AUBURN RIVERSIDE HIGH SCHOOL



AUBURN RIVERSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

501 ORAVETZ ROAD

AUBURN, WA 98092

David L. Halford, Principal 253-804-5154 - Main Office

Nola Wilson, Assistant Principal 253-804-5165 - Attendance

Frank Ramirez, Assistant Principal 253-804-5161 - Counseling

Shawna Leonard, Assistant Principal 253-804-5159 - Athl/Activit

John Erickson, Dean of Students 253-804-5168 - Fax

May 20, 2015

Dear Future AP Biology Student and Parents,

Hope you will enjoy or are enjoying your summer vacation. I am very pleased to have you as a member of what promises to be an excellent class. I want to welcome you to a great year of learning. You may or may not be familiar with the AP Biology course, so I am sharing some information in this letter that will enhance your success and understanding of the course.

The Advanced Placement Program of the College Board is designed to let students in high school obtain college credit. This is a program of credit by examination. The College Board hires the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to write and grade the AP Biology Exam. Grades are assigned on a basis of 1-5 with a 3 as a ‘passing’ score. Most of this year’s exam will be based on a conceptual approach, which covers all subject parts of biology with a mesh of unifying themes. At least 25-40% of the exam is based on the laboratory experiences that we will do during the year. The College Board has suggested a number of labs that we will perform during the year. Many of these labs will depend on your own knowledge, curiosity, and skills in biology.

We will be spending at least 40% of our class time in the laboratory. We use biotechnology equipment that ARHS Science Department has purchased as well as loaner equipment from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and UW Genome Center to enhance your knowledge and skills. By the end of the year, each AP biology student will be able to use the scientific process, acquired laboratory skills, and knowledge to perform self-design labs to solve a problem. You will be a scientist in the true sense of the word.

This course is a college course taught in the high school. Colleges expect a student to have an “equivalent” experience to their freshman course, including laboratories, and to have mastered its content. Many colleges give credit for a score of 3, 4, or 5. There are a few colleges which only give credit for a 4 or 5. The AP Biology Exam is usually the second Monday morning in May, which is May 9, 2016. The AP exam is not a requirement of the class, but is highly encouraged.

Each student and parent should not be surprised by course requirements that are in excess of what you expect from a normal advanced course. It is not unusual for a student to be responsible for several levels of assignments all at the same time. For example, there will be regular reading assignments, labs to write up, study guides to complete, an occasional article to be read & summarized, book reviews, and daily reviewing of notes.

In my estimation, the greatest challenge is for the students to remain consistent throughout the year. Students will need to study regularly for this course. The strategy of catching up with a strong last minute push, does not work in AP Biology.

Although extracurricular activities should be chosen wisely, past AP biology students have been able to participate fully in athletics, student government, drama, clubs, and student publications, but they had to plan their time carefully.

The priority you give the course is important because I know that you may be taking more than one AP course. Please communicate with me if you foresee any conflicts. Some accommodations can be made if enough advance notice is given. To help in this area, I hope to give you an advance schedule of topics of study, reading assignments, laboratory days (some needing early start days, during “0” hour), due dates for special assignments, and tests. A few times during the year we meet during the “0” hour for lab procedures that require more than a 55 minute period to complete. In past years, the early lab occurred about 4-5 times during the year. About half of the tests are in the form of take-homes. The tests are designed to prepare you for the AP Exam.

A couple times a year, we attempt to have “Book Review Sessions”. Each student reads a book, fiction or non-fiction, which is of interest to him or her. One review occurs in the fall/winter, and the other in late spring. (Schedule and time permitting) I have included page, a brief list of possible books of interest on the swift page AP website. [Sorry, the booklist is not the most current, but all these selections are good.] You are not limited to these selections. You are encouraged to get a library copy of one of these books now while you may have more leisure time to read. The format for a book review is also included on the website. You are obligated to find a book that you want to read and that is related to biology.

Another good optional item to pick up this summer is a AP Biology review book. Cliff’s Notes, Princeton editions, and Barron’s How to Prepare for the AP Biology book & flash cards are three references that former students have found useful. Our textbook is Biology, 9th edition by Campbell. If you are interested in acquiring your textbook, CD and on-line information for using the reference/textbook, please contact me and I would be happy to get a copy ready for you to pick up at the main office. jshaw@auburn.wednet.edu

I highly recommend, if you have not taken a chemistry class, that you check out a chemistry textbook and review through the first 4-5 chapters of the book. If you would like to borrow a chemistry textbook as a resource for the review this summer, please send me an email jshaw@auburn.wednet.edu with such a request and I will have a book ready for pick up in the main office.

Once you have read this letter carefully, please print out a copy, sign it and have your parent(s) sign it below and show it to me on the first day of school. It is worth 5 points. Parents, if you have any question or concerns, please contact me at school (253-804-5154) or email – jshaw@auburn.wednet.edu .

I look forward to working with you this year. I am sure that we will all learn a great deal. Enjoy your summer and I will see you in the fall.

Yours truly,

Judy Shaw

AP Biology Teacher

Science Department Chair

Signatures: _____________________ _______________________ ________________

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