Small Animal Management

M.B. Lamar High School

3325 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77098

Instructor: Ms. Brynn M. Wittie

bwittie@houstonisd.org

Course Description
This course allows students to develop knowledge and skills regarding career
opportunities, personal development, and industry standards in relation to
small animals. Students will get to explore multiple competencies related to
animal science through this course, and will come out with basic knowledge
& understanding of small animal anatomy. This course follows the Principles
in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and can be taken to precede the
Veterinary Medical Applications course, which is encouraged for those
students interested in career opportunities in the Animal Science Industry.
Content:
- Basic Avian Anatomy
- SAEs, PMT & Record Books
- Basic Canine & Feline Anatomy
- Basic
Nutrition
&
Digestive
- Jobs & Employability
Physiology
- Benefits of Companion Animals
Common Diseases & Parasites
- Work Place Issues & Safety
- Animals in Research
- Animal Behavior & Welfare
- Careers in the Industry
- Animal Rights & Societies

Enrollment in this course gives students the opportunity to join

Lamar FFA. It is highly encouraged that students take advantage
of this membership in a premier leadership organization.
Information about Lamar FFA will be presented in class on multiple
occasions, and more can be found at lamar.ffanow.org

Middle Years Program MYP

Lamar High School utilizes a broad and exciting array of approaches to
learning such as Health and Social Education, Human Ingenuity, Community
and Service and Environments, daily journal writing, reading current events,
group projects, chapter quizzes, oral presentations given by students and
guest speakers. These approaches to learning will result in learners that will
show characteristics of the IB learner profile (risk-takers, open-minded,
reflectors, knowledgeable, caring, communicators, balanced, thinkers,
principled, and inquirers).

Supervised Agricultural Experience: Learning by

Doing

Each Agricultural Education Student is required to develop an SAE, one for

EACH semester. In junction with the IB Program, the students SAE will be
the Prescribed Minimum Task for agriculture courses. While working on an
SAE project, students learn to apply the concepts and principles taught in
their agriculture classes to real-world problems and scenarios. A student
selects an SAE project based on his or her interest. SAEs are a key
component of agricultural education and will be discussed more in depth
during class.

Supplies
Pens & Pencils All Day, Every day.
Paper. Loose leaf paper and/or spiral notebooks are great resources.
Folders, Binders, etc.. Are up to you. Organization is a must, but you
are welcome to choose & personalize your methods. But you do NEED
to have a concise method. There will be daily questions &/or journals
that you MUST keep for a grade.

Classroom Expectations
1. RESPECT. EVERYONE, ALL of the time, NO EXCEPTIONS.
2. Strive for Excellence in EVERYTHING that you do!
3. Cell phones, iPads, Laptops, etc.. Are ONLY allowed during
class time IF instructed to use it. If I see it when it is not
required, I will take it up. This is your one & only warning.
4. Everyone must complete ALL work that is assigned. Taking
ownership of your assignments & learning is EXPECTED.
5. EVERYONE must help with maintaining the order of the room.
6. No outside food is allowed in the classroom. You are allowed to have
____________.
7. Do not be ______________ or _______________________________. This is a
school expectation that I will uphold in my classroom. Strictly.
8. Leaving the classroom during class will be prohibited and constantly
monitored. Please complete all outside of class activities between
classes, or after class.

Ex.____________________________________________________________________

*** The Lamar High School disciplinary guidelines will be followed

for any student who *** ** violates these or any rule in the student
handbook. The referral process **
* can be found in the Student Handbook. *

Late, Missing or Incomplete work

-

Late work is defined as not being submitted on the day that it is due, as
assigned by the teacher. Work will be accepted until the end of the school
day, and online assignments will be accepted until 11:59pm of their due
date.
Work that is turned in Incomplete, without an excuse, will be graded as-is
Students may submit late work up until 4 DAYS before the end of the
grading period, work will be graded as-is, and will be docked the full 20%
of the grade that is allowed per Lamar Policy.
For the 3rd late or missing assignment, a detention will be issued.
If students do not complete, submit, or finish an assignment (both inclass and online assignments), they will NOT receive a Zero (0) or M for
missing, at the end of the cycle. Instead, their calculated grade will
become more heavily dependent on those assignments that they do
complete.
o Example-

HOW IT
WOULD BE:
Grade Received:
Grade
weight/worth:

HOW I DO
IT:
Grade Received:
Grade
weight/worth:

ASGMT ASGMT ASGMT

#1
#2
#3
100
90
85
1/4

ASGMT
#1

1/4

ASGMT
#2

1/4

ASGMT
#3

ASGMT Averag
#4
e:
0 (or M)

68.75

1/4

100

90

85

Avera
ASGMT #4 ge:
(Not
Received)

1/3

1/3

1/3

0%

91.67

Could help youOr it could hurt you

HOW I DO
IT:
Grade
Received:
Grade
weight/worth:

ASGMT
#1

ASGMT
#2

ASGMT
#3

100

90

50

ASGMT #4
(Not
Received)

1/3

1/3

1/3

0%

Avera
ge:

80.00

Grading System
The MYP criterion based assessment system will be used.
A. Inquiring & Analyzing
25%
B. Developing Ideas
20%
C. Creating the Solution
25%
D. Evaluating
20%
Objective Testing
10%
**Please see your Course outline for specific Assignments & Cycle/Semester
Grades**

Class DoJo
This year I will be utilizing a behavioral management tool known as Class
DoJo. DoJo is an online system that helps me keeps track of students
behavior. Each student will be entered into the class as a member and
during class, their behaviors will be recorded on the system. If the student is
being productive, participating, on task & courteous, the student will receive
a thumbs up, For every 10 thumbs-up a student will receive an extra
credit point to apply to any grade that they choose. However, if a student is
given thumbs down for being off task, not listening, bullying, or any other
negative behavior, after 2, there will be a call or email directed to a
parent/guardian. After 3, the student will receive a detention, and 4 will
result in a write-up for behavior.
- Parents & students are given the opportunity to participate in this online
system to manage their behavior. Once the class is created, emails can
be set-up to receive automatic notifications. Please notify Ms. Wittie if
you choose to participate in this.

Agreement/Contract
Name of Student: _________________________________________
Name of Parent/Guardian: __________________________________
Email of parent/Guardian: ___________________________________
Primary Phone #:__________________________ Secondary Phone
#______________________

I, ___________________________, the parent of _____________________ have read

the course syllabus and understand all the terms and conditions for my child
to enroll in Small Animal Management.

I, ___________________________, (student) have read the course syllabus and

understand all the terms and conditions for enrolling in Small Animal
Management. I agree to abide by the class rules and expectations. I agree to
have a fun-filled learning experience!

I, ____________________________, the parent of ____________________ understand

that agricultural classes involve FFA, Supervised Agricultural Experience
Programs, and Agricultural Education. My child will need to form some type
of project and complete it within the first two (2) cycles.

Parent Signature: ______________________________

Date: ___________

Student Signature: _____________________________

Date: ___________

***This contract is due back to

Ms. Wittie by Friday, August 29th.
***