Class Contract
Supplies needed for Class
At school:
Every day you will bring the following to class:
· An organized 3-ring binder with a labeled science section (or a binder devoted to science)
· 2 or more pencils, or a mechanical pencil with extra lead
· Loose binder paper (not ripped from a spiral-bound notebook)
· A calculator
· A good attitude
At home:
You will need the following things at home:
· A ruler with centimeters (there is one on the inside cover of your daily planner)
· The phone numbers of at least 2 classmates to call if you have questions
· Scissors
· Coloring equipment (a colored pencil set, pens, or crayons)
· A quiet study place you work at every night
· A time every day you get your homework done
Procedures
Start of class:
You must be in your seat when the bell rings or you are considered tardy. Please refer to the middle school tardy policy for consequences.
When you walk through the door to room 68, you will become professional, leaving any socializing behind. The first few minutes of class is devoted to business. During this time you will be expected to:
· Immediately take out the previous night’s homework from the binder and have it ready to be checked. If it needs to be stapled, please do so. If the homework is not out and stapled when I get to your table, it will be considered late, and in the 8th grade late means no credit.
· Copy the daily agenda from the board on your daily agenda sheet
· Copy tonight’s homework in your daily planner
· Write a response to the journal question in your daily journal
· Take care of any business (sharpen pencils, throw away trash, get a drink of water) You will NOT be allowed get out of seat once instruction begins
· If you finish early, you may either organize your binder or read queitly. This time is not to be used for socializing.
Science notebook
You will need to maintain an organized 3-ring binder for science class. To stay organzied, you will keep a science section using LABELED dividers (or you can have a separate binder for science if you prefer). In this section, you will always have a table of contents, daily agenda form, journal entries, and vocabulary sheet, as well as all the other work from the current unit. Every time you receive a handout or get work back, it will be listed on the table of contents, and you will be expected to immediately record it in your table of contents and place it in the three rings. Loose paper is asking for trouble. Stay organized! At the end of each unit (and occasionally during a unit), your binder will be checked and you will receive a grade for organization.
Policies
Homework
Homework is your chance to practice the skills and information learned in class that day. Students who do their homework every night score much better on tests. You can expect homework every night Monday – Thursday, and occasionally on Friday nights.
To receive credit, homework must:
· Be completed and out of your binder at the start of period
· Look professional (not wrikled or folded)
· Be done in pencil, dark blue or black ink, or typed
· Have a full heading of name, date and period
**There are no IOU’s in the 8th grade. 8th graders will not be allowed to turn in work late except in special circumstances arranged between the parent and the teacher, as per school policy.**
Bonus Credits
Although I do not assign “Extra credit” work, you will occasionally have the opportunity to do optional advanced work or problems for bonus credits. Bonus credits can be turned for many things, including raising a test grade, getting excused form a quiz, ordering a paperback book, and many other treats. See the bonus credit sign in the classroom for more info. One way you can always get bonus credits is to type up an assignment.
Absences:
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to get all assignments, notes, and handouts that were missed. In the homework center of the room, you will find a binder containing every day’s agenda and homework, as well as a file of all handouts. If you are absent one day, you have one day to complete the work. If you are absent two days, you have two days to make up the work. Beyond two days, you must meet with me to work out the best plan to get caught up.
Teacher absences:
I am almost never absent, but on a few days each year I am called away for meetings or planning days. When there is a substitute teacher, the student is expected to act in a respectful and cooperative manner towards the substitute, even if the substitute’s procedures and expectations are different than mine. All assignments done with a substitute will be worth double the points.
Cheating
Copying homework is cheating. Anyone caught cheating or allowing others to cheat off of them will be given an immediate zero for that assignment and detention or a referral to the office will be given.
Quizzes / Tests
Quizzes will be given frequently to monitor if you are understanding what we are studying. Tests will be given at the end of each major topic, and will be used to determine of the standard has been met. Tests will require students to not only recite facts, but demonstrate an understanding of major concepts gained through all activities, labs and discussions during the unit. Tests will be composed of factual, conceptual, and lab practical sections. Re-taking a test due to poor performance will not be allowed.
Grades
| GRADE WEIGHTING SCALE 55% TESTS/ PROJECTS/QUIZZES 25% HOMEWORK/CLASSWORK 15% FORMAL LAB REPORTS 5% PARTICIPATION/ORGANIZATION | GRADING SCALE |
Note that more than half your grade comes from assessments (tests quizzes). Therefore you cannot pass science without REALLY knowing the material.
Current grades will be posted every Monday in the classroom, and will be listed by your student ID number for privacy. It is your responsibility to monitor how you are doing. At any time, if you would like a full printout of your grades, I would be more than happy to make you one outside of class time.
Late in the term, all 8th grade students will be expected to create a mini-Exploratorium project to illustrate their mastery of a physical science concept of your choosing. This project will be a major, long-term undertaking, but will come with large amounts of support and class time.
Behavior
You are in middle school, and I expect that you will make good decisions, acting with maturity and professionalism at all times. ALL school rules will be enforced. Be sure to become familiar with them.
My class rules are as follows:
1. Come to class prepared2. Be in your seat when bell rings
3. Treat each other with respect
4. Follow directions
5. Actively participate and listen
6. Be responsible
Consequences:
STRIKE 1: Verbal warning
STRIKE 2: 15 minute detention before or after school where you will fill out behavior journal
STRIKE 3: *Referral to office and parent phone call
*An extreme infraction will result in an automatic referral
Positives:
1) Student praise
2) Note to parent
3) Phone call
3) Phone call
HELP!
If you are having a difficult time understanding a concept or assignment, help is very available at Venetia Valley, but it is up to you to take advantage of it. “I didn’t understand it” does not excuse you from an assignment or give you extra time. It is up to you to get help BEFORE an assignment is due. Ways to get help:
1) Don’t leave school or class until you understand what the assignment is and how to do it.
2) Ask questions during class when you don’t understand something. Don’t wait until the next day.
3) Look in your notes and vocabulary sheet for hints. Homework is almost always based on what we did or learned in class that day.
4) Call a friend in the class to see if they understand it.
5) Mr. Singer is usually available before and after school for help. Occasionally I have meetings or duties that take me away from the classroom.
