Classroom Expectations
Ms. Leshay
2009-2010
Welcome! I am excited to be spending the 2009-2010 school year with you. This year there will be plenty of new opportunities and chances to see how biology affects our lives each day. Please carefully review the classroom expectations listed below. If you have any questions, please ask.
I. Classroom Procedure
A. Each day, you are expected to bring to class all materials needed, including a binder for storage of papers, something to write with, and something to write on (notebook or loose-leaf).
B. Students are expected to be on time to class. Failure to arrive on time (and that means before the bell – not at the bell, not one minute after the bell) will affect your class participation grade.
II. Unit Organization
A. At the start of a unit, students will receive a list of the unit objectives and essential vocabulary. You are responsible for all unit objectives – we may not complete every objective in class. As an active learner, you are expected to engage in inquiry and self-directed learning.
B. Within a unit, you should expect to encounter classroom lecture, hands-on projects/experiments, homework assignments, quizzes and tests. Throughout the year, we will use a variety of media, technology and arts to express knowledge and use classroom discussion/debate to effectively share opinions and information. Information for each unit is available online at http://mail.bedford.k12.ma.us/~sarah_leshay
III. Homework
A. Homework will be posted on the class web page, as well as announced in class. It may include working on questions from the book, finding information from outside sources, reading a scientific article, completing research, reflection on topics covered in class, or a variety of other assignments. Homework is to extend learning, and not just “busywork”.
B. Homework is work that is to be completed “at home,” not at the beginning of class on the day it is due. You are expected to arrive at class will your homework completed.
C. Homework that is being handed in is to be placed in the homework tray, located at the front of the classroom on the filing cabinet, at the beginning of class on the day it is due.
D. Late homework is considered anything turned in after the start of class and must be turned in by 2:05 pm for 50% credit; after that homework will not be accepted.
IV. Class Notes
A. Students are responsible for taking notes on the topics we are exploring. Often, we will have side discussions during lecture – you should be including key information from these discussions in your notes to help you review material later.
B. It is important that you learn to take down necessary information and not everything presented in a lecture. We will work on these skills throughout the year. Powerpoints are available online for you to review your information from and improve your notes after class. Notes are important for helping you to understand and use what you learn.
V. Experiments
A. Students will complete a “lab report” for many of the activities that are done in class. Sometimes these lab reports will simply be completion of a given worksheet and questions for the lab. Other times this will be a full lab write-up completed by each individual student. You are expected to think critically about the labs we are doing and often will be asked to make meaningful connections between lab, class, and the world outside BHS.
B. Though most lab work will be completed with a partner or in small groups, each student is expected to turn in his or her own copy of the work, unless otherwise told at the start of the experiment.
C. Late lab reports will lose 10% off the total available points for each day they are late. Late lab reports will not be accepted if they are more than five days late. (Note: Weekends (Saturday/Sunday combined) and weekdays each count as a day – regardless of if class is held then or not.)
VI. Exams
A. Exams are generally a combination of multiple choice, true/false, completion, identification, matching, essays, interpreting diagrams and scientific investigation.
B. On occasion, there may be a review day or review sheet prior to the exam, but this is not guaranteed.
C. Retakes of exams are not available. I expect you to study the material in advance of the test – not just the evening before. It is your responsibility to request extra help prior to taking an exam.
D. The mid-term and final will be a multiple choice and short-answer format.
VII. Make-Up Work
A. Any tests, quizzes, homework or other assignments that need to be made are the responsibility of the student.
1. BHS policy says that make-up work is due one day longer than the length of the absent. For example, if you are absent for one day, the missing work is due on the second day of your return. I expect you to drop work off to me or place it in my mailbox if you do not have my class scheduled that day.
2. Any work not made up by the designated day will count as a ZERO. This includes exams and quizzes.
3. Long-term assignments are expected to be due on the date that is assigned in advance. If you are absent on this day, it is expected that your long-term assignment will be turned immediately upon your return to school, regardless of if you have biology class on that day or not.
4. It is ultimately up to you to make sure that make-up work is turned in on time so that you will receive credit. I will not track down missing work.
VIII. Cheating
A. Cheating will not be tolerated. Unless otherwise stated, all homework, laboratory reports, quizzes and tests should reflect only your work.
B. If you are caught cheating, you will receive a zero for the assignment and your parents will be notified.
C. All scientists collaborate on their work. They do not, however, copy each other’s data, results and conclusions. Likewise you may work together to gather and compare data. Questions and conclusions should reflect only your work.
IX. Extra Credit
A. On occasion, extra credit will be offered to students. This may take a variety of forms, from an additional project, reading an article or book, or research on a specific topic. I do not guarantee extra credit for every unit – it is my discretion on when it will be given.
B. “Pop quizzes” may be given throughout the school year. These quizzes cannot hurt you – you can only earn points on them. Points earned on a pop quiz will be added to the unit exam score.
C. Extra credit will not be offered to individual students, even if requested by a student’s parents.
X. Extra Help/Contact Information
A. If you need extra help at any point in time throughout the year, please do not hesitate to ask. I will work with you to schedule extra help that works for both of us. This can include before or after school, as well as some X-Blocks.
B. If you intend to come for extra help during X-Block, it is your responsibility to see me for a pass PRIOR to the start of that X-Block. This allows you to check on my availability and allows me to know who is coming for help. I will not give out passes at the start of X-Block.
C. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to e-mail me at . I will try to respond to you as quickly as possible.
XI. Evaluation/ Grading
A. Your quarterly grade will be calculated from total points earned/total points available. Approximate point values for the class may include:
1. Homework: 5-20 points
2. Tests: 75 -100 points
3. Quests: 50-75 points
4. Quizzes: 15-25 points
5. Projects: 50-200 points
6. Labs: 25-150 points
B. I do my best to keep Aspen as up-to-date as possible. Part of your responsibility is to be vigilant in checking your grades online. Find out how to log into Aspen – I will not give grade updates!
C. Aspen Codes are as follows: AWD – Absent When Due; AWA – Absent When Assigned, E – Exempt, NTI – Not Turned In, and WLC – With Learning Center. With the exception of E for Exempt, all other grades are factored in as zero.
Please tear off, sign and return as your first homework assignment. (5 points)
I have read and understand Ms. Leshay’s classroom expectations. I understand Ms. Leshay can be contacted at by e-mail at any point in time. I also understand that class information and assignments can be found on her website at http://mail.bedford.k12.ma.us/~sarah_leshay.
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