Course Syllabus
Physical Science
Middle Creek High School
Andrew McQuiston, Room 3200
Email: amcquiston@wcpss.net
Website: http://wcpss.instructure.com
Tutoring Sessions: Before school Mon-Thurs or after school Mon- Friday.
Physical science is a semester-long course that investigates the topics of physics and chemistry. Throughout the course students will study topics including the structure of atoms, properties of matter, forces and motion and energy, electricity and magnetism.
Classroom Etiquette:
- Please enter class quietly and begin working on assignments promptly.
- Please do not have private conversations during class time.
- Please respect yourself, your classmates, school property, and the teacher.
- Please do not distract your classmates from learning.
Materials to bring EVERYDAY:
Notebook or Binder
Simple Calculator
Colored Pencils/Highlighter
Headphones
Pen/Pencil
Classroom Policies:
- When the bell rings you should be ready for class and have all your required materials, class time will not be given to go retrieve materials for class. All electronic devices are expected to be charged and should not be plugged in during class.
- Your work in Physical Science comes first in class! All assignments given on that day will be completed first, in a timely manner.
- Lab packets will be returned into the TURN IN bin when labs and class work are completed. Any packet with NO NAME will be posted on the board.
4.) I will follow the MCHS policy for BYOD. Please adhere to the Green or Red poster for electronic devices. On a RED day, all cell phones need to be placed out of sight. On a GREEN day, all cell phones will be placed in your book bag and out of sight.
5.) Safety during labs is very important. If you are not adhering to safety procedures you will be removed from lab activities and receive an alternative assignment with a maximum grade of 70%.
6.) A digital textbook will be used this semester for supplication. The link will be available on the class website. There is a class set of textbooks in the classroom as well.
7.) There is absolutely no food allowed in the science classroom. It must be put away or thrown away before class starts. Drinks must have a top that can be closed and stored in your backpack.
8.) I will follow the MCHS policy (MCHS handbook page 15) for Academic Integrity and Cheating. Wake County Board Policy states, “cheating includes giving or receiving any unauthorized assistance on academic work. Plagiarism includes copying the language, structure, or idea of another and representing it as one’s own work.”
9.) I can only respond to emails that are sent using a WCPSS email account. Please include your first and last name in your email.
10.) Homework will be assigned through Canvas. All homework assignments are due on the day of the test.
What to do when you are absent?
- You are responsible for completing all missed work. Homework and notes will be available through Canvas.
- If you are absent for a LAB you must complete that lab before or after school by the end of the following unit. For example, if you miss a lab in unit 3, you may come to complete it at any time before the unit 4 test.
3.) Late work policy: If an assignment is not turned in when called for it is LATE.
- All late work may be turned in for up to 75% credit until the retest date (two weeks from original test date).
- Days of excused absences = days to make up assignment after that time the worksheet is late.
- Unexcused absence= work is counted late.
- Tests and quizzes must be made up two weeks from test date or it is subject to a late penalty.
4.) I do not allow class time to complete make-up work or missed tests or quizzes. Please schedule a time with me to complete your assignments.
What if I don’t do well on a test?
- A test retake can be completed within two weeks if a remediation session and test corrections have been completed. If ONLY the test corrections are completed you will receive 10 extra points on your test up to an 80. Test corrections can be done on every test.
- The first retest score will replace the original test score. All other following retests will average together and replace the original test score (policy resets each quarter).
Grading Policy:
Tests/ STEM PROJECT: 35%
Quizzes: 30%
Labs/ Small projects: 25%
Class work/ Homework: 10%
The first quarter, second quarter and North Carolina Final Exam all count towards the final grade in the course. No seniors may be exempt from the final!
Please detach this page and return to me. The previous page is for you to keep as a reference.
This paper needs to be signed by the student and the parent/guardian to acknowledge the material has been read and understood. Please return this assignment by _____________________________.
_____________________________________ _____________________________________
Student-printed Parent/guardian-printed
_____________________________________ _____________________________________
Student-signature Parent/guardian-signature
For Parents:
One of my goals this semester is to increase parent communication. That means that I would like to be proactive in letting parents/guardians know when their student’s grade is dropping or if they’re acting out. I would also like to let parents/guardians know when students have been making a good effort in class and encouraging and supporting others. I have found in the past that I am more likely to communicate with parents if I have a good email address for them. Emails are easiest because I can send them at any point during the day. If you do not have access to email I will try to call you instead.
Mother/Guardian Email: ______________________________________________________
Father/Guardian Email: _______________________________________________________
Please check all that apply:
□ I would like to receive an email if my child’s grade drops to a D
□ I would like weekly emails if my child’s grade is at an F (this is in addition to monthly
Academic Recovery Plan updates)
□ I would like to receive an email if my child:_______________________________________________
Mother/Guardian Name and Phone #: __________________________________________________________
Father/Guardian Name and Phone #: __________________________________________________________
Please answer these questions about your student:
Does your student wear contacts? _________________________
Does your student have a cell phone? ______________________
Does your student have any allergies? If so, what are they allergic to? ______________________________
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|