New Paltz High School

Hello Students!
Welcome to Participation in Government!

My name is Jim Gill and I will be your child’s Participation in Government teachers this semester.  In many ways PIG (the shortened name for the course) is the capstone course for the Social Studies department.  Students will constantly apply their communication and critical thinking skills they have developed in their history classes to current issues.  This course is not only designed to teach students about local, state and national government but to teach them how they can be an effective citizen no matter what their passions in life are. Each quarter is worth 50% of the overall grade.  There is no final exam but there is a culminating project.  The projects will be worth 50% of the quarter grade, community service 20%, quizzes 20% and other classwork assignments 10%.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact us.  We are looking forward to a successful semester.

  PIG is a graduation requirement.  For class, students will need a notebook and a pocket folder.  Their assignments will all be posted in the Google Classroom but we will be analyzing articles and making notes in class so the notebook and folder will be essential.  Participation in Government is a project based course.  The projects are designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn more about the levels of government, rights of citizens, powers of citizenship as well as more philosophical aspects of American democracy.  Projects typically include completing research, finding current events involving the topic, communicating findings, attending local meetings and completing community service. Classroom attendance and class participation are an integral part of the course.  If a student is absent they should use the Google Classroom to stay up to date with what was taught in their absence.  Students should then see me when they are back in school to create an appropriate plan to make up for missing work.   Cell phones are not allowed to be used during class without permission.

A total of twenty hours of community service are assigned for the semester.  If students completed community service over the summer or during the first semester that service counts. Previous student community service placements as well as the community service form that needs to be completed are located on my high school website.  Students may dedicate all twenty hours to one community service project or they may try multiple places to complete their service. Choosing to complete service in an area that one is passionate about tends to be the most meaningful.  

Finally, students will have the opportunity to earn the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness on their Regents diploma depending on the projects they complete in PIG and previous activities students have participated in.   We will be having numerous conversations about the Seal during the first few weeks of class. I am looking forward to working with your child this semester.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

James E. Gill

James Gill

845- 256- 4175 ext 69522

jgill@newpaltz.k12.ny.us

Materials Needed
notebook
pens/pencils
Folder

There is no course textbook.

Grading
1st Quarter-50%
2nd Quarter- 50%

Projects – 50% of quarterly grade

Community Service- 20% of quarterly grade

Quizzes- 20% of quarterly grade

Classwork- 10% of quarterly grade

Class Structure
This course will be primarily project based.  Through a variety of projects, you will attend local government meetings, complete 20 hours of community service, and propose ideas that will benefit your community.  These projects will align with topics being covered in class as well as the New York State Curriculum guidelines.  Formal instruction will take place to reinforce skills and concepts that will aid in allowing you to fully participate in government.  Possible project topics are below. 

• Act Local, Think Global

• Improving New Paltz 

• New York State Government

• Polling Project

• Election Central Campaign Simulation

• Lobbying/ Special Interest

• Supreme Court/ Bill of Rights

• A- Z Government Project

SOME Service Opportunities

New Paltz Schools

Duzine – Tutoring; Library (256-4350)

Lenape – Tutoring; Library (256-4300)

Middle School – Tutoring; Library (256-4200)

School Board (non voting member)

PTSA – Student Liaison

District Office – (256-4000)

NPHS- Yearbook, the Maroon, Honor Society Events, sports teams, ushers

Town and Village of New Paltz

Town Clerk’s Office (255-0100)

Judges/Courts (255-0041 or 0043)

Youth Center– (255-5140 – Jim Tinger)

Landfill/Recycling Center (255-8456)

Police Department (255-1323) 

Assessor’s Office (255-0103)

Elting Memorial Library (255-5030)

Family of New Paltz - (255-8801)

Village Clerk/Treasurer (255-0130)

Village Building Department (255-3055)

Village Department of Public Works (255- 1980)

New Paltz Repair Cafe

           Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Association (NP/Gardiner) http://www.gorailtrail.org/mainframeset.shtml 

New Paltz Rescue Squad (255-1719)

New Paltz Fire Department (255-1520)

New Paltz Chamber of Commerce

YMCA Program – (255-2107 – LeeAnn Albritton)

Huguenot Historical Society  - (255-1660)

NP Garden Club – (255-5636)

NP Parks and Recreation – (255-3631)

Salvation Army

SPCA- (Walden, Hyde Park and Kingston are the closets) 

Gardiner

Fire Department 

Gardiner Repair Cafe

Town Clerk (255-9675)

Town Supervisor (255-9675)

Transfer Station (255-9775)

Library (255-1255 

Mohonk Preserve - http://mohonkpreserve.org/index.php?volunteer 

Ulster County

Office for the Aging

Commission of Jurors (340-3050)

Consumer Fraud Bureau (340 -3260)

Court Clerk (340-3377)

Election Board (334-5470)

County Clerk (340-3288)

County Legislator

Youth Bureau

Habitat for Humanity of Ulster County (340-0907)

New York State

State Assemblymember

State Senator Michelle Hinchey’s office 

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) 256-3000

Department of Transportation
State Police

Attorney General’s Office