To: Students in Mr. Holm's classes.
In this handout you will find how your science class is organized, and you will be given a list of items you are expected to bring to class on a daily basis. Also included is a short summary of the grading procedure your teacher will follow in evaluating your grade. Please keep this handout in a three ring binder and refer back to it as needed during your course of study.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch lined paper, loose pages for use in three ring binder.
2. One or two pencils.
3. An eraser.
4. A pen or colored pencil for correcting work.
5. A three ring binder with one inch diameter rings to contain the work for each quarter.
6. A set of five dividers for the science notebook.
7. Your assigned text and supplemental reading materials.
8. A cover on your science text. (Either a commercially available cover from a store, or one made from a heavy paper bag, cut out and folded to protect the text.) Please take care of the text issued to you. If you loose this text, you will be charged the following:
Astronomy: $22.74 Geology I: $57.11 Geology II: $47.00
9. A set of colored pencils in your locker, that you can bring to class as needed.
1. You must keep all assignments in your notebook for each quarter, after they have been graded and recorded in your teacher's gradebook.
2. Any extra credit work must be turned in when due.
3. Assignments started in class are to be finished in class if possible, or taken home to be completed and brought back to school for the next class period. Do not forget your work at home or in your locker.
4. Each assignment is to have the correct heading and title before it will be accepted. An example of the proper heading of all papers is shown below:
#15 (assignment number) (your name)
Page 21: #1-10 (describe the assignment) (course name / period of the day)
(date)
1. At the beginning of the period, you should be seated quietly in your assigned seat, and have your assignment out and your book open to the work from the previous day.
2. When you wish to speak, please raise your hand and wait to be called upon. LISTEN. Be courteous.
3. You are to sharpen your pencil before class time or during a work period, not while the teacher is addressing the class.
4. You are expected to work on the current science assignment during a work period in class, not an assignment from another class.
5. You are expected to keep food outside the classroom.
6. You are responsible for keeping the desk assigned to you clean, for reporting to the teacher when it is not, and for seeing that it is in the proper position, with the chair tucked under the table, before you leave the classroom.
7. Recycle any aluminum you bring to class in the provided container. Empties only PLEASE. Use one of the working sinks in class to pour out any left over liquids.
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
E 0-59%
Various components of your grade are explained below:
All assignments must be turned in when due. Late assignments will not be accepted. If you are present the day an assignment is given, but you have an excused absence the day it is due, the work will be due the day you return.
Starting the second day of your return, if you have excused absences for two or more days, you must turn in at least two days of work each day until you are caught up. However, you will not have more than five days to make up any assignments. For long absences you will need to work ahead before you leave (prearranged absences), or call the school to obtain assignments during your absence. Any work that in not completed within the allotted time will automatically receive a grade of zero. There will be a number of labs and other assignments you may not be able to complete due to an excused absence. If you miss such work, check with your teacher for alternative assignments, such as those listed on the Special Projects hand-out. However, you will be held responsible for the contents of the missed assignments when tests are given. Check with your teacher to see if there is a different way you may be able to learn the material before the next test.
It is your responsibility to obtain your assignments and to make arrangements for any possible make-up work. When you are absent on the day an assignment is given, you can find out about the work due from the Assignment Board, the posted Grade Sheets, or from the student in charge of describing make-up work for the day. Every day a different student will be assigned the task of helping students who need to do make-up work, a task worth twenty-five points.
NOTEBOOK:
When a notebook is turned in to be graded, it will be evaluated based upon its organization , neatness, completeness, and the quality of the work contained inside. A number of notebook quizzes will also be given.
EXTRA CREDIT:
Extra credit will be assigned from time to time. Extra credit must be turned in as assigned.
TESTS:
A test will be given for each chapter or unit studied, and tests will be given a numerical grade for points earned. If you are absent the day of a test, the same make-up policy used for assignments will be followed. Any test not made up within the allotted period of time will receive a grade of zero.
You are expected to be on time to class. Detention notices will be issued to students who arrive late to class without an official excuse. For absences, the district policy will be closely followed. To be considered an excused absence your name must appear on the officially excused computer generated list form the office.
For school sponsored activities, it is your responsibility to inform your teacher at least two days prior to the absence, and to make arrangements for making up any work missed. The work is due the day following the activity. It is also your responsibility to make sure that your absences have been cleared at the office.
As a matter of policy, I do not recommend "prearranged absences" for personal reasons. If you take such an absence, it is your responsibility to obtain the assignments prior to your absence.
You are encouraged to bookmark your computer with the following address:
Posted will be all major information handouts, overview information ragarding all classes I teach during the day, in addition to updates regarding field trips.
All your work is to be kept in a Science Notebook. This Notebook is proof of the work you have completed over the span of each quarter. Should you be absent on a day when a notebook quiz is given, you can expect to be asked to turn in your Notebook for evaluation. Such an evaluation will be based upon the neatness, organization, completeness, and the quality of your work. You should use and follow the format outlined below:
1. TITLE PAGE.
This page, like the cover of a book, should be complete with your name, the name of the class, period, quarter, teacher's name (Mr. Holm) and room number (H104).
2. STUDENT INFORMATION PACKET.
This hand-out is the Student Information Packet.
3. "GRADES" SECTION WITH LABELED DIVIDER.
This section of your notebook should contain a list of all the daily work for the quarter, similar to the example on the Assignment Board. Be sure to include dates and scores you obtained for all assignments, tests, and quizzes. At any time you should be able to determine your progress grade in class by averaging these scores. Periodically I will also post a computer print-out of your grades.
4. "ASSIGNMENTS" SECTION WITH LABELED DIVIDER.
This section of the Notebook should contain all of the assignments for the quarter, arranged in order from first to last, or last to first. Assignments will include notes you turned in for a grade, text based assignments, special study units, and quizzes. The other major component of your grade will be tests. These tests should be turned back to your teacher after they have been reviewed in class and you have recorded the grade on your Grade Sheet. Please make sure to tests back in when requested, to avoid a test score of "zero" from being entered into the teacher's grade book. Make sure you label all assignments in the upper left hand corner. Clearly labeled assignments are easy to organize and easy to find.
5. "NOTES" SECTION WITH LABELED DIVIDER. (optional)
This section is for notes you take for your own personal use. If you take notes in class, and the notes are to be turned in as part of an assignment, please place these notes in the preceding "Assignments" section.
6. "REPRINTS" SECTION WITH LABELED DIVIDER.
Your text will be supplemented by photocopied articles of recent developments in science. Since these reprints can be bulky, they can be conveniently placed in this section, apart from the grade assignments. Once we are finished using a reprint in class, two or more pages in length, and you no longer want to keep this reprint, please return it to your teacher for reuse.
7. "EXTRA CREDIT" SECTION WITH LABELED DIVIDER. (optional)
The notebook helps you approach your studies in an efficient, consistent, planned, and organized manner. Look around, successful students are well organized students.
If there is any part of this hand-out that you do not understand, please see me.
Mr. Holm