EVERYTHING SHOULD BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH YOUR NAME. (Do it now J )

  From the list above, highlight what should be brought to class everyday.

COURSE POLICIES

   Grades ~ Grades will be assigned according to the grading scale set by the school, which can be found in your hand book. Grades will be posted fairly regularly but you are always welcome to check with me if you have any questions or concerns about your standing in class.

          I use a points based system to assign grades. For example, a test might be worth 75 or 80 points, but you will only have 2 or 3 a marking period. Homework assignments will be worth 10 to 40 points, but you will have many of them. Additionally, you will receive a participation grade for each quarter. This will include class participation in all activities, warm-up activities, preparedness and appropriate behavior. In order to do well in class, you need to succeed on tests, do your homework and participate fully in all classroom activities.  

          In this class, any grade that is shown as an asterisk “*” will not count for or against you. These are assignments that have not been graded yet, due to absence, missed class work, etc.  Only assignments marked as zero that should be considered missing, regardless of any other indications.

   Tardiness ~ Students are deemed tardy if they are not in the room at the time the bell rings.

   Late Work  ~ I will always accept late work, but once you have missed the original due date, you will not receive full credit for your assignment. If it is turned in within 1 week of due date, you will receive up to 75%. After 1 week, you will only receive up to 50% credit. Please also note that assignments done in ink colors other than blue or black or on colored paper will receive late credit. Papers without a name run the risk of being thrown out and at the very least, they will receive late credit.

   Cheating ~ Don’t do it. It is not in anyway appropriate for you to cheat at anytime. This is not limited to tests or quizzes. Copying homework is cheating as well, and both parties, the cheater and the person whose paper they are copying, will receive zeros. Consequences for cheating can result in further action from the assistant principal.   

Define Cheating:

     Attendance ~ Attendance in class is vital; however all of you will miss class at some point this year. It is your responsibility to check for missed homework, tests etc. Lab work and group work will be hard to make up and you may have to do an equal, yet alternative assignment. Even if it is for a school related reason, the responsibility falls on YOUR shoulders.

Absences can be classified in two ways: excused and unexcused. After (or before) any excused absences all work, tests, assignments etc may be made up once you have checked with me about what you are responsible for. Unexcused absences equal zeros in all tests, quizzes, assignments of that day, unless that absence is later cleared up. It is your responsibility to make sure you absences are excused.

  Other Homework ~ You may not work on work from another course in this class, unless you have received permission from Miss DeVries. Any work from another class will be confiscated. It is also expected that you are not working on work from this course in another class without permission from your teacher. Any violation of this will result in loss of your work.

   Checking with Miss DeVries  ~ You can always check with me about your grades, missing assignments, or concerns regarding  class.  And I encourage you to do so. However, I ask that you select appropriate times to do so.

Define Appropriate:

When are appropriate times to talk to Miss DeVries one to one about questions/concerns I have?

What times are inappropriate to talk to Miss DeVries about personal concerns?

BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE

If you find yourself needing help or with a question, PLEASE, PLEASE come see me. Please do not wait until a situation is beyond control, whether it is prepping for a test or a social issue.   

Define Advocate:

Why is being your own advocate so important?

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS ~All rules found in your hand book apply to this classroom.  No Food or drink is allowed in class.

Personal Expectations

1.       Act with Respect. Treat others as you wish to be treated. It is as simple as that.

What types of behavior indicate that you are respecting someone else?

What types of behavior indicate that you are NOT being respectful of someone else?

2.       If you need to borrow something, ask first, and be sure that permission has been granted.

3.       Act in a mature manner at all times. The science classroom is not the place for goofing off or horseplay, and this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

Define Mature:

4.       Be prepared. Bring your necessary supplies to class everyday. Use your passing time to go to the bathroom. Come to class ready to go, as much as possible. My expectation for you is that when the bell rings, you are ready to start class. If you do need to use a hall pass, you must to do, receive permission, and then take the hall pass with you. Repeatedly use of hall passes will result in further consequences.

Define Prepared:

What should be brought to class daily so that you are always prepared?

5.       ASK QUESTIONS! I value your thoughts and opinions. If you have a concern, you need to make me aware of it.

Group/Lab Work and Safety Expectations

1.       Lab equipment and supplies are to be used only when given permission. You may not touch until told to do so.

2.       All group members must remain with their group. You are expected to equally contribute to your group’s assignment, and this can be made difficult when you are not with your group. Seems like common sense doesn’t it?

3.       All group/lab work must follow the given assignment. You may not create your own experiment in any way. This includes using materials in ways they were not meant to be made.

4.       Goggles must be worn when the teacher deems it appropriate.

5.       Anyone who disregards the above rules will not be allowed to finish their assignment or lab. Rather they will spend the remaining time on the lab working quietly by themselves. Depending on the nature of the infringement, spending the remainder of the hour in the assistant principal’s office is always an option.

6.       If a student is removed from a lab, he or she will not be allowed to complete it, even if it continues more than 1 day. For that person, the lab/group assignment is over.

7.       Anyone who is removed from a lab/group situation twice will no longer be allowed to participate in any future lab or group work. Instead they will be assigned a lengthy library research assignment.

“We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, not all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry.” Maria Mitchell