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Science Guidelines for Biology II and Chemistry 2003-2004

Rules of Conduct

Be POLITE. Treat everyone with respect. Talking is only permitted after raising your hand and being recognized by the teacher. This helps us to give everyone a fair chance to be heard. Be sure that your language is appropriate at all times. Your attitude does matter!
Be PROMPT. Arrive to class before the bell.
Be PREPARED. Be sure to have everything you need with you - homework, notebook, paper, textbook, and two working pens or pencils. Use the lavatory, phone, water fountain, or locker before class. Your number one priority this period is science, and you need to be ready to learn when you arrive.
Be PRODUCTIVE. Listen for and follow directions. These are important!

Grading Policy

Grades will be calculated from the percentage of total points earned during the marking period. A general guide to point values is as follows:

                    Pre Class Activities (PCA’s)..................................................1-5 points
                    Homework............................................................................5-10 points
                  Labs......................................................................................20-50 points
                  Quizzes..................................................................................10-50 points
                    Projects.................................................................................25-250 points
                    Tests.....................................................................................100 points
                    Participation...........................................................................50 points
                    Optional credit assignments……………………………..…..10-50 points

To calculate your grade, add all points you have earned and divide by the number of points possible. For example, if you have earned a total of 1272 points, from a possible 1320 points over the marking period (including required assignments only), the grade will be (1272/1320) X 100 = 96.2 %. See the student handbook for the grading scale.

Participation Grade

Your participation grade includes remaining on task in class, arriving to class on time, and coming to class prepared. Excessive lateness, forgetting a book when asked to bring one, notebook, or pen/pencil will result in 5 points being taken away from your participation grade. Not wearing goggles in lab will cost you 10 points per infraction. This should be an EASY 50 points! Participation can change your grade from a B+ to an A-, or vice versa, so this IS important!

Homework

Homework will be assigned at least three times per week, with the exception of when a major assignment is due. Homework is any home assignment, including lab reports, special projects, practice problems, reading assignments, as well as studying for quizzes or tests. Studying is homework!
When work is checked, I will either collect work or come around to see if you have it while you work on another assignment
If you are unsure of the nights homework, you may want to check the webpage. Major assignment requirements will be posted online. Homework assignments may be posted online if technology cooperates; if they are not there, check the homework hotline. (Please note that assignments will not be posted online until at least 5pm.) Please call Penncrest’s homework hotline at 610-627-6100. My hotline extension is 1414.

Late Work

Homework and lab assignments are considered “on time” if they have been handed in before the due date or when I am collecting assignments on the due date. Any work completed in class after the assignment has been collected is considered late, and will be graded accordingly.
All late work is subject to a standard late penalty of 50% off. You have until class starts the day after the assignment was due to turn the late work in to me directly. (All late work must be put into my hands, not just on my desk or in the drawer.) Failure to turn the late work by the start of class will result in a zero. I will not check late work once class has started.
Homework that has been reviewed in class (or an answer key has been given out or posted online) is not eligible for late credit. There is no way to make up the assignment once we have gone over it.

Absences

If you were absent when the work was collected or reviewed and the work was assigned ahead of time (example- posted for the week on Monday and you were absent Wednesday) you are expected to either have the assignment upon your return or accept an X grade as described below. It is to your benefit to have the assignment completed in your grade rather than accept an X grade.
If you were absent on Tuesday, and an assignment was made on Monday, it should be in my hands first thing Wednesday. If we checked the homework you missed while you were out, it will appear as a drop grade (X); you will not receive credit, but it will not reflect a grade of zero for that assignment. We will have many, many assignments over a marking period; missing a few for absences with an X grade is acceptable. If you have an extended illness, you and I will make arrangements to make up for missed opportunities.
If an assignment was made on a day you were absent, the work handed out during your absence will be in the file in the front of the room if it was not in your packet. It is YOUR responsibility to collect and make up any missed work. Failure to make up missed work may impact your grade. Any regular assignment made while you were absent is eligible for a drop grade. I will not hunt you down in class or out to make up classwork or tests. After the “make up” time has passed, and we have not gone over the assignment, the grade is a zero. This means that if you were absent, you need to take the initiative to turn in the work due during your absence. If you do not make up a test within two days, it will become a zero. You may take the test in class, during your study hall, or after school.
Missed labs must be made up within one week of the absence, or the grade will be a zero.
If you are absent for more than 3 days, see me to make a schedule to complete missed work.
I do not allow make up work for unexcused absences. This includes any absence deemed unexcused by school administration, including an unexcused late to school, or a class cut.

Miscellaneous

An “NA” (Not Acceptable) on an assignment means that your work is unacceptable (illegible, or does not include the following information: name, date, class period, and title of assignment. I will not accept work without this information, and will not grade anything I can not read. Once returned, this work will be given one night to be resubmitted. After one night, it will be graded as late. *(see late work information above)
I do not re-issue papers that you have lost. All extra copies of papers are in folders in a crate on the side of the room. All extra copies are available on a first come, first served basis. After those papers are gone, you must get a photocopy from a friend.
If anything happens to your textbook or notebook, notify me immediately so that we can catch you up to speed before you get too far behind. Most assignments (classwork and homework) will be in a packet and may be collected at the test for that topic. At times, the work may be stamped and then recorded at the test when you turn the packet in. If you misplace the packet, you will lose credit for those assignments that were not recorded. You will need to bring the packet for the current topic everyday, regardless of the homework assignment the previous night.
Chemistry students are required to have a calculator capable of scientific notation for this class everyday after the first week of classes. If you need help in finding a suitable calculator, I will let you know which ones are inexpensive (under $13). You can get these just about anywhere- even chain drugstores carry them. The calculator you needed for 8th grade (the TI 82) is not adequate because it can not compute in scientific notation.
Extra credit assignments should come from an idea that you think of that complements what we are studying in class. I am not in the habit of creating of extra assignments. See me if you have any ideas, which should come from your ideas on how to expand on your knowledge and that of your classmates.
If you have questions- ASK! I can’t help unconfused you unless you tell me you are confused. I am available for help almost everyday after school; check with me in class. If I’m not available that day, we’ll get a day that works for both of us. If you are involved in sports or other after school activities that run later than 3:15, we can work out a time that we can meet, sometimes even later that day. You also can email me with questions. I will make every attempt to reply to your email by 9:00pm if it is received before 8:00pm.
You are permitted two passes per quarter. Anything other than these two will deduct points from your participation grade, at 5 per trip. Anytime during class, you may take the pass and go as long as it is not after your two passes. You do not need to ask permission for these first two trips; however, I do need to sign the pass. You are to sign out on the pass and bring it with you after I’ve signed it. Only one person may use a pass at a time. Excessively long trips will result in pass forfeiture for the remainder of the semester. If there is a medical reason you need to use the facilities more frequently, please have your parent/ guardian contact me.
Follow all lab rules. Failure to follow lab rules will cause you to be ineligible to participate in future labs. Three more words here: GOGGLES, GOGGLES, GOGGLES! If you lose more than 30 participation points due to goggle infractions, I will need to meet with your parents before you can participate in lab again.
All students are expected to have read and adhere to the “honorable student” guidelines distributed to all students in homeroom at the beginning of the year.

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