CLASS GUIDELINES
Mr. Jeff Reinkensmeyer, M. Sci. Ed.
7 RED SCIENCE
Preferred method of contact: (typically same-day response on school days)Weekly schedule found on Infinite Campus and my web site
(School’s web page > staff profiles)
Hi! I just thought that I would introduce myself and tell you a little about my background and your child’s science class. My name is Jeff Reinkensmeyer and I am very honored and excited to teach here at Lewis Palmer Middle School!
VITA: BS Geology, Ohio State University, MS Science Education National-Louis University; 26 years of teaching middle school science. Also, I have trained teachers in national-level workshops, presented at state conventions, taught a graduate-level science methods course for teachers, taught for the Chicago Field Museum and a junior college, and have travelled to China to work with teachers on helping their students become better problem-solvers through inquiry-based learning. I have coached football and basketball at the middle/high school levels. Lastly, I have been a Science Olympiad Coach for many years, taking several teams to Nationals. I am married with two children – a son, who is a freshman in college, and a daughter, who is a freshman in high school. In my free time I enjoy hiking, running, camping, fishing, and reading.
Classroom Rules
· Treat everyone with respect.
· Do nothing to prevent teaching or learning.
What are we going to learn about this year
· Scientific Method/Experimental Design· Data Analysis & Graphing Skills
· Measurement & Science Skills
· Mixtures and Substances
· Cells and Cell Processes
· Human Body Systems / · Diversity of Life
· Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, Volcanoes
· Science, Technology, and Society
· Current Science Events
· Latin & Greek Roots
· Argumentative and Creative Writing
What skills are we going to work on developing this year?
In preparation for college and careers, besides learning the content, we will be working to develop 21st century skills including critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, productivity, literacy, flexibility, innovation/engineering, initiative, and leadership.
In order to help us develop these skills we will…
· Interact as a community of scientists working together to discover the why and how of the science that is all around our lives.
· Spend much of the year engaged in project-based learning: a dynamic classroom approach in which students actively collaborate to explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge.
· Create Interactive Notebooks, whose purpose is to enable students to be creative, independent thinkers and writers.
· Apply Latin and Greek Roots, as well as content-specific vocabulary. Research has shown that a strong vocabulary is the foundation of all areas of literacy – listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
· Increase our math literacy skills by learning to graph and analyze data.
· Develop our critical thinking and writing skills by learning to look at both sides of issues in order to become informed citizens and to be able to argue a viewpoint.
· Develop our creative thinking and writing skills through creative writing.
· Develop our innovation/engineering/experimental design skills through designing, testing, and redesigning.
· Develop our communication skills by collaborating together on presentations.
What do I need to bring everyday for science class?· Science Binder w/ notebook paper and 7 dividers labeled at home: Homework, Resources, Worksheets, Labs, Quizzes, Tests, Articles
· Composition notebook (Interactive Notebook)
[You will likely need more than one for the year]
· Pencils, pens, colored pencils, highlighters
· Calculator (phone is ok)
· Metric ruler, scissors, glue stick, protractor, compass
· Replenishable supply of 3 x 5 note cards for vocabulary / Additional supplies to be brought to school upon request
2 empty 2-L pop bottles
poster board
Textbook
Students will have access at home to an online textbook. As soon as I know the web address and access code I will share that with my students and post the information on my web site. (staff profiles).
Homework
Homework is given with purposeful intent. Students should expect homework 1 to 3x times per week.
Homework is due at the beginning of the class for it to be considered on-time.
Make Up Work
It is your responsibility to make up any missed work. Check my website, IC, the classroom planner, or talk with me for what you missed. It is your responsibility to come in to get extra help to get caught up. Late work will be accepted up to the date of the unit assessment, unless mid and end of the quarter deadlines.
Make Up Work (Labs)
If you missed a Lab, you have one week from when you returned to make the lab up, after that it will be recorded as a ZERO.
Extra Help
I encourage you to come in at lunch if you need help on anything. You must obtain a pass and have it initialed by me in order to come in during lunch. When I am not coaching football or basketball, arrangements can be made to get help after school.
Grading
You will be receiving one grade for this class. The grades are weighted based on the following:
· Content Indicators (tests, quizzes, projects, presentations, creative and argumentative essays): 75% of your final grade
· Success habits (homework, classwork, engagement, collaboration): 25% of your grade
Late Work
· If an assignment is not turned in (including a student being absent), it will appear in Infinite Campus as M (missing) and count as a zero until completed.
· Late work will receive a 25% deduction if late one day, and will appear with an L (late) in Infinite Campus. Late work may not be turned in for credit after the unit test/assessment has been given.
Test/Project/Essay Redo Policy
Students will have the opportunity to do test corrections and then use them as a ‘ticket’ to allow them to retake a test once. Additionally, students may redo projects and essays once. Students will have one week from the day the original graded test, project, essay is handed back to complete corrections. All corrections must be done on a new sheet of paper. Upon redo, students will earn the higher grade between the original and the redo.
Please sign indicating that you have read and understood classroom procedures and policies for the 2016-2017 school year for Mr. Reinkensmeyer’s Science 7 Red Class.
______
(Please PRINT Student Name) (Student Signature) (Sci Period) (Date)
I have read Mr. Reinkensmeyer’s Classroom Guidelines and I will email him if I have any questions.
______
(Printed Parent/Guardian name) (Signature) (Date)