My Website
Check here for answers to frequently asked questions. If you don't find an answer to a question, please contact me.
How may I contact Mr. Byrnes?
Please feel free to reach me via a phone call (which I prefer) here at the high school at 724-375-6691 x2206. Please
leave a message with your contact information and I will call back in a timely manner. If you contact me via email
(byrnesm@hopewellarea.org), it may take me longer to respond as I am a slow typist.
What are Mr. Byrnes's classroom rules?
Please click on this link below to view a copy of the classroom rules I provide to each student during the first week of school.
Rules for Classroom - PRIDE 2020-21.pdf
How does Mr. Byrnes grade?
Excluding AP 11, half (50%) of the student's grade is derived from essays, tests, quizzes, projects, and the like.
Homework, sometimes checked for completion, sometimes for content, comprises 25% of the grade, and the remaining
25% depends upon a student's class participation. I believe verbal AND written participation is paramount in English
classes which is why I weight class participation equal to homework.
Does Mr. Byrnes offer extra credit?
VERY INFREQUENTLY do I offer extra credit. In my 20+ prior years of teaching, I have found that the students who often
seek extra credit are the ones who normally do not do the work that is assigned FOR credit. I believe that a student who
does not do the "regular" assignments should not have an opportunity for EXTRA credit. That would be enabling.
When is Mr. Byrnes available to students outside of class?
I arrive at school at approximately 7 AM, although teachers begin at 7:30. After student dismissal, I am at school every
day until at least 3 PM in the fall and invariably here at school later than 3 PM in the winter and spring. During period 3 I
monitor students in the cyberlab, Room 102, and I have TOC duty during period 7. Students may seek me out during this
time with prior permission. Check the "My Schedule" page to find when I am available during the school day. During the
times listed above, I am happy to assist students with extra help or to make up work. I do not permit students to make
up missed tests during their scheduled class period!
Why did I receive a zero for an assignment?
A score of zero is recorded for an assignment if...
A) A test is not made up within three days after an absence (Extenuating circumstances are taken into consideration.)
B) A homework is not turned in when it was collected or checked
C) An assignment is not up to minimum expectations (For example, simply filling in words on a vocabulary assignment
is not considered DOING the assignment.)
D) An assignment is copied (District policies on copying and plagiarism apply.)
Since I'm struggling in grammar, what can I do to improve?
Making an appointment to see me before or after school is probably the best course of action; however, Purdue
University's OWL (Online Writing Lab) provides great explanations and examples of key grammar concepts at this link:
