.gov
ablackmanedward@progresshs.com
PROGRESSHSAFRICANSTUDIES.WEEBLY.COM

Listed below are things that will be mandatory class rules and must be followed:

Attend class and be on time

To be seated and working on the DO NOW before the bell rings

Agree to be prepared for class with all necessary materials. (Material list is below)

To wait to be dismissed for class and not pack up materials before the bell has rung.

To be RESPECTFULof teachers and classmates opinions even if I disagree during class discussions

To not use inappropriate language at my classmates or the teacher. When inappropriate language is used
know that detention or a referral will follow.

If you miss class you are still responsible for the work. You can contact me after class, using the
weebly site (Progresshsafricanstuidies.weebly.com), or by email to get any missing assignments.
Cell phones are not permitted to be seen in class. If a phone should ring during my class or is
visible detention will be granted to that student. We ask that parents call the office at 718-387-0228 in
case of emergency when they know that their student is in class.
Students will have to bring the following materials to class everyday

One loose leaf binder/college ruled 5 subject notebook

Double folders (all handouts should be placed in folder).
Pens (Blue & Black ONLY), Highlighters, & Pencils

Here is a tentative schedule for this course:

Unit 1: Who is an Ancestor?, Unit 2: Scattered to the West; American Bondage-American
Freedom,Unit 3: Standing for Integrity and for Our Rights, Unit 4: The True Meaning of
Democracy

Here is the breakdown of grades: 50% for Class participation/Attendance, 40% for Assessments and
10% for Homework. Grades will be posted on Pupilpath, please check on grades every day and email
me at Ablackmanedward@schools.nyc.gov if you have any question or concerns.
Your student is graded on a four points scale every day. Student will receive one point for completing
DO Now assignment, another point for completing classwork, the third point for participating in
discussion, and the fourth and final point is awarded for students who completed all the above
requirements and have been a model student for the day. Unfortunately there are times when a student is
disruptive to the learning environment. When this occurs the student will be warned two times to correct
their behavior and still fail to do so, they will receive a 55 for their classroom grade and detention. When I
am unable to complete a lesson for the day because of classroom misbehavior by many students, the
entire class will receive a 55 for their classroom grade that day.
Parents/Guardian, please provide me with the following information
Name of Student: _________________________________
Guardians Name:__________________________________

Phone Number(s): __________________

E-mail Address ___________________

Best Time to Call:______________________________________________________________________

Speak English? Yes/No