Class Procedures/Course Syllabus

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Students:
Print page one of this .pdf copy for your binder

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PROCEDURES AND POLICIES BY TOPIC:

Absences
Academic Integrity vs. Academic Dishonesty
AP Exam (AP Environmental Science only)
Bauck Email Network (B.E.N.)
Binders and Notetaking
Books
Canvas
Course Descriptions
Detention
Discipline Plan
Electronics
Food and Drinks
Grades: Quarter and Semester
Hall Passes
Help
Homework and Classwork
Hurricane Pride (Student of the Week award)
Kwanga.net
Lab Master (Lab award)
Laboratory Acitivites
Materials
Notebook Portfolios and Notetaking
Optional Assignments
Phone Communication
Referrals
Room Upkeep
School Safety
Seating Plan
Suggestions for Success
Tardies
Tests

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Welcome to our class!

Instructor: Lori Bauck
National Board Certified Teacher alumna (AYA Science - Chemistry)
Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction
Center for Wellness and Medical Professions, Palm Harbor University High School
Courses: Advanced Placement Environmental Science (APES), Chemistry I H, Chemistry I
Room number: 3-101
Phone: (727) 669-1131 ext. 1302
Web: www.kwanga.net
Email: BAUCKL@pcsb.org

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ABSENCES

Students absent all day may submit work the next day without penalty. If students are absent consecutive days, they have as many days as they were absent to submit work without penalty. Students skipping class will receive a disciplinary referral.

Students who arrive on campus late, after our class period, should drop off work that was due that day.

A.P. Environmental Science: This is taught as a college course. Assignment and lab report due dates are announced well in advance. If a student is absent on the day an assignment or report is due, the assignment should be delivered/emailed/uploaded to the teacher that day. Students are encouraged to work ahead when possible, and they may turn in work early.

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY vs. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Students are expected to maintain high standards of academic and personal integrity.  Integrity includes honesty, trustworthiness and reliability.  Every student has the right to pursue an education free from the problems caused by any form of intellectual dishonesty. 

Any kind of cheating undermines our learning environment and violates trust. Please be honorable.

TEST-TAKING POLICY


Student behaviors which set up ideal conditions for cheating during a test, quiz, or other assessment are violations of test-taking policy:

CHEATING / MALPRACTICE
Cheating/malpractice is defined as behaviors that result in, or may result in, a student gaining an unfair advantage over another student, and includes the following:

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AP EXAM (AP Environmental Science only)

AP exam topic information: http://www.kwanga.net/apesnotes/WELCOME%20TO%20APES.pdf
AP exam dates:
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/exam-administration-ordering-scores/exam-dates

Students are required to take the Semester 1 exam for a yearlong AP course.

Students are required to sit for the AP exam and do not need to take a teacher-created final exam. School Board policy requires that students who do not sit for the AP exam are assigned an F as their final exam grade.
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/ap-coordinators/exam-ordering-fees/exam-fees

The cost of each AP Environmental Science Exam is $94.  Assuming a student meets their requirement to sit for the AP exam, this expense is paid by Pinellas County Schools. Students must have a signed copy of the Pinellas County Schools AP Exam Acknowledgement Form on file.

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BAUCK EMAIL NETWORK (B.E.N.)

Feel free to email anytime about our class. Email is the preferred method of communication, as phone calls are not directed to classrooms during the school day. Emails will be returned within 24 hours.

Sign up to be a B.E.N. member and receive weekly email updates. Students will receive periodic links to interesting articles about our subject.

Weekly updates are also accessible at  http://kwanga.net/weekly-update.html , but other emails about article links, test scores, etc. will not be posted online.

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BINDERS AND NOTETAKING

Students need a binder to hold notes, assignments, and worksheets. Students will keep track of assignment grades on the APES binder log or Chem binder log.

Everyone needs to take notes on lecture-discussions.  These “student notes” will be required for the binder.  Students should work problems and write out key concepts in their own words. 

Chemistry:
A two-inch binder is recommended. Students are required to print notes from kwanga.net for each chapter/unit for their binders. When printed notes are used (what we call “lazy notes”),  highlight and write notes on the pages during the discussion. Student notes may be written on separate papers, in the margins, or on the back of the printed notes.Student notes are required for each chapter. Notebook portfolios are required, a possible 60/60 grade at the end of each grading period. They are not available for “buyback/point redemption” (See Homework and Classwork section). Students who are unable to print may request copies ahead of time (the day before the activity, not the day of).

A.P.E.S.:
A three-inch binder is recommended, especially if notes are printed. Binders are required for A.P.E.S. but turning them in for a grade each quarter is optional.  Because the notes are extensive for A.P.E.S., students are required only to download, not print, notes from kwanga.net for each chapter/unit for their binders.  Student notes are required for each chapter. Binders are submitted by students at the end of each grading period for a possible 30/30 grade. They are not available for “buyback/point redemption.” (See Homework and Classwork section). 

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BOOKS

Students issued individual textbooks should cover them and bring them home.
Since online textbook access is available, students can opt out of receiving a hard copy of the textbook with documented parental permission. Students can access the books through Clever.  The chemistry book is accessible through McGraw Hill, and the APES book is accessible through Achieve.

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CANVAS

Canvas is the platform which houses students’ courses and calendar.  Canvas can be accessed through Clever.  Our course material is on kwanga.net, but the relevant inks are uploaded to Canvas.  Students are encouraged to work directly from kwanga.net.

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

AP Environmental Science (APES): “The AP Environmental Science course is designed to engage students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships within the natural world. The course requires that students identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. Environmental science is interdisciplinary, embracing topics from geology, biology, environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography.” (College Board)
              AP Environmental Science (APES): http://www.kwanga.net/apes-syllabus.html
              Welcome to APES: http://www.kwanga.net/apesnotes/WELCOME%20TO%20APES.pdf


Chemistry I Honors/Chemistry I: “This course will provide students with the study of the composition, properties, and changes associated with matter. Topics such as atomic theory, periodic table, bonding, chemical formulas, behavior of gases, and chemical reactions are included.” (PHUHS curriculum guide)
               Honors chemistry students are expected to have strong algebraic skills.
              All chemistry students are expected to possess a solid work ethic and be intrinsically motivated to deal with complex material.
TOPIC PROGRESSION: http://www.kwanga.net/chem-syllabus.html

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DETENTION

Typically, detentions are issued after a first verbal warning. Detentions can easily be avoided through cooperation. Detentions will be served if behaviors such as these are observed: moving out of assigned seat or area, working with a lab group other than your assigned group, talking when the teacher/speaker is talking. Detentions are held before or after school.

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DISCIPLINE PLAN

Please refer to the PCS Student Code of Conduct for more information.

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ELECTRONICS

We work from kwanga.net often in our class. Laptops or tablets are recommended. Students in grades 9-11 may check out a computer from the Media Center.

Personal electronics (phones) are not to be used during class activities unless necessary for an approved class activity. During test taking, all electronic devices must be powered down and not in the students’ possession so that the testing environment is not compromised. Phones are placed in the "Phone Condo" or can be charging on the lab tables.

Any students who cannot get online outside of class time may request hard copies of practices, labs, etc.

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FOOD AND DRINKS

No food will be consumed in the classroom unless it is related to academic activities or medically necessary by documentation.

Only water in resealable plastic containers will be allowed.  No open containers such as cans or cups will be allowed in the classroom seating area. If any beverages not fitting these criteria are brought to class, finish them before coming in or put them on the bookshelf.

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GRADES

Focus Portal will be used for the grade book.
The county grading scale will be followed:

Our course is 1 full credit, 1/2 credit each semester. Each semester is divided into two nine-week grading periods and a final exam. Quarters are 75% and the final exam is 25% of the semester grade. Grades are updated and uploaded weekly. There is no state EOC for Chemistry.

Suggested recommendations:

Semester grade calculations

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HALL PASSES

A standard hall pass will be used. Only one student will leave the room at a time. There will be no passes issued during the first and last ten minutes of the period.

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HELP

It is important to keep up with the material covered in class. Students should review the material often. Students who need help should schedule an appointment before or after school. Office hours before school are 7:00-7:20 a.m. Monday-Friday. Office hours after school are 2:00-2:25 p.m. based on my availability. Please make an appointment in advance:  I may be in a meeting or running errands on campus when you arrive unannounced. Students will sign in when they arrive for documentation purposes.

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HOMEWORK AND CLASSWORK

There will be homework assignments pertaining to each chapter, such as book work, article research, worksheets, skill practices, mini-labs, etc. Homework is usually worth 10 or 20 points. Some homework is ungraded practice, which students check with the answer key and save in their binders.  A due date will be announced and posted for all assignments.

Late work will be accepted one day late for half credit at most.. Late work is NOT eligible for "buyback/point redemption" (see end of this section).

If an assignment is accidentally left at home on the day it is due, it will be accepted the next school day for full credit only if accompanied by a parent note or email verification. 

ESE, 504, or ELL students with assignment accommodations may ask for a one day extension of the due date as needed. This must be done ahead of time.

Criteria: loose leaf paper with no jagged edges, name on paper, legible writing, blue or black ink for writing, math work in pencil. Suggested paper heading in upper right-hand corner: STUDENT NAME, CLASS & PERIOD, DATE, TEACHER NAME.

There is an assignment tray on the front table for submitting assignments. There are numbered shelves on the bookcase for each period’s graded papers to be kept until they are picked up or given out.

Homework and classwork corrections ("buyback" or "point redemption"): Any student may correct mistakes and add information and turn the paper back in for redeeming half the points (a 30/40 can become a 35/40). Half-points will be rounded up (35/40 becomes a 37.5/40, which rounds to a 38/40). The deadline for this is one school day after papers are returned. If a student is absent, the deadline for this is one school day after the student receives the paper. Late work is NOT eligible for "buyback/point redemption."

“Chapter work” refers to selected textbook problems. The question numbers and pages are listed on kwanga.net.

Practices on kwanga.net: There are practices for each chapter online, and the number of questions on each will vary. Math-based chapters have more practices. Students must complete a minimum of five questions per practice (unless the practice has less than five questions). If there is math involved, the questions chosen must be math-based. These assignments are binder grades, which means the assignments are placed in the binder in the appropriate section after being checked with the online answer keys. Students who wish to re-take a test must complete all questions and submit the practices for qualification. (see TEST section)

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HURRICANE PRIDE (Student of the Week award)

Each week one student per class period is chosen for the Hurricane Pride award. This can be won by participation, improvement, good grades, helping others, etc. The names are posted in our room and on my web site. Each winner receives a prize as well as a mini-certificate.

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KWANGA.NET

My web domain is updated weekly.  Course information, lesson plans, student award winners, links for practice and enrichment, and assignment lists are posted. This is a valuable resource for parents and students.

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LAB MASTER (Lab award)

After each lab, one student per class is chosen for the Lab Master award. Winners show exemplary lab performance and adherence to safety procedures. The names are posted in our room and on my web site. Each winner receives a prize as well as a personalized Erlenmeyer flask certificate.

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LABORATORY ACTIVITIES

Labs enrich the course content. All students are expected to follow laboratory rules and procedures. Failure to do so will result in a referral. Students must have a laboratory safety contract on file, signed by themselves and the parents/guardians, in order to participate and receive credit for labs.

Lab corrections (“buyback” or “point redemption”): Any student may correct mistakes and add information and turn the paper back in for redeeming half the points (a 30/40 can become a 35/40). The deadline for this is one school day after papers are returned. If a student is absent, the deadline for this is one school day after the student receives the paper. Late work is NOT eligible for “buyback/point redemption.”

          A.P. Environmental Science (APES) formal lab reports:
In addition to one-, two-, or multiple-day lab activities, there will be one or two "formal labs" (requiring a report) each grading period. The lab will be completed over multiple days, and the APES formal lab report format must be followed. Lab report due dates are announced well in advance. If a student is absent on the day a lab report is due, the report should be delivered or emailed to the teacher that day.

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MATERIALS

Please check the Wish List for supplies, and email me for current needs. We have some class supplies that students can use as needed.

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OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

We do not have extra credit in our class, but we do have optional assignments.

           CHEMISTRY optional assignments:
1)   10 points: Test Corrections - Any student who corrects mistakes on a graded test will receive 10/10 as an optional assignment grade. We do this in class.
2)   10 points: Test Review - Students may complete the test review and turn it in on or before the test date.
3)   20 points: Students may read TWO recent science articles and complete set guidelines. This may be done twice each quarter.

          A.P.E.S. optional assignments:
1)   10 points: Test Corrections - Any student who corrects mistakes on a graded multiple choice test will receive 10/10 as an optional assignment grade. We do this in class.
2)   30 points: Binder - Students may submit a binder at the end of each grading period. (See the Binder and Notetaking section.)

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PHONE COMMUNICATION

              Teachers are unable to accept calls directly to the classroom during the school day. If you call the office, I will receive the information later and will return your call within 24 hours.
              Email is the preferred method of communication, as I check it throughout the day. Email replies will be sent within 24 hours.

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REFERRALS

I do not expect to have disciplinary problems such as those listed. However, referrals will be given if the following behaviors such as these are observed:

Depending on the offense, a verbal warning and detention may be given before a referral.

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ROOM UPKEEP

It is everyone’s responsibility to keep the desk and lab areas clean (free of papers, dirt, markings, etc.).   Students should make sure their area is clean when they arrive.  If not, they should tell me immediately.  We want our room looking as nice as possible.

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SCHOOL SAFETY

           It is important to establish and maintain a safe and secure learning environment.  Students and staff will follow directions during active threat drills so that they are comfortable with proper procedures. We “practice with purpose.” For drills, if it is announced that the threat has a known location far from our classroom, we will run (exit quickly) to the perimeter of campus. If it is announced that the threat location is close to our building or at an unknown location, we will cover windows and hide in a safe area.  Outer classroom doors should remain locked.

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SEATING PLAN

The normal seating arrangement is 15 pairs of small table desks and chairs. For group activities and games, desks are arranged in quads. Seating is adjusted to be in compliance with 504/ESE/ELL plans. APES students choose their seats; chemistry students do not.

 Labs involving chemicals, water, burners, etc. will be conducted at the lab stations in the back and sides of the classroom.

The seating chart is rearranged every quarter for chemistry.

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SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS

AP Environmental Science: http://www.kwanga.net/apes-success.html
Chemistry IH, Chemistry I: http://www.kwanga.net/chem-success.html

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TARDIES

Any student who is not physically in the classroom when the late bell rings is tardy.  Students should be seated when the bell rings. The school and county policy will be followed.

Tardies start over every quarter. Absences accumulate throughout the semester.

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TESTS

Tests are worth 200 points. You will know when the test is so you have time to prepare. It is important that all students study for each test.

Students must finish the test within the class period unless ESE, 504, or ELL test accommodations are mandated. Accommodations are for time-and-a-half unless stated otherwise, and the test should be completed the same day.  Students should make transportation arrangements ahead of time.

If you are absent on the day of a test, you must take it upon returning. If you are absent the day before the test, you must take the test with the rest of the class.

Chemistry: There is usually a test after each chapter. A review sheet is posted online and available before the test.
              Test retake policy:
-- Students must have made a legitimate attempt to answer every question on the first test.
-- A different test form will be used for retakes.
-- When they are ready to take the test, students must submit all completed chapter practices, checked and corrected from the answer keys online.
-- When they are ready to take the test, students must submit the chapter work (book problems) if it was not completed originally.
-- Students will take the test after school or in class.
-- The second test score will count.
-- Retakes must be completed one calendar week from the first testing date. Adjustments can be made for illness/extended absences.

A.P. Environmental Science (APES): There are no test retakes in APES. There is usually a test after each unit or 2-3 chapters. Tests are given over two days: one day for multiple choice and one day for essays. The score on the multiple-choice test will be based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points will not be deducted for incorrect answers and no points will be awarded for unanswered questions. Essays are in the style of FRQs, which are free response questions from the AP exams and other sources. The multiple choice section is 60% of the total test score and the FRQ section is 40% of the total test score, which is how the AP exam is weighted.

Let’s have a great year! :)

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© 2024 Lori Bauck
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Last Update: 17 August 2024