• Mr. Tucker

    Villegas Middle School

         I look forward to helping you become successful in completing Art I. This class is designed to help you increase your drawing and painting skills and your vocabulary and overall knowledge of art. This letter is to explain my class procedures and expectations regarding behavior, class work, and grades. 

    Classroom Procedures

         Every class will start with looking at the objective for the day. This lets us know what we need to complete before the class time is finished. We will also look at the standard, which is the art principle that the objective is based on. At the beginning of class, each student is required to write down the definition on their Alphabet of Art, so it is imperative that each student is in their seat with materials out, ready to begin when the bell rings. During the lesson, we will refer to the objective to keep ourselves on task. It is important that you are in the studio every day in order to learn the information. Absenteeism is the number one reason why students do poorly in school. If you are not here, you cannot learn the information. 

    Materials Needed

    You will need these materials every day in the studio:

    • Pencils – Wooden Pencils are a necessity in an art studio. You will need 3 specific leads to do your best in this class: HB, 2B, and 4B. These can be found in any basic pencil pack. Mechanical pencils are NOT allowed in the studio.
    • Pencil Sharpeners – Having your own simple pencil sharpener at your table is mandatory in the studio. Make sure it has a shaving catch so that you do not make a mess.
    • Large Erasers – This is an art class. You will make many mistakes that need to be erased. Pink or white, large eraser will do.
    • Sketchbook – The vast majority of your work will be in the sketchbook. The minimum size sketch book is 9” X 12”. Sketch books must be white paper and AT LEAST 50 pages.
    • Colored Pencils – I have many colored pencils in the studio, but this is just an option so that you do not have to share with mine. This will also give you the opportunity to have others colors that I do not have.
    • Paint Brushes – All of the projects second semester are painting projects. I have many brushes in the studio, but this is just an option so that you do not have to share with mine. A simple paint brush set will do.
    • Paint Rag – Paint brushes need to be washed and dried multiple times in a class period, a simple rag is needed to do this. This could be a dish cloth or even an old shirt. You will not be able to paint without a paint rag. Paper towels can NOT be used as a supplement

     

    NOTE: All of these items can easily be found in the Art Section at Target, Wal-Mart, or Michaels.

    Grading Policy

         Your grade will be based on four variables:

    ALPHABET OF ART: At the beginning of class, we define a new art vocabulary term on our alphabet of art. If you are absent for a class, you must talk to another student to find out what you missed and how to get your A of A back up to date. Try to be absent as little as possible. Alphabet of Art is worth 20% of your total class grade.

    TECHNICAL DRAWING: Technical drawing will begin on Tuesday and will be due at the END of class on Thursday. If you are absent on Tuesday, I can give you the URL to the video on YouTube so that you can watch the video in order to complete yours by Thursday. Technical drawing is worth 20% of your total class grade.

    PROJECTS: You will be making 8 projects this year. Projects do NOT go home with you. We work on them every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They are due on the specific critique days described below. Every day that the project is NOT turned in after the due date, the project will lose 10% of its total point value. Projects are worth 40% of your total class grade.

    CRITIQUES: You will be critiquing several of your colleague’s projects this semester. You will fill out a critique sheet for each project that you are responsible for critiquing and paste it in your Sketchbook. If you are absent on Critique Day, it is very difficult to make up the points. Critique Days are the most important days of the semester. Critiques are worth 20% of your total class grade.

    Grading Scale    

         The grading scale is as follows:

                A: 100% - 90%                        D: 69% - 60%

                B: 89% - 80%                           F: 59% or below

                C: 79% - 70%                          

    At the end of the first grading period (6 weeks from now), any student failing the class will be scheduled a parent/teacher conference to discuss your grade in my class.

    Rules regarding behavior

         This year is your opportunity to further your academic success in art. There are only four rules that must be maintained in my classroom:

    • Be Prepared- meaning materials, brain activity, and positive attitude.
    • Be Respectful: meaning the “Golden” rule, treat me good, treat yourself good, treat everyone good
    • Just Do It: meaning there is a lot of work in this class, you don’t have to love it, you just have to do it
    • Just Ask: meaning Art is not easy, if you have a question don’t be afraid to ask me.

     

    If these rules are not followed, I have a very simple discipline system. It works very similarly to a soccer match.

    • Yellow Card: Warning - this will dock half of your total points for the day.
    • Red Card: Penalty- this will send you to another classroom for the rest of the period and dock all of your points for the day.

    “Red Card Penalties” result in:

    • 1st Penalty: Mr. Tucker calls your parent/guardian regarding the disruptions
    • 2nd Penalty: Mr. Tucker calls your parent/guardian for a conference
    • 3rd Penalty: On Campus Intervention and Assistant Principal become involved.

     

    During this year we have a lot of crucial information to cover and a lot of beautiful art to create; this is why these standards must be upheld.  This year will be an important learning time for your artistic career, because of this, disruption in the classroom will not be tolerated.

        

         If you or your parents have any questions about the information in this letter, please feel free to contact me at (951)358-1695. I am available any time before school.

                                                                           

                                                                                        Mr. Tucker

     

    I have read and understood the following communication.

     

     

     

     

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    Student signature                                  Parent/Guardian signature