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A Letter to Parents and StudentsImportant Notice to ParentsStudents will receive a printed progress report after every chapter’s exam, about one per week. Progress reports require a parent’s signature and must be returned on the following class day. Please be sure that you receive and sign these reports! Download any of these documents in Adobe PDF or MS Word formatsIntroductionPhysics A is the first semester of a two-semester in Conceptual Physics. It satisfies the UC “D” science requirement. This letter gives specific information about how the class is run and what is expected of students. Read it carefully and do not lose it! Return to Class Policies Contents TextbookThe textbook is “Conceptual Physics”. Textbooks are checked out by the library. Cover your book with an easily identifiable cover, so that you can keep track of your own book. If your book is lost or stolen, or you attempt to turn in another student’s book, you will be charged $50.00. It’s not a good idea to lend your book to others, since if the lent book is lost you are still liable for the $50.00! Return to Class Policies Contents GradingStudent performance will be graded on examinations, homework, activities, and in-class participation/courtesy. Return to Class Policies Contents Handouts, Homework and Activity ReportsHandouts and homework for each chapter will be turned in on the day of the chapter’s examination. It is the student’s responsibility to keep and organize this material until it is turned in. Late homework will be graded lower unless accompanied by a letter from a guardian giving a satisfactory explanation. Activity Reports are due two days after the activity is completed. Homework/Activity Reports more than 1 week late cannot be turned in or made up! Return to Class Policies Contents Web Based AssignmentsNew to this year are assignments to be completed on the Internet. The advantage of doing assignments this way is that the student gets instant feedback on the correctness of the submitted answers; The problems presented will be virtually identical to the problems presented in the textbook. Web assignments may be done on any web browser, at home, school, or library. Return to Class Policies Contents Classroom BehaviorStudents in high school are expected to behave in a responsible manner. Students are not to act in any manner that interferes with their learning or the learning of others. Students will arrive in class prepared to work. Students are to follow teacher instructions promptly. Observance of classroom rules is a major part of the Participation/Courtesy grade. Return to Class Policies Contents Classroom RulesThe following rules will be observed
Prohibited Activities:Activities specifically prohibited include, but are not limited to:
Noncompliance with the above rules and prohibitions consumes valuable instructional time and will be deemed to be a classroom disruption. Return to Class Policies Contents ConsequencesIf a student insists upon violating classroom rules, one or more of these consequences will be assigned:
Offenders who acquire 5 Opportunity Room contract steps will be assigned to the Opportunity Room, with loss of all class credit for the semester. Academic DishonestyStudents are expected to do original work. In the case of activities, students may share data but they will still produce their own reports. Students are encouraged to assist each other with homework, but this does not include giving assignments to another student for copying. Never give your homework to another student! At a minimum students found cheating or permitting others to cheat will be given a grade of zero. Return to Class Policies Contents FeesA $20 Supplemental Program Contribution is requested for this class. This contribution will be used to purchase, replace or repair physics equipment, and to purchase consumable materials for use by the class. There will also be a hands-on competitive project each semester. The cost per student will not exceed $5.00 per project. Return to Class Policies Contents MaterialsYou should bring the following to class every day:
Other materials may be required later in the semester. Return to Class Policies Contents ValuablesLoss and theft of valuables are common in schools. The school and teacher are not responsible for any valuables brought to school by students, including those that have been confiscated. If you can’t afford to lose an item, leave it at home. Return to Class Policies Contents TardiesStudents entering the classroom after the tardy bell disrupt the learning activity of the entire class.. If you are inadvertently tardy, do not enter the classroom without a tardy slip from the office. Any student who arrives tardy will be required to complete a contemplative essay concerning their tardiness problem before that student will be permitted to join the class. Return to Class Policies Contents AbsencesStudents who are absent are responsible for work missed. Students will be given an examination schedule for the entire semester. Homework for each chapter is due on the examination date. If a student an activity or examination, the student may request a make-up examination if the request is made within a week of the missed test. If a student chooses to miss an examination, that student is still responsible for handing in the corresponding homework assignment. It is the responsibility of the student to keep track of assignments. The teacher does not issue reminders. Fifteen (15) absences will result in automatic failure. Return to Class Policies Contents ScoringScoring is done through a standards-based system. Students must show effort in studying the material and proficiency in the material Effort is shown by the homework submitted and verbal responses to Review Day questions. The homework need not be completely correct, but the student must show an honest attempt to answer each question. On Review Day the student must give correct answers and demonstrate understanding of the principles behind the answers Proficiency is shown by attaining a minimum score on the chapter’s examination. Return to Class Policies Contents RetestsIf a student does not meet the proficiency standard on the initial exam, they may take as many retests as needed while the class is studying the next two chapters in order to meet the standard. Before each retest, the student must complete all problems at the end of the appropriate chapter, odd and even, to demonstrate that you have prepared for the retest. The problems must be hand-written. The problems must be submitted before each subsequent retest. Makeup tests are available on the class days before and after the regular exam days in either Mr. Lyle’s room or Mr. Downs’ room at lunch. Assistance is available at lunch every day. Return to Class Policies Contents GradingGrading is based upon class participation, homework, review questions, activities, and examinations. Examinations are the basic grade Activities are worth a complete examination grade Complete homework is worth 1/2 of an examination grade Correctly answered and explained review questions are worth ¼ of an examination grade Late homework will receive half-credit. Incomplete homework will receive no credit and will not be returned. The progress report/report card grade will be calculated based upon the percentage of standards completed.
Return to Class Policies Contents Student Progress ReportsProgress reports will be issued on the day after each exam. These reports are to be taken home and signed by parents the day they are received. They will be checked in class the next school day. Successful return of a signed progress report is part of the student’s homework grade. Return to Class Policies Contents download documents
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