Science Newsletter - BMMS 8th Grade Science



August 2016

Dear Parent and Student,

Welcome to Science and to rooms D-10 and D-12 the classrooms of Mrs. Guerrero and Mrs. Fregin.

A BIT ABOUT US:

Mrs. Guerrero: This is my 8th year as a teacher. I have taught life and physical science at the middle school level and biology and physics at the high school level. Prior to teaching I worked briefly as an analytical chemist and microbiologist for a hair product company. I find teaching to be much more challenging and enjoyable. I possess bachelor’s degree is in Biology, a CLAD single subject science credential, a Masters in Natural Resource Stewardship with an emphasis in Rangeland Management, and am currently working on completing a certificate in Turfgrass Management.

Mrs. Fregin: I have been a science teacher for MUSD for 23 years. I have been in education for 32 years. I have a bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in American Literature, a CA single subject teaching credential, a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, a certificate for Technology in Education, a CLAD Credential and an Administrative Credential. I have taught both life and physical science for most of my career.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM SCIENCE:

8th grade students will concentrate on Physical Science with topics in the disciplines of physics, chemistry and astronomy. This material will be presented in a variety of forms to assist students with various personalities and learning styles. We like to teach across the curriculum, relying on student’s skills in the areas of math, language arts, music, computers and art as we journey through the curriculum of science. Specific readings, vocabulary development, Cornell note taking, art projects and laboratory experiments are examples of curriculum delivery. A STEM approach can also be found in our lessons.

HOMEWORK POLICY: Notes are taken by students in class. Students should study Cornell notes and vocabulary nightly. Students should complete Cornell note summaries, activities or lab questions when assigned. Students should carefully follow the chapter homework calendar. These can be found on the website .

SUPPLIES: Your child needs lined paper, a composition notebook, a highlighter, an old cloth for cleaning white boards and a marker for writing on white boards. In addition, pens, pencils, colored pencils and erasers are also needed. These supplies will be used often. Students will have been given a science calendar and an agenda for organization. Please review the letter you received from the school, “BMMS Binder Requirement for 2015-2016”.

“Children who are prepared are empowered and successful.”

LATE WORK: Late work is not accepted for full credit. Late assignments should not happen too frequently. Once an assignment is returned, no late assignments are accepted. Please discuss this policy with your child.

ABSENT WORK: Please see the school handbook for the absent work policy. We adhere to this policy.

GRADING POLICY: Please see the school handbook for the school’s grading policy. We follow the same grading system. Please utilize the Parent Dashboard portal of Illuminate to monitor your child’s progress. The link can be found on the MUSD website and our class website .

TESTS AND QUIZZES: Pop quizzes are given at the teacher’s discretion. If students are reading and studying nightly as instructed, these quizzes will reinforce their efforts. Students will see the chapter test dates on the unit science calendar. All tests and quizzes are also posted on the board and discussed in the classroom.

DISCIPLINE: Rest assured that we have some discipline in my classroom! All of our policies are based upon student responsibility and kindness to others. We follow the school-wide plan of CARE and Democratic Discipline. We value all of our students and respect them. We may not approve of a particular behavior, but we will always respect the child. Our school motto is, “Bobcats CARE”.

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE: In this case, we are discussing communication. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by phone; (951) 301-8496 or by e-mail; cguerrero@ or pfregin@ . E-mail is faster and will likely to get a quicker response.

Another very valuable key to communication is via the current parent e-mail addresses you provide to the office. These are then placed in Illuminate for teacher use. You will receive messages throughout the school-year if your e-mail is functional.

Visit our website at as soon as possible.

We are looking forward to another awesome school year where lots of learning and lots of fun will happen.

Remember, a child’s “altitude is determined by his/her attitude.” Let’s all help to keep our kids’ attitudes positive so they can soar to great heights.

With regards,

Mrs. Fregin

Mrs. Guerrero

Science Teacher

Bell Mountain Middle School

“Home of the Bobcats”

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