Exam Date & Time: Afternoon of Wednesday, May 8.

Textbook: Java Software Solutions for AP* Computer Science, J. Lewis, W. Loftus, and C. Cocking, 3rd Edition, 2011, Prentice Hall

Grading Policy: Each exam is worth 20% of your semester grade. Each quarter will be worth 40% of the semester grade.

Assessments will be worth a varying amount of points. For example, a lab may be worth 60 points while a test may be worth 80 points. Your grade will be determined by taking the total points you have earned and dividing by the total amount of possible points. 

For Example: A student has earned 219 points out of a total of 270. Therefore, their grade will be 219/ 270 = 0.81 or 81%.

Quizzes and Tests will contain three types of problems: (1) factual, (2) conceptual, (3) extensions and/or connections.  For the most part, factual questions will be worth the least amount of points and they will be right or wrong.  Extension/connection questions will be worth the most points and will have the most partial credit.  Finding ways to give partial credit is easier with organized & legible work.

Homework and Labs/Projects will be worth a varying number of points.  Most homework is an effort-based grade.  Even on multiple choice questions, show your work.  Due dates and values will be posted on corricelli.com.  When assigned to “read” a section, you need to take notes and show these notes in class as evidence of your reading.  Formal projects will be handed in digital form on Dropbox with a rubric.    A coding assignment will (generally) earn an A if it compiles, shows you have practiced the skill for that lab, does the job, has a comment for each method, has proper indentation, and uses words for variables and constants (not letters).    

Absences: Attendance improves learning. As absences do occur, plans and materials will be posted online via corricelli.com and Google Classroom.  It is your responsibility to make up any missed work, get notes, etc.  Late work due to an absence will be accepted until the test day for that chapter.  Grades may be impacted if late work becomes an issue.  On PowerSchool, late work will be marked as such so we can observe patterns.  Missed quizzes or tests must be made up as soon as possible. 

Our Virtual Classroom: There are three places you will get very familiar with through this course: (1) corricelli.com, (2) Google Classroom, and (3) AP Classroom.  Corricelli.com will be your central location for missed work, our schedule, and support tools. 

Extra Help: In-person sessions will meet before school 2 times each week starting at 7am.  These will be posted online and on the board outside Room 167 and on corricelli.com.   Email me (jackie_corricelli@whps.org) if you need alternate arrangements.

Access to Computers:  If you have a device you can bring back and forth to school, you are encouraged to do so.  For this course, you need a device that allows you to download and run programs.  It would need to have a windows, apple, or linux operating system.    

Contact Information: Email is the best way to reach me because I check it most often.

• Email: jackie_corricelli@whps.org

• Site: corricelli.com

• Voicemail: 860-231-5000 ext. 6167

Miscellaneous Information:

Calculators: No calculators are allowed on the AP Exam.  Consequently, no calculators are allowed in this class.  Operations are not always what they seem in many programming languages, including Java.  There may also be some new operations that you have never seen before.  We need to think in Java to be prepared to take this exam.

Notebook: You should have a way to keep papers organized for this class.  Date your papers and keep them in a three-ring notebook or folder so you can use them to study.

Wasting Time: Any student who wastes class time will be required to see me after class. Detentions will be assigned if further interruptions occur. This includes, but is not limited to: excessive talking, unnecessary protests or distractions, or not working productively.  Failure to serve detentions as assigned will result in two detentions and a phone call home. 

Let’s Begin!  I am looking forward to working with you and learning from you this year.  Keep a sense of humor even (especially) when you are being challenged.  Remember, no one is born with this knowledge.  Everyone has to work at it. 

Sincerely,  Mrs. Corricelli