My advice?
INSIST that you be given complete transparency on any electronic messages, assignment websites, etc. I hold all of our DD's passwords, and I use them to check on this stuff. Regularly. It's the only way that I can casually ask after things that I know to be on the horizon, and for which I'm seeing no effort or attention at all on her part.
In middle school I did this and more with the support of DS's teachers. He was happy to have me back away, but when he got in too deep he didn't want to ask for help. He is, perhaps, afraid that if he asks for help, even coming up with a topic, that the teacher will think he doesn't belong in the class. I know he's afraid of appearing irresponsible, and yet that's exactly what happens. Hhe knows he's not an "imposter", it's the teacher's perception he is worried about. I'm glad to know this is not uncommon.
I like the term scaffolding, good metaphor.
Old Dad, I think your list is a good conversation starter for a school year, and one to be repeated periodically during the year to learn how the syllabus and the class year mesh. The teachers do give good syllabi (?) but if we talk about it in terms of those questions, together, it will help us (student, teacher, parent) get started on the same track.
