Each week,this page will be organized into the following sections : (1)Summary of previous week, (2)Current requirements (including homework), (3)upcoming projects , (4)Supernovas Team announcements,(5)recurring requirements, and (6)General comments/class overview.[Since I am also the Supernovas Team Leader, I will use this section to keep you informed of important team/school events and activities]The focus for students should be on sections 2 and 3. Many of the items in section 5 and 6 will not change for the entire year. The information is provided for your information and is made available for you to access at anytime.
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(15 - 19 Mar 10)   (1) Summary/Highlights of last week: **   Ch. 6 textbook work was assigned (due Tuesday, Mar 23rd) ** ** Make up test was given  (Students used the study guide to prepare for both the Quick Drill and the Test last week and was also allowed to use the study guide during the test itself)  **  Checked Planning sheet for the mini-project ( students were required to return the completed form on Monday along with the 6 question/answer sets, and pictures/drawings)  ** Continued to collect extra credit (extended until March 17th) ** Students were allowed to work on the project in class on Tuesday and Wednesday (students completed work on it at home)  ** Students were able to turn in Electro-boards on Wednesday for a early turn in bonus (over 70 students turned theirs in on Wednesday - Outstanding!!!  ** As of Friday only three students had not turned in projects and one of them had been absent on Thursday and Friday (only the other two will end up with a penalty - 10 points off per day)  ** I gave out "Tentative 3rd Quarter Grades" at the end of last week just to give students a feel for where they stood. I will be double checking grades over the next few days. (Grades will be "locked in" on Wednesday when report cards are printed and then forwarded to our Principal to look over.)  ** Report cards will be sent home on Friday when we Track out.  ** My homeroom won an ice cream party for the amount of food collected for a local homeless shelter.  ** Eight students on our team were recognized as part of the Character Education celebration held last week.

(2) Current requirements (including homework):

( 22 - 26  Mar 10) This week's highlights:  ** Go over this week's schedule  and this week's highlights   **  Textbook work for Ch.6 will be checked this week (Students have been working on this during Flex time in class as well as at home utilizing the internet  version of the textbook (some students have also been showing up during my lunchtime study session) ** Modified schedule this week (Wednesday - 1 hour early release ** Pep Rally on Wednesday during 6th period  ** There will be a mini-review for the Blue Diamond Test (Test given either Tuesday or Wednesday of this week depending on the period - students can once again earn homework passes for outstanding performances on the Blue Diamond test)  ** No Quiz this week  ** Late mini-projects (Electro-Board) will be collected on Monday [Note: Students were aware that it was due last Thursday and that there would be a 10 point penalty for each day it is late. Note: Of course there is no penalty for excused absences from school and weekends also do not accrue penalty points.]  ** Video notes: The Eye  ** Complete two different contests that started earlier in the year  ** Give out final numerical science grades on Thursday  ** Video - The future of Medicine  ** Team end of the Quarter Celebration on Friday  ** Report cards sent home on Friday  ** The Team Tracks out on Friday (Return on Monday, April 26th)  **** [Note: Early announcement of 4th quarter Extra Credit opportunity #1 on Monday. Students should copy instructions into their agenda. This will allow students to work on it during the Track out period. It will be due the day after students return (Tuesday, Apr 27th). There will not be an extension except for excused ansences. There will of course be additional Extra Credit opportunities as in the past. Food for the Food bank will continue to be collected during the 4th quarter.]

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***Monday: Homework: ** Turn in late Electro-Boards  ** Ch. 6 textbook work is due tomorrow

**Tuesday: Homework: **  Surprise! - Unannounced bonus points awarded to students that turned in Textbook work today., Students will be given regular points for turning in work on Wednesday (an extra day - zeroes after Wed.)

*** Wednesday: Homework:  ** Students will clean out lockers  on Wednesday and will turn in locks on Thursday. Lockers will not be used on Friday.

***Thursday: Homework: ** Do not bring back packs / book bags to school on Friday and items students are not allowed to have at school (electronic games, etc.)  ** Students will bring paper, pencils/pens, any assignments owed to teachers, lunch boxes/lunch money and nothing else.

***Friday: Homework: **  Have a fun and safe four weeks of Track out!  ** We will be tracking back in on April 26th  ** Return signed report card envelopes and any completed optional Extra Credit assignments (Mini-report or cans of food for the food bank)

***** All students should come to class prepared everyday! Always be ready for notebook / class prep checks.


This schedule is subject to change based on the quantity of material covered in class, weather closings/ delays, conflicts created by other school/ school system requirements, or other unforeseen circumstances.

(3) Projects:

*** 3rd Quarter mini-project:    Mini-project this quarter has already been completed (except a few late ones). This was a Human Body Systems "Electro-Board. It was due last Thursday (Wed. for early turn-in bonus points).

(4) Announcements (Including Supernovas/LRMS):

*** Items of interest/deadlines:

** Mar 17        Early turn in bonus if Electro-board turned in today

** Mar 18        Electro-board is due date for regular credit (after today there is a 10 point penalty for each day it is late).

** Mar 26        End of 3rd quarter - Team Celebration - Report cards sent home [Also Track out day and Spring vacation]

** Apr 26        Track back in - Welcome back for the last quarter. Return signed report card envelopes by Wednesday.

** Apr 27        Turn in day for Extra Credit Opportunity #1 (mini-report on a famous Physicist of the student's choice completed

                      during track out period - must follow correct format (on board this week - students have all week to copy it).

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** Welcome to the Supernovas team. The team consists of very experienced teachers. Carol Brown (Language Arts), Margie Farmer (Math), Maxine Wilson (Social Studies), and David Rutten (Current Supernovas team leader and the school's Students of the Quarter Coordinator - Science). All of us have taught together in various combinations over the years on several teams here at Leesville. ** We certainly enjoyed meeting some of the parents and students that showed up for the new students walk-through on July 2nd. We look forward to seeing the rest of you during our Track 4 open house in August.

HR>

(5) Recurring requirements:


**Quizzes/tests:Some form of major evaluation (quizzes/tests)will be conducted nearly every week.[Note: approx. Seven out of every nine weeks each quarter] You can normally expect them to be given on Fridays. Make-ups are given on Mondays and Tuesdays. Graded quizzes/tests are returned on Wednesdays or Thursdays (after make ups have been given). All tests must be taken home by students and have them signed by parents and returned to school. Although we would expect all students to share all quiz grades with their parents/guardians, I require that all quizzes with failing grades (less than 70%) must be signed and returned. Quick Drills occasionally are like "mini-pop quizzes" but most often are pre-tests. They are given one or more times a week. They are given for many reasons: encourage early studying for evaluations, determine weaknesses early, allow self-assessments by students to allow them to focus on specific areas prior to quizzes/tests, and allow an increased number of mini-evaluations throughout the quarter to reduce the number of high percentage,high-stakes evaluations. Although they can be "pop" in nature, they can always expect one the day before a quiz or test. The others can come at any time.


** Homework:

We encourage parent support of your child's home work progress; however, we continue to stress the importance of individual responsibility and independent work skills. Each student has received his own assignment notebook (agenda) and we expect all students to record accurate and detailed information about their assignments. We are already initialing a number of student agendas so parents can confirm assignments. These were initiated by parents that have instructed their child to come up to us and get our initials. We acknowledge their initiative to start this process early because they know it works if there is a system of incentives established at home that encourages this process.It is the student's responsibility to approach the teacher to get his/her initials. The agenda can also be used to exchange notes between school and the home.Homework is expected to be in the classroom at the bell. Most "Textbook work" requirements are placed on the board one to one and a half weeks at a time. However, these are normally just checked at the end of the 1 - 1 1/2 week for a single grade. Although this reduces the likelihood of homework everyday, all students are encouraged to keep pace by following the "date assigned" column that appears on the board. The due date will always appear in the homework box on the board in class at least 24-hours before the actual due date. Students that keep pace will never have a problem with the due date. Students that wait until the last minute will of course be in the panic mode the day before it is due. This year I have included "Student Flex Time that will allow students to reduce the amount of homework they have by giving them the opportunity to catch up or get ahead on classroom/homework requirements. Students that use this time effectively will greatly reduce homework time.



** Extra credit/Bonus points/etc.:

There are many opportunities for students to help improve their grades. At least two extra credit opportunities are provided each quarter to earn "Extra credit." Most involve a writing assignment of some sort;however, a few can be a simple matter of bringing something in that can help someone (donations to the food bank etc.) Extra credit is worth 100 "homework points". It can be used to replace "zeroes" or even to help raise a homework average to make-up for a poor quiz/test grade. This can be used for a "rainy day" or like an insurance policy. A student with a 100 homework average can end up with a homework average over 100 that can make up for any other "problem area(s)." I do not offer any "special request" extra credit chances. No extra credit can be requested just because a student did poorly on a quiz for example. All students must turn in the extra credit by the due date or wait until the next extra credit assignment is assigned. I also offer many bonus point opportunities on quizzes/ tests/ projects. These must be earned. Bonus points are normally awarded for something other than academic reasons. The focus for these points are to encourage positive character traits: turning in signed quizzes or interims on time, coming to class with the required/ instructed item(s), no tardies, low number "discipline points", extra effort, early turn-ins of projects, willing to accept challenges,etc. By paying attention and making an extra effort, students can help themselves.



Notebook/class preparation check:

Periodically there will be unannounced notebook/class prep checks. All students will be required to produce a variety of items that I expect them to have. These items can include notes, worksheets, lab reports, study cards, textbook work, study guides, other handouts, and required supplies,etc. I will schedule occasional notebook clean-out sessions. Until then, students are required to maintain all required items in their binder. The following items do not have to be maintained in the binder; however, I would recommend that you set up a file at home to maintain these: quizzes, tests, project notes, drafts, and other items that may be identified. The at home file is up to you however, they will not be maintained in the binder at school due to space limitations.

(6) General comments/class overview:

**A form that provided an overview of my class (major topics, grades, homework, etc)will be sent home during the first week of school. All students will be required to show the form to their parents, get it signed , return it to school, and then to keep it in their binder (as the first page of the science section). Some of the forms may not signed when checked during the first notebook check. Please ask your child for this so you can read and sign it prior to the second check.



**To meet state of North Carolina Curriculum requirements, we will be using four primary textbooks. Students will not be issued individual textbooks. Students will be using part of a classroom set during class activities. Students will be given access to an on-line version of our textbooks. Instructions will be sent home in the near future. Most students will be provided sufficient time to complete all assigned work that requires a textbook (during "Student Flex time". If necessary, students that do not have access to a computer will be allowed to check out books for a single evening at the end of the day. They will be required to return the textbook during homeroom the next day to ensure that sufficient copies of the book are available for all periods. Most students and parent liked this situation because of the large size of most new school textbooks and the extreme weight of taking multiple books home. We once again stress individual responsibility. If the students are responsible (plan, organize, make a serious effort) then the book issue has never been and will never be an issue.

**Discipline system: The team utilizes a team concept of discipline that is consistent with Wake County and LRMS policy. It ensures a consistent team policy and also encourages individual responsibility and self monitoring.  All students will go over the system, school, and team policies and procedures during the first week of school. All students took home forms and booklets to parents that outlined / highlighted these policies. Both student and parents were required to sign various pages. Please look over the school's policy in the student agenda / student handbook. The team policy allows for an intermediate team level consequence for student behavior (for many less serious infractions)rather than going directly to a school administrator. Serious infractions will receive a more rapid response by administrators.