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 (due to me signed by Thursday, August 18), as well as additional safety rules when a lab is in progress. Please review the district's lab safety rules and contract; print, sign, and return page one, the contract signature page, by Thursday, August 25. (The student agenda has a copy of the contract page, as well. You can use that one instead of printing it out.)
I do not assign written 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. I DO expect you to spend five to seven minutes every night reviewing recent content even if nothing written has been assigned. Reviewing IS homework!
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 (near the computers) 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. Being absent is not an acceptable excuse for turning in work late because due dates are usually published well in advance. You are expected to be prepared for class upon your return. (Serious and/or long-term illnesses, are of course, an exception.)
It is my goal to keep you and your parents informed of your progress as often as possible. Please regularly visit your ParentPortal/PowerSchool acccount! I 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 one business day, but if there is going to be a delay greater than that in finding the answer to your question or concern, I will try to let you know. My e-mail address is jsauer@dorchester2.k12.sc.us. Mass e-mails will be used to notify you when I enter new grades and for important messages unrelated to grades such as field trip or standardized testing information. 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. This is strongly encouraged! Because these are usually reminders or summaries of what you can find on my website, you are still responsible for knowing the information that I share in these mass emails, even if you chose not to subscribe.
Your overall grade in science will 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 simply 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 ParentPortal/PowerSchool so you won't actually need to calculate the grade yourself.
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 gifted 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.
PS - Don't forget to read through my FAQ page, too.
Please click here to get the instructions to "sign" this electronically. (Expires on 8/25/11 at midnight. If you miss this deadline, print, read, sign, and return this page.)