Welcome to science with Mrs. Sauer! We are going to have a challenging and fun year. I am looking forward to getting to know each of you and learning with you.
The team discipline policy will apply in science, as well as additional safety rules when a lab is in progress. Please review the team discipline policy with your parents and sign it (electronically). (If you have trouble with the electronic option, you may print this page out and bring it to me signed, however this is not preferred.)
I do not assign homework every night. When I do, the homework is designed to do one of many things: I may want you to have basic background information before we delve more deeply into a subject, I may intend for homework to reinforce what we've done in class, or I may want you to reflect on a topic. Homework notes are an excellent tool for studying for the content portion of our tests. You can count on a homework quiz following all assigned textbook readings! You can use your written homework to take these quizzes, so it will be to your benefit to have the highest quality notes possible.
It is very important that you are organized and that you wisely schedule your time both in and out of class. When it is assigned, homework is posted on the white board and may also be on the projector screen. You are expected to copy it into your agenda IMMEDIATELY upon entering class without having to be reminded. This is standard protocol; I will begin teaching after the tardy bell so you should be finished writing down your homework by that time. If you are absent, please call a friend and get the homework assignment or notes or check the web site. The website information is primarily intended for those who are absent because it is expected that you record what is given in class each day.
It is my goal to keep you and your parents informed of your progress as often as possible. The school subscribes to InTouch, an Internet-based educational communication software application. If you do not have your InTouch log-in and password, please contact Mrs. Pinckney. In addition to posting your grades on InTouch, I also have a web site and e-mail. E-mail is the best way to contact me as I check it multiple times daily. In nearly all cases I will get back to you within 24 hours, but if there is going to be a delay greater than 24 hours in finding the answer to your question or concern, I will let you know. My e-mail address is jsauer@dorchester2.k12.sc.us. Through the InTouch software I will send out a mass e-mail when I enter new grades. If you'd like to be part of these mass e-mails, please be sure I have your e-mail addresses - both parent and student, please. This is also the way that I will send out messages unrelated to grades so if you are not part of this database, you may miss important information.
Your overall grade in science may be based on your performance in several areas: tests, projects, labs (hands-on and electronic), class work, quizzes, and homework. Each item will be given a maximum point value and your grade will be the number of those points you earned. The more significant the assignment, the greater the number of points it will be worth. For example, a test may be worth 35 points while a lab may be worth 15. To determine your overall grade, you simply divide the total number of points you earn by the total number of points you could have earned, or points possible. Of course, as previously stated, your grade will be on InTouch so you don't actually need to calculate the grade yourself. (Note: InTouch harvests information from teacher grade books around 5:00 a.m. each day so you may see a delay between what I e-mail you in the evening and what is present if you were to log in yourself. My e-mailed progress reports should always be considered the most current information.)
The major content topics covered in 8th grade are earth, physical, and space sciences; however, the biggest and most important part of my teaching is helping my young people learn to be thinkers, questioners and inquirers. The process of scientific inquiry is carried over into many aspects of life and empowers students to become logical problem-solvers and intuitive question-askers and answer-seekers. Because I place so much emphasis and importance on thinking, intellectual risk-taking, and justification of one's ideas, this class can be very challenging. While there are necessary times for the traditional, predictable approaches to instruction, this class environment and culture will be a bit different. Please realize that because you are in a gifted class, the bar for "average" has been raised to what would be average in a gifted population - this means that on a test, a score near 80% is performing at expectations for content for this group of young people. A score nearer to 90% and higher generally indicates performing beyond the content expectations, going further to demonstrate abstract thinking or application of the content in a novel situation. This is typically the most difficult adjustment to make. There will be growing pains for many, but you will heal - I promise! ;0)
I am looking forward to an outstanding year, and I am truly excited to be sharing it with each of you.
Mrs. S.
Please click here to get the instructions to "sign" this electronically. (No longer available; expired on 8/31/08 at midnight. If you missed this deadline, print, read, sign, and return.)