Home - Ms. Garza

Fall 2023--First day of School

Welcome Students, Parents, Guardians, and Staff to my website!

As you know by now, this new school year will be our third year being totally back from distance learning.

In this message, I would like to stress that students who want to achieve success in our U.S. History or World Civ. class will need to read and follow the expectations on our course syllabus.

Most of your work will be in Google Classroom. You will be expected to use Google Docs and Google Classroom on a daily basis. Students will be expected and required to complete their Google Classroom assignments using only Google Docs to earn credit towards their grade in our class this year. Photos of assignments and cheating on assignments will not earn credit in our class. Students will be expected and required to type their assignments directly on the Google Docs provided by me. We don't use Kami in this class.

During this school year, all students will be expected and required to actively participate in our class sessions. All U.S. History and World Civ. classes at Whittier High are designed to help prepare students to be college ready. Typing assignments is an expectation in college classes and will be a requirement in my classes. To encourage students to focus on what we're doing in class, all students will be expected to turn in their cell phones at the start of class and then pick them up before they leave.

It is my hope that we will have a great school year exploring history. You should know that my mission as a Whittier High School history teacher is to empower students to allow themselves to become lifelong critical thinking learners. Albert Einstein once said, "Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think."

In our history class, students will have an opportunity to see historical figures come alive off the pages of our history books. How? Students will research and present themselves as various people throughout history who made a difference in the U.S. and the World. The theme throughout the school year is that one person can make a difference and history proves that. We will relate current events to history because that's an essential aspect of our course.

As a teacher, I also teach students about being responsible individuals by meeting deadlines and not making excuses. Students will be expected to turn in their work on time unless they are out on an excused absence. Unfortunately, there are some students who choose to be absent when they have presentations or important assignments due. Please don't play the absence card. It's obvious when you are absent when something is due.

Students can't allow themselves to fall behind because that could very well lead to them failing the class due not submitting their work. It's been my experience that once students, parents, and guardians accept the expectation of meeting deadlines, everything goes smoothly. There is always hope in our history class as long as you are willing to do the work. If you have a question/concern about a graded assignment, you will need to speak to me soon after you received your score. I will not change your grade on assignments after the semester ends.

You may email me if you have any questions or concerns. My email address is [email protected]

About me, I'm an avid Dodger and Angel fan. Yes, I love both teams. I also love the Grand Canyon, Hello Kitty, the color purple, cheesecake, Happy Meals, music of most genres, celebrating holidays and cultures, rubber stamping and paper crafting, doing high tea, and to travel. In my spare time, I am a once-a-month tour docent at El Pueblo de Los Angeles which includes Olvera Street in downtown L.A. All students, parents, guardians, and staff are welcome to join me on a free tour sometime.

I look forward to getting to know all of you this school year. Take care.

Cordially,

Ms. Garza