POLICY REGARDING LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION AND RAVE SHEETS

 

 

I want to make sure you understand that a request for the questionnaire, and my sending it to you, DOES NOT mean that I am guaranteeing to write a letter. A decision is made on a variety of factors, including junior-year grades. If I decide to write one, a student will be informed and will receive further instructions.

If I decline, I will give a student ample time to ask another teacher for a recommendation.

You, as a student, must decide if I am the most appropriate of your academic teachers to write a letter.

The contents of all letters are confidential and will not be disclosed to a student. Unless a school gives specific instructions that a letter is to be included in a student's application packet, the letter of recommendation is sent directly to the admissions office.

Students must provide appropriate postage.

 If I decline to write a letter, I do not discuss my decision; writing a letter is something a teacher does on her/his own time and without any legal or contractual obligation to the student, school, or NYC Department of Education.

 

I may decide that, instead on a letter, I will agree to write a Rave Sheet. DO NOT assume that I will automatically write one, and DO NOT leave one in my mailbox in the Social Studies Office or the Main Office. Unsolicited Rave Sheets will be discarded.

 

If, after reading this, you believe I am the teacher best suited to your needs for a letter of recommendation, following this procedure:

1. Send me an email at teachermarc@aol.com. PUT YOUR NAME IN THE SUBJECT LINE and add "request for questionnaire."

2. Email the questionnaire back to me AS TEXT IN AN EMAIL and also as a WORD ATTACHMENT.

3. I will inform you when I have made a decision.

 

BRING YOUR TEXTBOOK IN

****   GO TO THE ECONOMICS PAGE AND SEE HOMEWORK. THERE YOU WILL FIND THE PLANNING DOCUMENT AND THE INDUSTRY INFORMATION SHEET IN PDF FORMAT. **********

 

The Market Sector Project

 

A.     Begin with the website of the organization you have been assigned. It should give you basic information, such as:

 

1.      What is does (promote/advocacy/increase public awareness)

2.      Who belongs to it (most likely, industry groups)

3.      What are political/legal/regulatory issues (for example: safety; federal or state regulation; trade or taxation issues).

 

B.     You may wish/need to go to other websites (for example, if you are researching an issue related to food, you might want to look at similar websites and/or websites that have some logical connection…such as the Food and Drug Administration; EPA; farmers’ groups, etc.)

 

C.     IF POSSIBLE, try to get some information from a spokesperson/public affairs officer from the organization. You may wish to consider calling, but email might be the way to go, as you have limited time. Keep in mind that a public affairs official will give you the ‘official line.’ S/he will emphasize the positive and won’t likely speak about anything that involves controversy, bad press, or unfavorable public opinion.

 

D.     If there is a graphic (a chart, a line chart, a pie chart, etc.) that illustrates an aspect of the subject (such as growth, loss, new markets, demographics), include it.

 

E.      You will then write 500-word (2 pages, double-spaced) summary. If you quote from your website, or another website, make sure to give proper attribution/citation. It does not have to be MLA style. You might want to consider a footnote.

 

F.      This is not a personal reflections essay. Do not say, “I think” or “In my opinion.” Stick to the facts and be analytical.

 

·        IF you can create a poster, you can receive extra credit. It is desirable, but not required.

I think it would be enlightening for all of us if people can make PRESENTATIONS next Monday and Tuesday, as we will have 80-minute periods. A brief presentation of 3-4 minutes, during which you explain the highlights of your research, is all that is needed.

We will have the opportunity to use the computer lab TWO MORE TIMES THIS WEEK. If you wish to being your writing, make sure to bring a thumb drive. I do not know if the computer lab allows printing.

Fiorello H. LaGuardia HS of Music & Art and Performing Arts
Mr. Sperber