6 - Earth Science - Parent/Student Information

Welcome to 6th Grade!!! My name is Sallie Boyles and I am so very excited to be teaching your son/daughter this year. This is my 11th year at St. Peter's and along with Earth Science I will be teaching Physical Education. I hold a BS Degree in Education from Armstrong as well as a M.Ed. Degree in Counseling from Clemson University. I am very enthusiastic about science and try to be very positive in working with the students.

I have several goals for the students this year. First of all I am committed to teaching the students study strategies. As students move to middle school my second goal is to get them ready to be successful high school students. Finally, it is my hope that every student will leave school at the end of the year with a love of science.

I am very specific about my expectations and will outline each one in this letter. I would like to have every parent and student sign a copy and keep a copy. I will refer to this often throughout the year. My rules are very straightforward so if you have any questions as to specifics please contact me during school hours at 897-5224 and I will get back in touch with you.

Book:
The textbook we will be using is Earth Science published in 2007 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. I am very pleased with this book as it addresses very specifically both the national and state science standards.

Grading:
I divide the work up into 4 categories: Tests, Homework/Classwork, Labs, and Projects
Tests count 30%
Homework/Classwork count 30%
Labs count 30%
Projects count 10%

Homework:
I do give homework both during the week AND during the weekend. If I give homework it is a supplement to work we do during class. Every time I give homework it is graded and recorded. Homework can easily bring low test grades up and if a student does homework every time it is assigned it can raise their quarterly grade. By the same token, it can also lower their grade if the homework is not done. Extracurricular activities are not an excuse to skip homework. IF a student does not have their homework they will receive a grade of zero. I do not accept late homework except in the case of absence.

Tests/Answer Keys:
Tests generally will be given at the end of every chapter. The students will have knowledge of the tests orally and written on their homework board. It is up to each student to write this information in their planner. Answer keys are generally used to write on rather than the test itself. Students are given back tests/answer keys and correct answers are discussed in class.

Labs:
Every unit will have at least one lab. Students will be divided into lab groups. Each group will work on a lab together and submit a lab report at the end of that class. Full safety precautions are taken during labs but if your child has any allergies let me know.

Projects:
I will assign a long term project of at least 2 weeks for the students each quarter. The projects choices will be written up and students will get to choose a project that is in line with their interests. A rubric will be used to grade projects.

For example some project choices may be: a)build a model of the ocean floor, b)design a brochure that informs people about whale killing, c)design a PowerPoint presentation on extinct or active volcanoes, d)write a report using 3 sources on a scientist, e)design a board game or card game about life you would find on the ocean floor, or f)design a triptych about the long term effects of pollution in our waterways.

The student would then decide which project THEY would like to do and it would be turned in at a pre-determined date. Projects may always be turned in early (absence rule would apply for absentees).

Signed Papers:
Students work will be sent home in the homeroom test folder on Tuesday. All tests, homework/classwork, labs, and projects will be signed.  Students will keep all work for each quarter in their science notebook which will be given a grade at the end of the quarter.

Absences/Tardies/Leaving Early:
As stated in the handbook, if a child is absent they will have one day for each day that they are absent to turn in missed work and homework. So in the event that a student is out for 5 days all of the work they missed would have to be turned in by the end of the 5th day back. Additionally, any test they missed would have to be made up in that time period.

**If a student comes to school late or leaves early THEY are responsible for finding out any work they might be missing.**

Cheating/Plagiarism:
In Middle School all classwork, homework, tests, and projects are to be the work of the student alone. It is not in the best interest of a student for anyone else to "help" with their assignments. Rubrics will include points for students work. If a student is caught looking on the paper of another during a test or other situation they will be given a grade of zero. Any writing assignment must be written in the words of a 6th grade student. Any design assignment must be done by the student.

Demerits:

Demerits are given by individual teachers for certain "behaviors."  I do not give demerits for academic performance (or lack thereof).  Some examples of behaviors that I would give demerits for would include:  profanity, aggressive behavior, repeating behaviors after being told that the behaviors were inappropriate, cheating during class OR outside of class, and rude or offensive behavior toward me or other students that would not reflect our Catholic School values.

Science Fair Preparation:
All 7th grade students at St. Peter's are required to participate in Science Fair. During the latter part of the school year we will begin our preparation. We will begin by having a field trip to the Bull Street Library. All students will need to have their own library card for this so please get one soon. We will be choosing a topic, getting books, writing notecards, writing a bibliography, a rough draft, and a final draft this year. All materials will be kept at school over the summer. If students want to begin to think of a topic let them know it must be able to be tested. Projects always are in the form of a question that we would like to experiment to discover. This is loads of fun!

Looking forward to a wonderful and productive school year!