MATH Club: After school on Thursday, especially for Paluso students!
SCIENCE Club: After school on Tuesday "It's Elemental!" club.
June, 2009
Dear parents and students,
Enjoy your summer and I'll see you in August! Below you can find some
information for next year.
* REMINDER: A Labstract is a paragraph of 250 words or less that contains:
# Problem Statement (Question). Identify the problem.
# Procedure summary. What was your approach for investigating the
problem?
# Results summary. What answer did you obtain? Be specific and use
numbers to describe your results. Do not use vague terms like "most"
or "some."
# Conclusions. Answer your question!
See my Labstract page:
http://poster.4teachers.org/worksheet/view.php?ID=28919&page=27
Remember to use the Points View when viewing the science grades under
GradeLink. I record all science assignments as points and the most important
grade to watch is the class grade. We want to keep test scores high, keep all
assignments turned in on time, and watch lab report grades increase each time.
Study Guides are required and there is no extra credit attached for the
remainder of the year. Two oral Science in the News are required each term.
Remember science and math texts by Prentice Hall also have online quizzes and
tests, science vocabulary flash cards, as well as math homework tutoring. Go
to Science texts or Math texts on my Science with Paluso homework page.
Remind students that they should maintain their current Study Guide in their
science folder at all times, math is filed in their Notebooks. They should be
able to show you completed homework at anytime.
I have updated my Saint James Web Site and added answers to the FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions). Handouts are available for downloading under
Handouts link. Please feel free to email me with any concerns or questions
not addressed there or in need of further clarification.
In partnership,
Mrs. Pat Paluso
PS: Special Announcement!
This community E-news has been brought to you by the San Diego Science
Alliance "the catalyst for improving science education in San Diego County".
Visit www.sdsa.org to learn more about science education opportunities
connecting students, teachers, administrators and industry professionals.
Do you know a girl fascinated by science, technology, engineering or math who
would like a coveted spot in a brand new ground-breaking summer camp? Weve
created a cutting edge camp experience August 2-7 for girls entering 7th and
8th grade who have a flair for numbers, want to design the next space station
or even discover the cure for cancer! Campers will examine the world through
interactive activities in science, technology, engineering and math, learning
from teachers and professionals in those fields.
Girls will even live the life of a college student, learning and living on
the UCSD campus and participating in dynamic, hands-on classes, labs and
rotations. Offsite enrichment trips will allow girls to practice their skills
and talents in the real world. Interested? Visit www.girlscoutssdi.org/camp
and click on the STEM Camp link to register. Financial assistance is
available. Please contact Leah McFail at (619) 610-0714 or
lmcfail@girlscoutssdi.org with any questions.
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LAB RUBRICS:
Each of the science classes uses a rubric to help with the writing of a "Lab
Report" (copies are available in the classroom or may be downloaded from my
web page link). This helps guide students through the scientific inquiry
and communication process. They need to grade themselves BEFORE turning in
the lab and should correct it when it is returned to them. There is a link on
the Science with Paluso homework page or SJA Paluso website LINKS that can
assist with each step.
A STUDY GUIDE of all the chapter work (which includes written answers to each
section's review, the chapter review, and lab write-ups) is an inventory by
your student and MUST BE SIGNED by a parent and turned in the day of a TEST.
The TEST must be signed and returned to class after it is graded. We store
past Study Guides and Tests in a classroom portfolio, which is open to your
viewing at any time. During Chapter work, a current study guide is maintained
in their Science folder, which they bring to class each day.
SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS
may be done voluntarily as part of the HONORS science program for 6th-8th
grade. To receive HONORS, students must earn an A or B in the regular science
curriculum as well as the science fair project. The rubric, the timeline, and
all instruction is available online. A contract must be downloaded and
signed by both student and a parent. I support students through out the
process in study hall or after school. Deadlines must be met or the student
will be dropped from the Honors program. The 7th and 8th grade projects may
be screened and invited into the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering
Fair in March.
