I. Course Components:
- The Physical Setting, Regents Earth Science course has been designed with both instructional and exploratory lab components.
- The class will meet for one (1) period of instruction every day and for two (2) periods every other day.
- The New York State Department of Education requires that each student must successfully complete 21 laboratory exercises.Failure to achieve a 64.45% or higher on 21 laboratory exercises will result in the following consequences:
- The student will not be eligible to take the Earth Science Regents Exam this coming June.
- The student will not be conferred course credit and will have to repeat the entire course.
- Students, who must repeat the class, will do so during the 2021 – 2022 school year, as they will not be eligible to complete the course during summer school.
- Student Laboratory Progress will be strictly monitored via progress and quarterly reports, through E-School, administrative referrals, phone / e-mail contact and / or departmental mailings.
II. Student Responsibilities & Expectations:
- All Students are Responsible for:
- Their Own Decisions / Choices.
- Their Own Actions.
- Their Own Work (Zero Tolerance Policy for Cheating and Plagiarism).
- Their Attitude.
- All Students are Expected to:
- Attend Class (see student handbook for district attendance policy).
- Come to Class On-Time And Prepared to Work.
- Make up missed work.
- Actively Participate in class and Contribute to class discussions.
- Respect their fellow classmates and the learning environment by leaving their cell phones, hats and any other digital device(s) other than their calculators in their lockers (Failure to comply will hasten detrimental administrative and academic consequences).
- Follow the Sachem Central School District Student Handbook as well as additional rules and regulations as set forth by the administration and staff at Sachem East.
IIIa. Grading Policy:
Student’s quarterly average grade will be calculated as follows:
- Homework - 10%
- Class Work - 10%
- Quizzes - 12%
- Laboratory Activities - 18%
- Tests & Exams - 50%
- Student’s Final Course Average will be based on an Average of their Four Quarterly Grades (80%), Midterm Exam (5%) and the June 2021 Regents Exam (15%).
- Extra Credit assignments will be provided sparingly thusly increasing the necessity to focus on the provided daily credit.
- In addition to the January Midterm and June Regents Exam the students will also be given a 1st and 3rd Quarterly Cumulative Exams.
IIIb. Additional Course Requirements / Components:
- In addition to the January Midterm and June Regents Exam the students will also be given a 1st and 3rd Quarterly Cumulative Exams.
- Students will be required each quarter to read and analyze 2 Earth Science based Current Event articles from Newsday, The New York Times, USA Today or reputable Internet Site. A copy of the article and a brief summary of the article will be collected Prior to the end of Each Quarter.
- Students may turn their articles in at any time and up to ONE day late for a 75% penalty. No articles will be accepted thereafter resulting in a ZERO for the assignment.
- Students are responsible for copying down the acceptable Current Event format.
- Failure to follow the provided format will yield no credit.
- Articles submitted that do not relate to the study of Earth Science will be awarded no credit.
- Due dates and the Current Event Article Summary Format will be provided once. Theses dates will be posted on the class calendar along with other pertinent dates and time sensitive events.
- Quizzes can be expected weekly and may not be announced. These quizzes will address all previously discussed curriculum focusing on the current week’s topic(s), laboratory activities and homework assignments.
- Every Unit will coincide with an Exam and Vocabulary assessment pertaining to both current and past terms, processes and fundamental theorems.
IVa. Requested Course Materials:
- A Three-Ring Binder (2 inches) OR a Multi-Subject Notebook accompanied by a Large Accordion Folder
- A Basic Four-Function or Scientific Calculator (Graphing Calculators Are Not permitted as per the N.Y.S. Department of Education).
- A 2-Pocket Folder.
- Colored Pencils.
- Highlighters.
- 1 Ream of lined loose-leaf paper.
- A set of Pens and Pencils.
- It is highly recommended that students purchase a review book by either UPCO or Prentice Hall.
IVb. Recommended Course Materials:
- Twelve Inch Ruler, Index Cards and a Sachem Public Library Card.
- Students are expected to come to class prepared with a pencil or pen, their notebook and calculator Everyday to ensure their continued daily class participation and academic success.Students who choose to attend class unprepared for academic instruction will receive a Zero for the day.
- Students will be provided with a Laboratory Activity Folder, Laboratory Activity Manuel, a copy of the Earth Science Reference Tables and access to three sets of Earth Science Textbooks.
V. Extra Help & Parent / Guardian Communications:
- Extra Help for Student Laboratory Activities that failed to achieve the minimum 64.45% will be offered during Ninth Period on Mondays in Room B222. Students that are delinquent with respect to their lab activities and fail to attend these sessions will not be permitted to take the June Regents Exam and will not be conferred course credit.
- General, Non-Lab based Extra Help / Enrichment will be offered during Ninth Period on Thursdays in Room B222. Students who attend these Extra Help sessions will have the opportunity to make homework corrections, address class work, re-take quizzes and complete any delinquent or incomplete non-laboratory activities.
- All parents and guardians are encouraged to contact me through e-mail at the address given above.Additionally, I can be reached through the Main Office at 716.8200.
VI. Personal Student Technology / Apparel:
- As set forth by the Sachem Central School District via the Board of Education and enacted by the Administration and Faculty of Sachem High School East all students enrolled at Sachem East will enter the building and promptly remove all Hats, Cell Phones, Digital Recorders, Music Devices, Video Cameras and any other medium constituted to be detrimental to the learning environment and secure them in their assigned lockers as the School District, Faculty and adjunct Staff Are Not Responsible for the loss, damage or theft of the aforementioned items.
- Students who fail to comply with these rules will firstly be warned and reminded of the consequences of their actions.Repeat offenders will be referred to administration, their guardians will be contacted and the student will face disciplinary actions as outlined in the Student Handbook.Those students who persist will have the item in question confiscated and sequestered in addition to disciplinary actions.
GUARDIAN / STUDENT CONTACT:
- Students who fail to comply with these rules will firstly be warned and reminded of the consequences of their actions.Repeat offenders will be referred to administration, their guardians will be contacted and the student will face disciplinary actions as outlined in the Student Handbook.Those students who persist will have the item in question confiscated and sequestered in addition to disciplinary actions.
- Guardians Are Not to attempt to contact their students via personal communication devices, as this is extremely disruptive to the learning process.Guardians are to contact their students via the Main Office, Attendance, Guidance or the Nurse.Additionally students who need to contact their guardians Will Be granted a pass to one of the four aforementioned offices.This policy has been enacted for the safety of the students as well as to preserve the integrity of the learning environment.
- Due to New York Safety Standards, students must come to class dressed appropriately.They will be entering a laboratory setting where they will be using glassware, heating apparatuses, chemicals, rocks, water (of variable temperatures), and various technical equipment.Additionally students will need appropriate footwear / outerwear, as there will be several occasions where the class lecture will be given outside on school grounds.
Homework Policy
Homework is a very important part of the learning process. Homework should NEVER be viewed as a punishment or a mechanism to fill downtime. Homework is strategically chosen to work in conjunction with course curriculum and N.Y. State Standards so as to provide our students with an opportunity for success academically and beyond Sachem High School East.
Homework WORKS!! Students who take the time to do their homework, who read their class notes, who ask questions will be able to participate in class discussions, feel more comfortable and confident when addressing Earth Science Principles, Ideas, and Assessments. Students who do their homework will achieve academic and personal success on tests, exams, quizzes, laboratory experiments and most importantly will be able to explore, question and discover the world around them.
- Homework Policy:
- Homework can be expected at least 3 times per week.
- Assignments are typically varied in the form of:
- Reading select textbook page(s) or outside articles.
- Working with vocabulary words.
- Answering word problems, working with N.Y.S. Regents based multiple choice / short answer / essay questions.
- Performing independent laboratory research in tandem with developing the proper scientific techniques of recording, representing and reporting data.
- Examining Mathematical calculations based on environmental interactions.
- Completing course projects and otherwise studying course material.
Homework Represents 10% of the Overall Quarterly Average!!!!!!
- Incomplete homework will be graded as such and will only receive partial credit.Missing or no homework turned in will receive a ZERO.
- Homework Due Dates are NOT a suggestion.Homework and Class assignments are due on the date set by your instructor.Late homework will be accepted; however, late assignments will be assessed a minimum 15% point deduction.Assignments not completed within 2 days from the initial due date WILL NOT be accepted and CAN NOT be made-up resulting in a permanent ZERO for said assignment(s).
- Students who are illegally absent from class will not receive any credit for the course work from said day(s), will not be permitted to makeup the work (including laboratory activities) and will be processed as per the district attendance policy.
- Students who are legally absent from class (music lessons, out sick, field trips, participating in assembles, etc.) are still responsible for all missing work and assessments.These students must speak with me upon returning to school to discuss the missing work in question as well as set a date for the missing work to be completed.Students who were legally absent from school and fail to complete missing work within the agreed upon time period, will receive a ZERO for said assignment(s).Additionally as per the district attendance policy missed class and failure to complete work from said missed class(es) will constitute an illegal absence thusly compromising the student’s potential to earn course credit.
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I have read the above document. I will ask for further clarification as to any section of this document that may seem ambiguous. I understand that I / my student is enrolled in a Regents Level High School Science Course. I understand that this course will be demanding and require additional time be spent reviewing and examining the provided curriculum outside of the classroom. It has been made abundantly clear that due dates and course assignments are nonnegotiable and for those who yearn for additional enrichment via extra help will be given and afforded every opportunity to be successful.
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Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature