Student expectations:

• Be respectful, to yourself, your peers, and your teacher. Respect is a two-way street; give it to get it. Respect classroom supplies, furniture, and textbooks. These belong to you, your peers, and your teacher.
• Be on time, in your seat ready to learn when class starts.
• Be prepared, have materials with you and homework completed.
• Use your time effectively, focus on the task. Use the bathroom between classes. No bathroom passes will be given during the first or last 15 minutes of class.
• Food and water are allowed if they are not a distraction. This privilege will be revoked if food or garbage is left in the classroom. Pop, juice, and other beverages are not allowed at any time. Food and water are not allowed in the classroom during labs.

Failure to meet these expectations may result in loss of participation points, loss of classroom privileges, dismissal from class, detention, teacher phone call to parent/guardian, and/or administrative referral.

Teacher expectations:

• Students can expect that I will respect you.
• I will return assignments and provide feedback in a timely manner.
• I will put your academic needs and safety first.
• I will act fairly. Remember, “Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same. Fairness means everyone gets what they need.” – Rick Riordan

Materials:

Each student will need to bring these materials EVERY DAY: spiral notebook or 3-ring binder, PENCIL, and eraser (if not on pencil). Students will also need access to a calculator, colored pencils, pens, and highlighters. These items are not required every day, be should be kept in student’s backpack or locker.

Grades:

Graded work includes, but is not limited to, class participation, daily warm-ups, quizzes, in-class activities, homework, and tests.

Daily warm ups, quizzes and class participation are 30% of the weighted grade. Warm-ups can be substituted with quizzes at any time. Students receive full credit for warm-ups for completing them with reasonable answers, regardless of the correct answer. Quizzes are objective assessments with points awarded for correct answers.

In-class activities are 40% of the weighted grade. These include group projects, labs, writing assignments and review assignments. Students usually may work in pairs or small groups on these. Their privilege to work with other students may be revoked at any time. Students will evaluate their own and each other’s contributions to group work. These evaluations will be reflected in their grades.

Tests:

Tests are 30% of the weighted grade. They will be either objective, skills based, or a combination of both.

Attendance and Tardies:

Students must abide by our school policies outlined in the student handbook. If a student has an excused absence they are responsible for communicating with the teacher. However, because much of the class is discussion based it may extremely difficult for students to learn the content they missed while absent. Also please note that students receive points for participation, warm-ups, and quizzes. If they are absent or tardy they may forfeit these points. Also, students are responsible for collecting homework and completing tests / quizzes before pre-planned absences.

MAKE UP WORK:

All students who are excused when absent (not including pre-planned absences) will be given the opportunity to make up work in a timely fashion. If you are absent it is your responsibility to see the instructor and receive any work missed when absent. If you missed a test it is your job to set up a mutually agreeable time for you to make up the missing test. Points given for warm-ups, quizzes, and participation cannot be made up. Students who have unexcused absences will not have the opportunity to make up in-class work, homework, quizzes, or tests missed during unexcused absences.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

If you are caught cheating on anything in the class, you will earn a ZERO on that assignment and not be given an opportunity to make it up. Parent/guardian may be contacted. Second offenses will include an administrative referral.

Cell phones/electronic devices:

Cell phones and other electronic devices should remain off or in “airplane mode”. If the teacher sees or hears it (including headphones), it will go in a box at the front of class for the remainder of the period. Second offense, the student must turn in their phone at the office and they can retrieve after school. Any subsequent violations may result in administrative referral and/or contacting parents/guardians. There may be occasions when students are allowed to use devices for research. They must first obtain permission for the teacher, on a case by case basis. Parents, if you need to contact your student please call the office.

Lab Safety Rules

·         Report all accidents, injuries, and breakage of glass or equipment to instructor immediately.

·         Keep pathways clear by placing extra items (books, bags, etc.) on the shelves or under the work tables. If under the tables, make sure that these items can not be stepped on.

·         Long hair (chin-length or longer) must be tied back to avoid catching fire.

·         Wear sensible clothing including footwear. Loose clothing should be secured so they do not get caught in a flame or chemicals.

·         Work quietly — know what you are doing by reading the assigned experiment before you start to work. Pay close attention to any cautions described in the laboratory exercises

·         Do not taste or smell chemicals.

·         Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes when heating substances, dissecting, etc.

·         Do not attempt to change the position of glass tubing in a stopper.

·         Never point a test tube being heated at another student or yourself. Never look into a test tube while you are heating it.

·         Unauthorized experiments or procedures must not be attempted.

·         Keep solids out of the sink.

·         Leave your work station clean and in good order before leaving the laboratory.

·         Do not lean, hang over or sit on the laboratory tables.

·         Do not leave your assigned laboratory station without permission of the teacher.

·         Learn the location of the fire extinguisher, eye wash station, first aid kit and safety shower.

·         Fooling around or "horse play" in the laboratory is absolutely forbidden. Students found in violation of this safety rule will be barred from participating in future labs and could result in suspension.

·         Anyone wearing acrylic nails will not be allowed to work with matches, lighted splints, bunsen burners, etc.

·         Do not lift any solutions, glassware or other types of apparatus above eye level.

·         Follow all instructions given by your teacher.

·         Learn how to transport all materials and equipment safely.

·         No eating or drinking in the lab at any time!