LABORATORY SAFETY:
A lab safety contract must be signed by both student and parent/guardian in order to participate in lab activities in this class. Laboratory activities are vital parts of learning in our classroom. Students are expected to be present during these activities since they cannot be made up, and ready to follow all instructions as safety is the number one priority.
HOMEWORK:
Students should expect homework every class! Block schedule gives us a great advantage since we have extra time to complete laboratories, but it can be detrimental in that I sometimes won't see you in class for long periods of time (consider if I see you on Thursday and we have a three day weekend with Monday off, so I don't see you until Tuesday. That's four days!) Homework that is due is written on the board under Turn In, and should be placed immediately into the basket at the front of the classroom. Work that is turned in after class has begun is considered late.
LATE WORK:
Late work will only be accepted up to one week after the original due date at a maximum of 50% of the total grade. It is important that students learn time management and keep up with the material, and also understand that as a teacher I have large amounts of work to do also. All late work should be turned in directly to me so that I can stamp it. This guarantees that it won't get mixed in with other papers and possibly lost. Any work turned in without my LATE! and Date stamp will just be returned in the hand back pile UNGRADED.
ABSENT WORK:
Absent work assigned before or due on the absence is expected upon the student's return. Work assigned while the student was gone will be placed in the Absent file box found at the front of my classroom with their name and the due dates written on it. This work is expected to be turned in within three school days after the absence. If students are struggling with the material they should schedule time to meet with me during Enrichment or after school. Exams or quizzes that are missed must be scheduled for makeup during Enrichment or after school within a week of the original date. All absent work should be turned in directly to me so that I can stamp it. This guarantees that it won't get mixed in with other papers and possibly lost. Any work turned in without my Date stamp will just be returned in the hand back pile UNGRADED.
EXTRA CREDIT WORK:
Extra credit is often asked for, but does not help a student in the way that they would hope. Extra credit assignments will very rarely be given and should not be requested. Instead, students should do their best to complete their normal course work as I will often incorporate extra credit points into regular class and home work assignments.
CITIZENSHIP:
Citizenship grades are based upon effort and diligence demonstrated by the student, along with contributions to the community of the classroom. Showing up and not causing trouble are not enough to get an A in citizenship. Citizenship grades are determined separately from academic achievement and a grade of outstanding will not be given if the student is chronically absent or tardy, or disrupts the learning of others.
A STATEMENT ON PLAGIARISM:
Plagiarism in a school environment is academic dishonesty -- cheating. It will not be tolerated and, if discovered it will be dealt with severely. The consequences may include receiving a grade of zero on that assignment, parental, and administrative notification.
In Webster's dictionary, plagiarism is defined as:
Directly copying someone else's work and then taking full credit for it is the most flagrant kind of plagiarism. However, there are other, more subtle forms of plagiarism.
For example, in a science course:
The educational process is based on the principle that we learn from the ideas of others. Students should, therefore, use ideas and opinions of others. This is not plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when this use is not acknowledged.