Mr
Ms. Adam’s 8th Grade Science Class
Welcome to 8th grade science. I’m very excited to get the year started. I know that we will be able to achieve a lot together. This year we will work tirelessly to ensure that everyone succeeds in this class and is prepared for success in your high-school science classes and beyond.
In order to reach our goals, we will need to work together to ensure that our classroom is a productive and safe environment. Classrooms are the places that lawyers, doctors, politicians, actors and scientists are born. You are lucky to be in such a special place! I am sure that you will show honor and respect for our classroom by holding yourself accountable to the high expectations of this class.
Please share this information with your parent/guardian in order to inform them of how our classroom will work. The last page of this document, the Classroom Contract, must be signed and returned by Monday, August 7.
PARENT COMMUNICATION
Email is my preferred method of communication: cadam@ please feel free to send me a quick email if you’d like me to use email as the primary way to communicate with you. I may also be contacted through voicemail at (480) 541-6148.
WEB PAGE
Altadena has a school website to access our individual teachers, please go to Click on the classrooms tab and search for 8th Grade. Each teacher has their own web page with weekly assignments and please look at the team webpage on a regular basis for all assignments, notes, power points, warm-ups, homework assignments, big due dates and events.
GOOGLE CLASSROOM
Several assignments will be on google classroom throughout the year as well. Students and parents will be able to view directions for, download, and turn in these assignments via their Kyrene “Google” account. Students will learn how to add themselves to this account and use it during the first two weeks of school.
CURRICULUM
The following topics will be covered in the first semester: Scientific Method, Matter, Chemistry, Ecology. The following topics will be covered in the second semester: Speed & Motion, Newton’s Laws, Work & Machines, & Genetics.
CLASS RULES
Our class will be guided these five simple rules.
1. Follow all directions the first time
2. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself
3. Use positive, respectful, school appropriate language
4. Come to class prepared with school materials only
5. Take responsibility for your own learning and actions
We will discuss these on the first day of class in more detail. If you have a question about whether something would be considered appropriate, it is your responsibility to come and ask me. (All school-wide rules are always in effect.)
CONSEQUENCES
If you choose to break a rule, you will earn an appropriate consequence. These consequences may be given in ANY order to fit the situation, and Ms. Adam reserves the right to add a consequence that she deems appropriate.
1. Verbal warning/refocus time
2. Conference or call home
3. Lobby Lunch (in cafeteria at special table for lunch)/ Lunch detention (in classroom at lunch to do work)
4. Community Service/Campus clean up
5. Out of class time-out (ISI)
6. Conference (in person) with parents/guardians
RESPECTING THE SPEAKER
I am your teacher, and I ask you to give me the same respect that I will give to you. Therefore, when I am speaking there is to be no one else talking in the classroom. In the same regard, when another student is speaking to the class, or if we have a visitor, no one else should be talking. It is disrespectful to talk when other are presenting valuable information to the class, and it disrupts other people’s ability to learn. During times when you have been given permission to talk freely, I expect your attention within seconds when you hear “high 5”. Consequences for calling out:
1st: Warning- verbal or written
2nd: Refocus
3rd: ISI/Call Home
GUM
Gum is not allowed in class. If a student is caught with gum the consequences outlined above will be given.
1st: Lobby Lunch
Multiple: Administrative Consequence
PHONES AND ELECTRONICS
Phones and electronic devices may only be used before school, at lunch, after school and in class on special occasions, when the teacher grants the students permission to do so. At all other times, phones are to be in “silent mode” or turned off and kept in the student’s backpack. The following is our school’s standard consequences for cell phones being used at inappropriate times:
1st: confiscation and student picks up in ISI at the end of the day
2nd: confiscation and student picks up in ISI at the end of the day & lunch detention
Multiple: Administrative Consequence
ATTENDENCE AND ABSENCES
All students are expected to come to class everyday. It is a privilege to learn, and you should want to be a part of every moment of the school day. However, if you are absent, you will have two days to make up the work.
• You must turn in any work due the day you were absent when you return to school.
• It is your responsibility to find out the assignments missed from another student or on my classroom calendar on my website.
If you miss a quiz or test, you will need to schedule a time to make it up with me, before school, after school, at lunch, or during PRIDE hour.
TARDIES
Students should be in their seats before the bell rings. The following is our school’s standard tardy policy/procedure:
1st: Lobby Lunch
Multiple: Administrative Consequence
ENTERING THE CLASSROOM
Class begins as soon as you arrive. When you enter, you will proceed quietly to your seat and start your work. If you need to sharpen your pencil, this is the appropriate time to do so. Do the work/ follow the instructions outlined in the “do now” on the board.
EXITING THE CLASSROOM
The bell is a signal to the teacher that it is time for class to end. The bell, however, does not dismiss the class. When dismissed, you should clean up and organize your table and drop off any class work that I am collecting in the appropriate bin. You will then quietly – without running, pushing, etc. – exit the class. I will respect your passing period time as you respect my class time.
EMERGENY DRILLS
In the event of an emergency drill, immediately stop talking and wait for direction from Ms. Adam. In the event of a fire drill, line up in a singe file line along the door side of the classroom. Silence is required in emergency drills and fire drills.
MAXIMIZING EVERY MINUTE
If you finish your work early, you may choose to do one of the following: read a book silently, go to the student center and pick an activity, or finish any other work you may have. You WILL NOT put your head down. If you choose to put your head down, the appropriate consequences will be issued.
HEADING FOR ASSIGNMENTS
Students are expected to use the Long Middle School heading on all assignments. No name assignments will be kept in no name bin and will receive points off. It is a student’s responsibility to check the no name bin for missing work.
| FirstName LastName | John Smith |
|Period # |Period 1 |
|Date |08/28/2013 |
ACADEMIC HONESTY IS EXPECTED
Nothing is more precious than your reputation. When you complete any work (including homework) you must do so without giving or receiving any unauthorized help on the assignment. A Students caught copying, plagiarizing, or turning in work not their own will receive a zero on the assignment and face disciplinary action.
HOMEWORK
Our learning does not end once you leave the classroom. We have so much to learn before the end of the year and very little time. Thus, homework is never optional and is included as part of your grade. If you do not understand what we are doing in class and are having trouble completing homework, please come see me so that I can help you.
Your parent/guardian will be contacted if, at any point, several homework assignments are missing.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments are expected to be turned in by their due date. If they are submitted late, they will be marked as 10% off of the grade received for each day the assignment is late.
ORGANIZING FOR SUCCESS
Your binder will contain all of the work that you do in this class the course of the year in your SCIENCE tab. Every worksheet that is handed out should become part of your binder (if it is not attached to your science notebook). It is extremely important that you keep an orderly binder for this class, as it will used for your “portfolio”
Additionally, all students will be making and using interactive science notebooks. I require 2 composition books for this purpose, one for each semester. Every day will begin with a “Do Now.” This is to be done in your science notebook. Every day’s notes should start on a clean page in cornell notes format (students will learn this in the beginning of the school year), under your “Do Now.” Science notebooks will be graded randomly throughout the school year on being complete and organized.
ASSESMENTS
Assessments provide an opportunity for the student and teacher to measure progress toward mastery of our objectives. There will be a graded assessment given at various times throughout a unit, in order to gauge your understanding of the material covered. There will be unit tests given as we complete each unit. Twice a year, we will have an exam/benchmark to show students progress.
GRADING
Grades in science class will be determined by all assignments falling under two categories: assessments and participation. Assessments will be worth 80% of your grade, and participation 20%. A letter grade is then assigned based on the grading scale below.
|Assessments (quizzes, unit tests, exams, and labs) |A |
|80% |90-100 |
| | |
|Participation (homework, classwork, and “Do Now’s” |B |
|20% |80-89 |
| | |
| |C |
| |70-79 |
| | |
| |D |
| |60-69 |
| | |
| |F |
| |59 and below |
| | |
BATHROOM
You are expected to go to the bathroom in between classes. However, you will be given independent work time during class, during which emergency bathroom breaks may be given at the discretion of the teacher.
CLEANLINESS
Under no circumstances should any paper or other trash be left on the floor. We must keep our classroom neat. If you have something to discard, hold it until the end of class. As you exit class, you may deposit your trash in the appropriate receptacle.
SEATING
A seating chart will be arranged at the beginning of the year and is subject to change based on the needs of the class.
SUPPLIES
You will not be able to succeed if you do not come to class prepared every day. You are expected to have these supplies no later than Monday, August 7th.
• Colored pencils (package of 8) or Markers
• 2 Composition Notebooks, 9¾ x 7½ in., 100 sheets (College Ruled or Graph Paper Preferred)
• Scotch Tape - 2 Rolls
• Glue Sticks - 3 Pack
• Pencils/Pens/Highlighters
• Index cards
• Loose-leaf paper
• If you are unable to get the required supplies, please see me privately. We will make sure that you have what you need to succeed.
EXPECTATIONS OF Ms. Adam
In this classroom, there are high expectations for the students and teacher. You can expect that I will
• be fair and consistent
• work hard for our success
• provide a safe learning environment
• do my best to make things interesting, enjoyable, challenging and fun
• keep an open line of communication.
I have HIGH EXPECTATIONS for each student and am looking forward to
working hard this year together.
Ms. Adam’s 8th Grade Science Class
Classroom Contract
Student Name: __________________________________
Period: ___________
I have read and discussed the procedures and guidelines for Ms. Adam’s class. I will work hard throughout the entire school year and follow these rules and procedures in order to guarantee I will make academic gains and be successful in science both now and in the future.
___________________________________
Student Signature
I have read and discussed the procedures and guidelines for Ms. Adam’s class. I support the structure she has put in place in order to help my child succeed, and I will reinforce those rules and guidelines in order to ensure that my child is successful in science both now and in the future.
___________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature
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