NATURAL SCIENCE
CORONA HIGH SCHOOL
2013-2014
Mrs. Pantoja (951) 736-3211 ext. 2211
Room L11
Welcome!
Welcome to Natural Science! I am looking forward to a great school year with all of you. I am very proud to be a part of Corona High School and to be your teacher for the year. My contact information is above should you need to contact me, I will try my best to respond to e-mails within 24 hours.*If a student requires extra help or needs to see me for any reason I am available after school almost every day for about an hour and in the mornings 20-30min before school starts. Students need to let me know they will be coming in ahead of time.
Course Description:
This is a yearlong course in which we will discuss topics in Earth Science. More generally, we will explore Earth’s internal energy and chemistry, rocks, mapping, plate tectonics, changes that occur in the Earth’s crust, the hydrological cycle, the atmosphere, weather, and our solar system. We will use a variety of ways to learn in this class, including: reading the text, lectures, class discussion, group activities and hands-on projects/activities. In order to be successful in this course, your child will need to participate on a daily basis and complete assigned work.
Classroom Procedures:
Students must come to school every day prepared to learn and work!
1. Notebooks- Students need to keep all work that is done for this class for the whole year! This will help with the final exam at the end of second semester (this is a cumulative exam that covers the whole year). Notebooks will need to be brought to class every day!!
2. Late work- Late work will only be accepted for half credit until the assignment has been returned, once graded and returned late work will NOT be accepted.
3. Make-up work- It is the responsibility of the student to get make-up assignments when they are absent from the class. Students will have the number of days they were absent to make up the work, plus one extra day. (If a student has missed two days, they would have three days to make up any work they missed). Work will only be accepted for excused absences.
4. Homework- for the most part homework will consist of completing assignments that were started in class, but may also be a separate assignment. If students choose not to complete classwork or homework, after school detention may be assigned.
5. Required materials- Composition notebook, 2 glue sticks, colored pencils, pencils with erasers and extra paper.
Attendance:
Attendance is an essential component to the success of the students in this course because we will be moving at a FAST PACE! We have a limited amount of class time, so please No packing up your things before the bell rings!
Mastery of Standards:
Students must strive to learn the main concepts (standards) presented in this course. In pursuit of this, students may be given alternative assignments at the discretion of the teacher.
Classroom Expectations!
1. Assignments will be written using complete, grammatically correct sentences.
2. Students will be courteous to the teacher, other students and to themselves.
3. Students will try hard to complete ALL class work, keep up with all assignments and study for tests and quizzes.
4. Students will attend class daily with all materials to complete the work.
5. No eating or drinking in class (this includes chewing gum)
6. Electronic devices and cell phones will be confiscated per school policy.
7. Students will uphold all school rules/policies.
8. CHEATING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! Cheating on an exam/violating test conditions- including but not limited to copying, plagiarism, changing grades, providing information, unauthorized materials including cell phones, not adhering to verbal or written guidelines. **Will result in a zero on the assignment/teacher notifies parent/possible suspension.
Consequences are as follows:
First offense = Verbal Warning
Second offense = Meeting with me
Third offense = Parental contact (also may include a detention)
Fourth offense = Office referral and parental contact
Severe violations will result in immediate referral!
After school detention may be mandatory for those students that refuse to do the required work in class.
Grades:
Grades are available online through the Q gradebook.
Grade Weighting:
50% Tests/Quizzes
50% Assignments/Projects/Homework/Classwork
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% F
Tutoring:
I am available the following times for extra help:
Tues/Thurs 7am (before school)
After school various days (written on the board each week)
During 1st lunch most days besides Friday
*Tutoring will also be available after school in the library (more info to come)