Mr. Rosen's Life Science
Class Policies, Procedures, and Expectations
Welcome to 7thgrade science! Your child’s success in my classroom is my ultimate goal, and it is my hope that he / she will have a rewarding year. I am committed to creating an engaging, supportive classroom environment in which students will be successful if they are responsible and put forth the necessary effort. I believe that one of the most important aspects of student success is parental involvement. When it comes to teaching children, I strongly believe that parents are V.I.P.s (Very Important Partners) in the learning process. In my experience as an educator, I have observed a definite correlation between the degree of parental involvement and student achievement. I cannot stress enough how important you are to the educational process. Even simple things, like demanding effort and quality in schoolwork and reinforcing good academic habits, can have a huge impact on your child’s motivation and desire to be successful. A little time taken every dayto discuss your child’s day at school and helping him or her with homework when it is assigned sends a powerful message to your child about the priority you place on his or her education. This will translate into the value your own child places on his or her education and his / her determination to be successful. Those who set high personal goals for themselves and strive to achieve those goals are usually those who have been raised with the habit of high expectations from the start. I hope we can work as a team to help support your child and make this year a very positive learning year. If you need to contact me for any reason, please email me at . Also, please visit my class web page, which is posted under the school website. Simply go to select me from the Staff list, and click on my “Life Science” class.
Please read through the following class policies, procedures, rules, and expectations carefully and sign and return thetear-off on the last page.
RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES
(1)school Planner (Agenda / “Binder-Reminder”) for writing down assignments (This is provided by school, but you can purchase a better one with more room to write notes each day, if you want.)
(1)three-ring binder with two-inch or three-inch rings (This is the general notebook used for all classes that contains loose paper and folders.)
(6)binder dividers with tabs (one for each class)
(3)spiral-bound notebooks, one for each trimester [70 pages each, college ruled (8 ½ by 11 inches, NOT 8 by 10 ½),with plastic cover if possible, since paper covers tear]
NOTE:The contents of this notebook represent a substantial portion of your child's grade. This will be referred to as the Interactive Science Notebook or ISN.
(1) pencil pouch (3-hole punched to go into the 3-ring binder). The contents of the pouch will includeat least:
(3) functional pencils (no more than half used) with erasers or a mechanical pencil with extra graphite (a large eraser and self-contained pencil sharpener is also encouraged)
(3) working black or blue erasable pens(No other colors are acceptable in my class. Erasable pens may be used in notebooks during class lectures and reduces pencil sharpening.)
(2) working highlighters (yellow and green are preferred)
(1) metric ruler
(1) pair of scissors
(1) set of coloring pencils (very important for notebook Processing Activities – marker is NOT acceptable, because it tends to bleed through pages)
Notebooks will be checked regularly and are subject to grading. Therefore, it is important that it is maintained and continually updated. A substantial portion of the class grade will come from the completed Cornell notes, processing activities, and other notebook assignments your child is expected to complete in class.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED
Science 7 topics to be covered include: Using Light, Cell Function, Genetics, Adaptation and Evolution, Microorganisms, Plant Structures, Invertebrates, Vertebrates, Bones and Muscles, and the Circulation / Respiration / Nervous / Endocrine / and Reproductive Systems.
SCHEDULE
Planner or Agenda: Students start the day by copying the class agenda and homework assignments for the day into their planners. Students are encouraged to use the planner to keep track of missing assignments. As in previous grades, I suggest that students circle missing or late items in pen and “check” them off (or date stamp inside them) once they have turned in the missing assignment. Parents are encouraged to review their child's planner and homework each night to see what is due or assigned for each subject and make sure they are doing their best work.
Formal Lessons, Activities, and Assessments: We will start each section (lesson) with an exploratory activity / Power Point presentation, with students taking Cornell notes along the way. A vocabulary activity will usually be assigned as class-work (word search, crossword puzzle, code breaker, etc.) with a follow-up homework assignment. Most assignments will be graded on accuracy (i.e. each item or answer will be worth one point). Occassionally, students will be given extra time to finish unfinished classwork at home (as additional homework), which will be due the following day. Students will be responsible to get any missing Cornell notes from the day's presentation from my class web page or from a responsible neighbor who takes good notes. After note taking, students may be assigned a processing activity where they synthesis what they have learned into a four-color drawing /diagram that illustrates a major principle in the presentation. Homework will always be due the day after it is assigned unless a due date is noted on the Agenda. The day after homework is assigned, we will correct and it in class. It will then be collected and the scores, based on accuracy,will be recorded. Most HW is available on my class web page if your child has misplaced or lost the workbook. A small quiz is given after each section with questions taken directly from the chapter they read the previous night as part of their homework. Chapter Tests are mainly review tests and will be administered at the conclusion of each chapter. These tests mainly consist of question that were previously assessed on the quizzes from that chapter, so students would be wise to save their quizzes and study them prior to each Chapter Test. Students will usually be given a few days notice before a chapter test.
GRADING
Grades are computer generated and are based on the following standard grading scale:
A 90 – 100%
B 80 – 89%
C 70 – 79%
D 60 – 69%
F 0 – 59%
The final grade will be based on the following weighting:
Tests / Quizzes (50%): Small 5-point quizzes will be given shortly after finishing each section's homework. Students should review corrected homework pages and their Cornell notes to prepare. Skimming or rereading the section in the textbook will also be helpful. Chapter Tests worth 25 points will be given after each chapter (students will have advanced warning of an upcoming test). Students can use one 3x5 index card with their hand written notes on one side of them for the tests, NOT the quizzes. You will find many similarities between the quiz problems and the chapter test problems. Again, I recommend that students keep the graded quizzes from each chapter and use them as study aids prior to the test on that chapter.Labs and projects may also fall into the “Tests” category (this category is worth half of the overall grade) and will have various point totals assigned depending on the amount of work involved.
Notebook (5%): This pertains to the completion of the Interactive Science Notebook, or ISN (spiral bound notebook). It consists of detailed note taking (Cornell notes) during class and completing any processing assignments related to the notes taken. The notebook will also be graded on organization and completion. A rubric will be provided to students, so they will know what is expected of them. The notebook will be graded by both me AND by their peers, usually before the completion of a chapter test. When absent, students must copy notes from another student or use my online PowerPoint slides, to complete their missing Cornell notes.
Homework (20%): For homework, students will need to read the text book section assigned and answer the workbook questions as they are reading. They should usually get perfect or close to perfect scores, since all the answers are in the book (they can always go back to the reading to find the answers). Please make sure they do their best. Also, anyHW turned in late will only earn half of the credit it would’ve received if it were turned in on time. Since we correct it in class, students turning it in late would have a distinct advantage over those who turn it in on time. Completed homework is due on the day specified. For more information about how late assignments are handled, please read the section on this page with the heading “Absences, Tardies, and Make-Up Work”. Again, the homework can usually be found in electronic form on my class web page in case it has been lost.
NOTE: I cannot stress enough the importance of having a quiet, distraction-free work area (a desk and a comfortable chair) and a place to display work (I suggest a bulletin board in a hallway, the kitchen, or your child’s bedroom). This investment demonstrates to your child the high value you place on their education and academic achievement.
Class Work (10%): This represents various activities that happen in the classroom. For example, vocabulary activities (crossword puzzles, code breakers, missing letters, etc.) handed out in class to be worked on fall under this category. If students don’t finish classwork assignments in class and are given extra time to finish them at home, these assignments will still be logged as classwork.
Participation/ Behavior (15%): Participation means taking an active role in learning. It includes staying on task (off task behaviors, such as inappropriate talking or disruptions, will negatively affect participation), active involvement in cooperative (group) activities (failure to cooperate or contribute will negatively affect participation), and class assignments (responding to prompts and journaling)
"4" – Full participation (never off task)
"3" – Minor problem with participation (tardy or off task once; “warning”)
"2" – A few problems with participation (off task twice; 2nd “warning”)
"1" – Major problem with participation (off task three times; 3rd “warning”; moved to another seat, separated from group)
"0" – No participation (off task four or more times; 4th “warning”; sent to work in another teacher’s room, possible Lunch detention, possible referral to the principal)
FYI: Students who are removed from the class will still be responsible for completing all class and homework assignments assigned that day. Please note that habitual offenders or those engaging in extreme behavior (fighting, arguing, defiance, sexual harassment, profanity, unsafe behavior, or other situations judged unacceptable by the teacher or school-wide discipline guidelines) can result in an office referral or removal from the classroom without prior warnings.
ELECTRONIC GRADING – ONLINE ACCESS
Luiseno's middle school teachers use an online grading program called Jupiter Grades. This program will allow you to conveniently access your child's current overall grade in the class as well as grades earned on each assignment and test, view incomplete assignments (written in red), check the calendar for upcoming due dates, receive weekly updates of missing assignments and progress reports, and much, much more over the internet. I will update the site regularly to keep you informed of your child's progress in this class.
The system has been programmed to automatically send you reports every Friday and whenever a grade of "D" or "F" is received on a test. Once you are logged on, you can adjust these settings to suit your preferences (i.e. change when you receive emails).
ABSENCES, TARDIES, & MAKE-UP WORK
Work that is not turned in on time (not due to absence on the day it was assigned) MUST be turned in by the following “Clean Sweep Monday” deadline (called this, since every Monday constitutes a fresh new start after which no outstanding assignments will be accepted) in order to receive late (half) credit. After this “Clean Sweep Monday” grace period, assignments will not be accepted and will remain marked as "i" (incomplete / missing).If students think they turned in assignment that has received “incomplete / missing” credit (a score of “0”), students should check the “No Name” folder for that period, which is where papers with no names are filed.
After an EXCUSED absence, it is the student's responsibility to complete and turn in missing assignments. This must be done by the Monday (or first day of the next week) followingthe student’s return to school to avoid “late” penalty. Any student who is absent on the day of a previously announced quiz/test must be ready to take the quiz/ test in class day of their return to school. Extended absences due to illness will be handled on an individual basis. Students are encouraged to exchange phone numbers with one or two others from their class in order to keep up on missed days.
RULES OF CONDUCT
In order to maintain an environment that promotes learning, certain norms, or rules, must exist. In my class, these rules are:
Be Prepared: Students will bring materials to class daily and be in their seat and ready to work at the start of class.
Be Respectful: Students will respect all people and their property. This includes respecting other’s time and right to learn.
Be Polite: Students will be kind to others in their words and actions. Be Cooperative: Students will work together and help each other.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Academic dishonesty includes the following: claiming the work of others as your own, copying the work of others or allowing them to copy yours, doing work for other students or allowing them to submit your work as their own, fabricating and/or altering documents and/or signatures on school or classroom documents, cheating on a test or helping another student to cheat on a test, altering assignment grades or lying to unfairly gain class credit or points, failing to report the academic dishonesty of others or helping others to violate this policy, or any incident where unfair advantage is sought over peers through dishonorable means. Students may work together on assignments, but the wholesale copying of another’s work is not acceptable. All work turned in by students should be the students’ own. Students who commit one or more of the above actions will receive irrevocable zeroes on those tests or assignments.
SEATING
Students will be assigned to a seat according to a predetermined seating chart. Seating assignments will occasionally change, so students will be able to work with a variety of partners throughout the year. When a student’s behavior indicates that he or she can’t handle a seating assignment, that student will be permanently moved to another location.
CELL PHONES & ELECTRONICS
The use of electronic devices (mp3 players, PSP’s, iPods, CD players) are not permitted in class. If cell phones are brought to school, they must remain in the “Off” position (NOT in “Standby” mode) and out of sight. Using the calculator function or any other “nonphonr” function on a cell phone is not a defense or excuse. If cell phones are heard or even seen out, they will be confiscated and sent to the office for parent pick-up.
BATHROOMS
Students are expected to use the restroom during non-instructional time such as before school, during breaks, or at lunch. However, emergencies do happen, so students will be allowed five “emergencies” per trimester. If there is a medical condition that makes more frequent bathroom breaks necessary, please notify me and the campus health clerk in writing.
FOOD
Food, which includes gum and candy, may not to be eaten in the classroom. Gum is not allowed anywhere at school and is cause for an immediate referral.
DRESS CODE
Students must follow the dress code guidelines outlined in the handbook section of the student planner. Dress code violations are cause for an immediate referral. All hats MUST be removed in all buildings.
BACKPACKS
Backpacks must be kept under the student’s desk (no part should be in the aisle way) while in class. Students must keep their backpacks with them at all times, not leaving them around the campus. The school is not responsible for lost or stolen items from their backpacks.
EXTRA CREDIT
I believe that grades should accurately reflect how well students have mastered the content. Therefore, extra credit will rarely, if ever, be offered. When, and if, extra credit assignments are offered, they will be offered to all students, NOT on an individual basis. To be eligible for an extra credit assignment, you must have no missing assignments.