Dear Parents/Guardians and students,
Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year. This year we’ll be exploring many new ways to discover, learn and comprehend. During that first day students will get a brief overview of their class, my expectations and rules, plus an opportunity to meet fellow students and to “get-to-know” me. Let’s be up front, all classes no matter what their level are taught science. I do not see Advanced or Regular, I only see my science students. With that said, my class can be demanding and seem strict, yet I am here to assure you now that it is fair
across the board, rigorous, and rewarding. Let me just remind you it is rigorous, so please be expecting work and effort into everything related to science.
I think it’s important that you have an idea of my educational philosophy before this school year begins.
First, I believe each student is an individual with a preference to certain learning styles. Not only will we discover each student’s individual learning style, I believe it’s imperative to explore and learn other styles of learning for all children. One trick may work, but then there may be a time when it does not.
Second, I believe each student’s background is unique and personal. My classroom should foster not only an appreciation for our multi-cultural population, but it should also respect and highlight each family’s cultures, beliefs, and history. Each class is its own family. Each class will rely on each other, grow with each other, succeed and encourage each other, and learn together. To ensure this, bullying and name calling will not be tolerated.
Finally, I believe my class is a unique community and very much a second family for our students. I invite you, as your child’s first and most important teacher to become a recognized and frequent visitor at our school. Together, we can make every student a life long learner. Please contact 24 hours prior to and if you wish to visit so that we may schedule it accordingly.
For all that do not know me, my name is Trevor Jones and I will be teaching your student in Science. Enclosed you will find the syllabus and expectations I have for class. Read, relax and enjoy. I look forward to working with all of you this year!
As a side note the best way to get in touch with me is via E-mail which I answer (except on weekends and holidays…I’m usually wildlife warrioring) within 24-48 hours. If E-mail is not your thing, please write me a note in your child’s planner which I can then address and reply. Please don’t call my School voicemail, I’ll be honest I don’t use it, know its password, or even look at it. So just know Phone Calls and Voicemail messages are not the way to reach me.
Sincerely,
Trevor Jones
8th grade IPS teacher
Progress Village Magnet Middle School
trevor.jones@sdhc.k12.fl.us (see here it is. Notice no phone number)
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PROCEDURES
CLASS PARTICIPATION:
This is encouraged and expected. I need to make sure everyone is able to participate and understand the material, so your contribution is expected. Also note that everyone’s opinion is valuable, and every question is essential. Please make sure you raise your hand to ask or answer any question.
WORK CHARACTERISTICS:
Please note that all work will be completed in pencil. No other colors will be accepted. We are dealing with information that may change or be added to, and pen doesn’t erase very nicely. Also with any notebook paper, none should be ripped from your interactive notebook…yet you can extend the page.
TARDY:
Make sure you are in your seat working on Bell Work. If you happen to arrive after the bell rings, hand me your hall pass and quietly take your seat.
IF YOU ARE NOT IN YOUR SEAT WHEN THE BELL RINGS...YOU ARE LATE!
Seating Arrangements
You have assigned seats. You will raise your hand to leave your seat for anything. You are NOT allowed just to stand up and leave your seat without permission.
Classroom Grading scale
Test/Quiz 35%
Lab Write Up 30%
Classwork 35%
Projects are always worth 2 test grades unless posted differently on the project.
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Lab Write Up Policy
A Lab Write Up is handed out with each lab. Before you walk in the door for your lab, you must have you labwork journal out to show to Mr. Jones at the door. If the Lab Write Up is not to the standard specified, you will sit out of the lab and correct your Lab Write Up before beginning the lab. If one person in the lab group does not have it done, the entire group sits out until all lab write ups meet standards. If you take all period, then you must arrange with Mr. Jones to come after school with your lab group to complete the lab.
Test Policy
During a test you will have a blank cover sheet, pencil, and something academic for science to do after the test. This does not mean working on other classwork or homework. If any other classwork/homework is seen being finished during class, I will confiscate it and turned in to that teacher with notification that this work was being worked on instead of my work. TALKING IS NOT PERMITTED AND WILL RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC ZERO.
Missed Work-Only for Absence
It is your responsibility to get your make-up work from either me or a classmate after you have been absent and only then. You then have 2-3 days to get this make-up work from me if the absence is excused (we then come together on the due date), or it is considered not done and there after considered a zero. If the absence is unexcused, county policy states “a student who receives and unexcused absence shall receive a grade of a zero for tests and/or graded work missed.” This information is found on Pg. 26a Student Handbook 2008-2009.
Missed Test
If the test is announced before you miss the class, at least two days in advance to the test, you are responsible for making that test up when you return. If you are absent for more than three, you have three days until you have to take the test.
Late assignments
MR. JONES DOES NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK!
PLAGIARISIM
“Examples of Plagiarism and Cheating: a student who participates in using, copying, or providing another student with any test answers, answer keys or another person’s work representing it to be his or her own work (plagiarism). Use of a cell phone during a test or quiz is considered cheating. Consequences of plagiarism and cheating include: phone call to the parent; a zero for the assignment; up to ten days in-school or out-of-school suspension; any work cheated on will not be allowed to be made up.” This information is found on Pg. 11a Student Handbook 2008-2009.To whom it may concern:
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Hi! My name is Mr. Trevor Jones and I would like you to know that the success of each child is my number one priority. To ensure an open communication between each child’s parents/guardians, please take a moment to review my procedures, rules and grading system, and then please fill out this form I have provided so that I may be able to stay in contact with each individual child. (Please fill it out legibly please as this will be our main contact with each other.)
STUDENT’S NAME: _____________________________
Parent/guardian information:
NAME(S):
_______________________________________________________________
BEST WAY TO REACH YOU:
_______________________________________________________________________
PHONE NUMBER(S) INCASE OF EMERGENCY:
________________________________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS:
________________________________________________________________________
WOULD YOU LIKE CLASS UPDATES EMAILED?
q YES
q NO
SIGNATURE(S) OF GUARDIAN/PARENT:
Thank you for your time and I look forward to working with you and your student this year. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email me. I look forward to being in contact with you (mainly through e-mail and website updates). Please if there is a concern about anything, come to me first and we will work the concern out together.
Sincerely,
Trevor “Trev” Jones
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