Welcome to Life Science
Mrs. Walther will be your guide along your educational travels through life science.
Your Adventures & Grade will be made up of the following:
Class work, Home work, & Labs (20%) – should be done alone unless otherwise specified. If you need help with your class work, Mrs. Walther or Mrs. Sawyer should be the first people you ask!
Science Logs (40%) – will make up the majority of your science grade. These will be LEFT in the CLASSROOM and will be checked periodically (approximately every two weeks). It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make sure that you keep up with the items that will make up your log: TOC items (notes, worksheets, study guides, etc), Essential Questions, Vocabulary, & Science in the News.
Quizzes, Tests, Unit Finals, & Performance Tasks (30%) – will vary in length and type. If you are absent on quiz/test day or the day a performance task is due, BE PREPARED to take it or turn it in on THE DAY you get back.
Participation (10%) - is highly encouraged. To learn the most you will need to get to class on time, come prepared, and ready to participate. The following are examples of things that may cost you daily participation points: tardiness, unpreparedness, interruptions, misbehavior, and/ or put-downs.
Rules/Guidelines:
My desk, the cabinets, & closet are off limits!
Lab areas, animals, and the reading area are ONLY available to students when permission has been given. Labs can be exciting, but please do not touch lab equipment until you are directed to do so. There is a limit of three students in the reading area at one time. YOU are responsible for your lab space, equipment, and workspace during project work time – keep your lab/work space clean and safe from accidents. Lab equipment is expensive and sometimes dangerous – horseplay is not tolerated. Stay in your lab group and follow all lab procedures. Safety, Safety, Safety! Please refer to your safety contract.
Observe all rules posted in the classroom, noted on the Team Beau Discipline Contract, on the HMS accountability contract, and in the Catoosa County Handbook.
Hall/Restroom passes will be given out at the beginning of each term and are limited to ten/term only. Use them wisely ~ when you run out of passes, you will not be allowed to leave the room. Each of the ten passes on your sheet is worth 2 points = 20 extra credit points at the end of the term. Hint: USE THE RESTROOM BETWEEN CLASSES when you are suppose to use the restroom. And if you think a quick stop in the restroom in between classes, may make you tardy – stop in BEFORE you head that way and politely ask if you may use the restroom. This kind of thoughtfulness will save you participation points and get you extra credit points to use towards your log grade at the end of each term.
Expectations & Procedures:
The Three Kind P’s! ~ Kindly … Be Prompt Be Prepared Be Polite
Prompt … Class starts five minutes after the last class is dismissed by the bell. You will need to get to your locker, get you snack(s)/beverage(s) and use the restroom quickly. Please enter the classroom quietly & promptly and SILENTLY begin your bell work. I will allow five to ten minutes for bell work and essential questions to be completed.
Prepared … the following should be brought with you to class daily. **Counting to class unprepared, will cost you your participation point.
- Agenda – using an agenda effectively to organize and manage is a life skill. **Parents, I encourage you to help your student learn how to use his/her agenda effectively.
- Log – shouldn’t be a problem since it is suppose to be left in the classroom
- Homework – work being done when the tardy bell rings, will automatically lose 5 points.
- Writing Utensils – two pencils, a pencil sharpener, and a red checking pen
*If you get to class and get right to your bell work (in other words, you are PROMPT), you should know quickly whether you are PREPARED or not. IF you find that you have forgotten one of the items above and class has not yet gotten underway, a POLITE request to run back to your locker may be granted. You may purchase pencils from me for the following prices: wood pencils = .25 ¢ / mechanical pencils = 40 ¢each or 3 for $1.00. *Please ask to purchase supplies at appropriate times.
Polite … Don’t talk while other are addressing the class. Look at the speaker!
Class ends when I dismiss you, not the bell.
BE KIND to others please … Life is tough and everyone wears different shoes! I will not tolerate verbal or non-verbal put-downs!!
The consequences for a put down (& I will be the judge of ALL put-downs!)
1) participation point & a 45 minute detention BEFORE school on a date arranged with me
OR 2) participation point taken & half-page letter of apology to the person(s) you put-down – due to me the next
day at class time. **This will not be written during class time!
Absences & Make-Up Work:
I strongly encourage good attendance! Excessive absences negatively affect student learning and Team Beau’s daily participation points are in place to encourage students to be in class. If YOU are absent, it is YOUR responsibility to look in the resource center, on my web-site and/or check in with a study buddy for the work & notes YOU have missed. If YOU check with all of the above locations for the work that you missed and are still unsure of what you need to make up, please wait until the class is in “work-mode” to come and talk to me or stop by after class to chat. All makeup work will need my signature at the top of it in order to keep it from being graded as late.