1.      Bexleo—Year-long, 1-credit course graded pass/fail

a.       Students are responsible for producing a 170-page book that tells the story of the 2016-17 school year, including but not limited to academics, sports, the arts, special events, e.g., homecoming, guest speakers, Talent Show, Clash of the Classes, etc.  Ideas for new spreads are welcome!

b.      Bexleo is one of the biggest undertakings a BHS student can be involved in; nobody else produces a book…or probably any artifact that’ll be kept and looked at by students for years to come.

c.       This year, you will receive a daily participation grade. You will check in most days with the co-editors to report on your progress.

2.      Unlike The Torch, which has Journalism as a prerequisite, there are no prerequisites for Bexleo.  Therefore, we have to teach some skills: 

a.       Photography: the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed, ISO).  It’s critical that you master the exposure triangle so that you can take creative control of your camera.

b.      We’ll post-process photos in Adobe Lightroom (LR). You’ll learn how to import photos into LR, how to delete poor photos, and how to edit the good ones.

c.       Journalism: you’ll be required to interview students, and write very brief stories, headlines, captions

d.      Graphic Design: You will have some freedom with regard to the layout of yearbook “spreads,” choice of templates, position of stories relative to photos, types of photos, background colors, etc.

e.       Business: sell ads to keep us in the black, make it possible to give complimentary Yearbooks to low-income seniors, and update camera equipment.  We compiled a list of over 100 businesses, mostly in Bexley, whom we’ll be contacting.  You must sell one ad by Oct. 14 in order to receive a passing grade for the first quarter! We’ll also be selling “senior tribute ads,” which can be sold throughout the year. There’s no requirement at this point to sell tribute ads.

f.        Web: The Web Editors are responsible for maintaining our site at bexleo.com

3.      Rules to live by during 7^th period

a.       BEXLEO IS YOUR PRIORITY 7^TH PERIOD.  NEVER ASSUME YOU WILL BE ABLE TO USE THE PERIOD FOR SOMETHING ELSE. Bexleo business always takes precedence over making up tests/quizzes, doing homework, meeting with a teacher, etc.

b.      Arrive on time, mind your manners & do your work!

c.       A lesson from Google.  Google studied how teams (workers, students, etc.) work together.  The keystone quality they discovered that was necessary for creating a healthy, well-functioning team is PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY.  “Psychological safety refers to an individual’s perception of the consequences of taking an interpersonal risk or a belief that a team is safe for risk taking in the face of being seen as ignorant, incompetent, negative, or disruptive. In a team with high psychological safety, teammates feel safe to take risks around their team members. They feel confident that no one on the team will embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake, asking a question, or offering a new idea.” https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness/steps/identify-dynamics-of-effective-teams/

d.      If you need to leave the room, please ask permission, sign out on the sign-out sheet and take a BEXLEO pass.

4.      Quill & Scroll eligibility

a.       Near the end of the school year, The Torch, Bexleo, and Lamplight induct qualified members into Quill & Scroll, a national honor society for students involved in journalism/literary arts.  Bexleo’s requirements for induction into Quill & Scroll are that you

b.      have received a passing grade for all quarters of your Bexleo participation and followed all legal and ethical guidelines of journalism.

c.       have correctly completed all your spreads and met all deadlines and your work is of admirable quality

d.      have a cumulative grade point average that places you in the top third of your class.

e.       have a positive attitude; be a tremendous asset to Bexleo!

I understand all of the above information and expectations, and I agree to abide by them all as a member of the Bexleo staff.

Signed___________________________________   Date __________________