Middle School Science

Welcome to Middle School Science. My name is Mrs. Stacer-McVey. In this class you will be conducting investigations related to the physical, earth, and life sciences.

Classroom Discipline Policy

Be Respectful
*Be kind to those in the classroom *Put-downs or bully type behavior is not acceptable

During instruction

*Be attentive *Follow along with what is going on in class and be an active participant

When an assignment has been given

*All students should work seriously *Work in your groups in a productive manner *Work must be turned in on time *Be sure to follow all lab/investigation procedures

Classroom behavior

*Use classroom materials appropriately. Failure to do so could result in an E grade for the lab/lesson. There could also be monetary assessments and disciplinary action. *You are responsible for your work area, be sure it is cleaned up before you leave the classroom. Report any problem with your work area *The cabinets, back storage room, and teacher work area are off limits without permission from the teacher

Technology
Cell phones Not to be used in class unless needed for educational purposes with teacher permission. Computer use games are not to be played on the computer during class time - I-chat for educational purposes - Facebook not allowed

My Availability
I will gladly help you on an individual basis anytime you are experiencing difficulty. Times when I am generally available are: Homebase Monday - Friday Lunch, before & after school with notification.

Operating procedures
*Come to class with materials necessary. Class work, homework, book, pen/pencil, etc. *Calculators are available for your use whenever you need one. *If you are struggling to keep up with your course work, please see me as soon as possible to discuss options. *If you would like any test or quiz read out loud, please let me know before the test date so arrangements can be made. *If you need special placement in the classroom, let me know. *If you need to leave the classroom, please sign out and back in. *The makeup of class work, tests, quizzes, should be done during Correctives Period. *Extended time on assignments, tests, quizzes, or projects will be granted on an individual basis

Tardy Policy
Each student should realize the importance of starting class on time and the problems created by students entering late. Being on time is defined as IN the classroom and prepared to begin class. Take care of

maintenance issues (sharpening pencils, getting paper) before class.

Any student who has an unexcused tardy will be treated in the following manner: 1st Offense - Warning and student will lose 5 minutes of passing time after that class. 2nd Offense - Student will be required to make up 15 minutes with teacher in the morning before school. 3rd Offense - Student will be deemed to be insubordinate and will be sent to RTC with a behavior referral. Further tardies may result in additional RTC referrals, alternate passing time or possible suspension. Chronic tardiness may result in up to a 10 day out of school suspension and a Board hearing with a possible expulsion recommendation. *Student will be considered absent (not tardy) if they miss more than fifteen minutes of a class period.

Absences
When absent meet with me to arrange a schedule for completion of that work.

Lab Safety
The lab is a place where great scientific discoveries are constantly occurring. It can be a great experience for learning. However, the lab can be dangerous if proper procedures are not followed. The following is a list of safety rules that will make the lab a safe place to learn and work. Always follow instructions given by the teacher. Use the appropriate safety equipment safety goggles, aprons, and/or gloves Absolutely NO horseplay/fooling around during lab time. If this occurs there will be immediate termination of lab experience. No eating or drinking in the lab. If a chemical spill occurs, notify the teacher immediately. Do not attempt to clean it up yourself. It is important that you understand all of the rules for working in the lab.

Grading
*Class work, labs, and homework must be turned in on time to get the maximum points *Grades in this class are determined based on total points. *Grades are assigned on the following scale: 94 100% A 90 93% A87 89% B+ 83 86% B 80 82% B77 79% C+ 73 76% C 70 72% C67 69% D+ 63 66% D 60 62% D0 59% E *Grades will be based on: Labs/projects Grades will be based on a written lab report OR evaluation sheet with activities, questions and problems. Labs are most often completed with a partner. If only one lab report is turned in per group, each person should contribute to the actual writing of the report. Tests Will consist of short answer, essay, multiple choice, and problems. Expect a test upon the completion of a unit of study. Quizzes Will have the same format as tests but shorter. Some quizzes will be given without prior notice. Articles Article summaries may be assigned in this course. A summary consists of ONE paragraph (3-5 sentences) summarizing the article and ONE paragraph describing your reaction or opinion of the article. Reports/research projects Written reports/research projects may be assigned during the semester. Class participation and group work students will be graded on participation.

Leaving the Classroom

**You should take care of restroom needs and any other needs between classes. **If you have an emergency you must ASK permission of the teacher **Following the granting of permission, you must sign out at the front of the room and sign back in when you return **Excessive use of the pass will lead to time spent after class. **Use of the pass could disqualify you from the drawings for prizes

No Pencil/Pen
**If you forget a pencil or pen you may borrow one a classroom pencil from the front of the room **Sign the sheet when you take the pencil at the beginning of the hour **Initial when you return the pencil **Use of classroom pencils could disqualify you from the drawings for prizes

Tardy/Late Arrival
**When you arrive at class, you must sign at the front of the classroom **You must leave the pass on the clipboard with the sign out sheet **Tardies could disqualify you from the drawings for prizes

Turning in Homework/Classwork **On every assignment you should include the following: Full name, hour, date. **On some assignments there will be a reflection sheet **When an assignment is due turn it in even if it is not completed. *Remember some points are better then none* **When classwork or homework is turned in there will be a class folder identified by hour. **Graded assignments will be placed in the corrected bin. **They can be picked up at a convenient time before or during class **Because we will be going over some assignments as a class - late work will result in a reduction of points