McKinney BOYD High school
Pre-AP Biology
Parent Letter from Mr. Chamberlain
Dear Parents/Guardians
Welcome to a new school year! I look forward to the privilege of helping your son or daughter learn Biology. I love science and teaching and I fully expect that every student in my class will learn a lot and enjoy Biology this year. Over the years, I’ve noted some key things that I feel that should be shared with parents/guardians at the beginning of the school year. I hope that you take them to heart and learn from my experience to maximize the success of your child in my classroom.
ORGANIZATION
One thing that has been reinforced to me every year is the importance of organization. I've seen many instances where a lack of organizational skills has had a significant impact on a student's academic success. It pains me to see this happen. Many students are naturally disorganized and I think that it would be a good activity for all parents/guardians to periodically review a student's strategies for keeping track of papers, assignments and due dates. Compare this to what you see on my class website mentioned below.
STUDENT PROGRESS
Throughout the year, regularly check your son or daughter’s grades on the McKinney ISD Home Access Center (https://hac.mckinneyisd.net). Students who know that their parents/guardians are looking at their grades regularly are much more conscientious in the classroom and I notice the difference! I’ve give my students full responsibility of knowing what their grades are by way of the HAC. I do not post grades in class and I prefer not to use class time to look up grades.
LATE WORK
As per the Pre-AP policy, there is no late work except for an excused absence. When a student has an excused absence and misses a test, a student has 1 week to make up the test or it becomes a permanent 0. The same goes for homework except my students have up to 2 weeks to turn it in before it becomes a permanent 0. If there are extenuating circumstances and you proactively contact me well before the deadline, exceptions can be made on a case by case basis. I am sure that we will run into some of these scenarios throughout the year so please take the time to know how I will handle them before the 0 is in place.
GRADED WORK
I try to return as much graded work as possible. However, it is up to the student to pick up their own graded work from the classroom throughout the 9 weeks. At the end of the 9 weeks, whatever work has not been picked up will be thrown out. If you want your son or daughter to collect their graded work (which I strongly encourage them to do) please ask them to show it to you as it becomes available (usually a 1-2 week lag from the due date).
CLASS WEBSITE – www.cchamberlainmbhs.pbworks.com
I have created a website that I think you will find very useful. The address is http://www.cchamberlainmbhs.pbworks.com. On it, you will find my class schedule and links to nearly everything I give my students (including due dates). The purpose of this is to remind students what we did in class, when it is due and if they have lost their copy of a handout, the opportunity to download and print out a new one. This tool is particularly useful when students miss class.
TUTORING vs. MAKE UP WORK
We have a department Make up Work schedule. These days are when any student can go and do make up work before or after school. This is usually different from tutoring where a teacher will give a student or group of students personalized instruction. It is very difficult to do both at the same time. Therefore, I have added a separate tutorial schedule which is when I encourage my students to come to get individualized attention. If a student goes to a Make Up Work session and expects tutoring, be warned that it may not fully meet the student’s needs. Please refer to my website or student handout for the schedule.
DISCIPLINE
Most students tell me that I tend to be a bit strict. I like having a fun and lively class but when it is time to be quiet, I enforce it. I have a difficult time being myself and having fun when my class hasn’t learned to respect the parameters that I set and I do everything I can to help them learn it. Therefore, I encourage good behavior through BioBucks and my Behavior Contract (separate document). I keep track of disruptions so that I can report that to you when I feel that it is becoming a problem. I understand the phase of life these kids are going through, but for 50 minutes each day in my class, they must demonstrate a degree of discipline and constraint in order to maximize the academic success of everyone.
BIOBUCKS
BioBucks is a simple tool that rewards students for good behavior and class participation. There are a few privileges that come with earning BIOBUCKS which a student can use at his or her discretion. They aren’t a big deal, but offer a bit of motivation and empower students with some degree of control.
Thank you for the opportunity to teach your child and for giving me the best you have. I will do whatever I can to ensure the success of all my students and while I’m not perfect, rest assured that I'm giving them the best that I have to offer.
Sincerely,
Clayton Chamberlain
9th Grade Biology
McKinney Boyd High School
469.424.5815
P.S. – A student must be fever free (< 100°) for 24 hours before they can be in class.