BIOLOGY
COURSE INFORMATION
Mrs. Misty Yarotsky
(281) 245-2232
myarotsky@alvinisd.net (preferred method of communication)
Parent-teacher conferences may be scheduled by appointment during 1st period or by appointment before or after
school Monday – Friday.
Welcome to biology, the study of life! It’s going to be a fabulous year as we walk through the science of life, from the
cell to the biosphere!
Course Overview: Biology is the study of living organisms, their origins, how they survive, reproduce, change over
time, and interact with each other and their environments. The primary objective of the course is to provide students
with a fundamental understanding of modern biology and scientific processes. Please keep this sheet as a resource
so that you can refer back to it when you have questions.
Students enrolled in 9th grade in this course are required to take and score a minimum grade on the STARR
Biology End Of Course (EOC) assessment as part of their graduation requirement.
I.
Classroom policies
Classroom rules:
1. Follow directions.
2. Be respectful to yourself, others, and belongings of others
3. No eating or drinking in class (water allowed)
Laboratory rules:
1. All laboratory procedures and safety guidelines will be followed at all times in addition to the classroom rules.
Individual Corrective Action:
1. Student-teacher conference
2. Parent contact
3. Parent contact & 30 min after school teacher detention
4. Office referral
II. Materials & Supplies needed
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4 1-subject Spiral notebooks (2 notebooks will not be used until the 2nd semester)
Pencils & erasers as needed
Pens (blue or black) as needed
1 box tissues
1 roll of paper towels
2 glue sticks
12 ct colored pencils
8/10 colored markers
Loose leaf notebook paper as needed
III. AISD Grading policies
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Please refer to the Grading Guidelines section of the student handbook for more detailed information about grading
policies.
Biology is a 1 year, 1 credit course. The semester grade is an average of the two 9-week grades and the semester
exam. The two semester grades will be averaged at the end of the year for the course grade.
Each nine week grade is computed based on the following:
Grade percentages:
Tests:
40%
Labs:
40%
Daily work: 20%
Tests: There will be two to three major tests per nine weeks. Calculators may be used for tests when mathematical
computations are necessary. Calculators may not be shared or borrowed during tests. Sharing will result in a grade of zero.
Re-teaching and retesting will be offered if 25% or more of the students in a period do not score at least 70% on a test or
assessment.
Labs: Lab grades are based on participation during the lab, adherence to safety regulations, lab cleanliness, and the written
report. The only information that may be shared or copied for lab reports is DATA. A lab safety contract will be sent home and
filled out by the student and parent/guardian. The lab safety contract is required for participation in all labs.
Lab Reports: Lab reports are to be professional quality, typed or hand written, and in the format provided by the
instructor. They are due the beginning of class usually within one week after the lab is completed. Approximately 4 labs
will be formally written. Other labs and investigations may only have data, conclusions, and analyses. Guidelines for the
formal lab reports, including a grading rubric, will be given prior to the first formal lab report.
Projects: Projects will be assigned that will require work in class and at home. Some projects will be individual assignments
and others will be group work. Projects will either count as a test or lab grade.
Quizzes: There will be quizzes, announced and unannounced. Prepare yourself by doing your homework and paying attention
in class and during lab exercises.
Homework: Expect homework.  It will be assigned regularly. It will be graded, sometimes for accuracy and sometimes as a
completion grade.
Late work: The table below reflects the maximum percentage of the possible grade a student is to receive for late
assignments.
One day late
80%
Two days late
60%
Three days late
no credit
Make-up work: You should avoid absences on test days and lab days. If you are absent for a test or lab, it is your
responsibility to make up the work at the next available time before or after school. Failure to do so will result in a grade of zero
for that assignment. If you need extra time for completion of make up work, please speak to me and make arrangements for
an extension prior to the due date for your assignment.
IV. Tutoring: I am available for tutoring during the following hours.
Monday
2:55 pm – 3:25 pm
Tuesday
2:55 pm – 3:25 pm
Wednesday
6:50 am – 7:20 am
Other tutoring times may be made by appointment only. A tutorial schedule for the Science department will be posted in each
science classroom and on the MHS Science website. I encourage all students to take advantage of tutoring but especially if
they are having difficulty in class.
V. Tardiness: Tardy means not in the classroom when the bell rings. Tardy includes: right outside the doorway, running down
the hallway, etc. You must be in prepared for class and ready to work when the bell rings.
VI. Absences In the case of planned absences due to school business, trips, functions, etc., arrangements for assignments
should be made prior to the function. It is the responsibility of the student to make up all work missed due to absences. The
number of days allowed for makeup work will equal the number of days absent.
How do I find out what happened in class while I was absent?
It is your responsibility to ask for your make-up work. Please remember to get homework/make up work turned in on time after
an absence. If you know you will be absent for an extracurricular activity, it is best to ask for your make-up work prior to being
absent.
VII. Cheating: Sharing answers during assessments (tests, quizzes, lab reports, projects, etc) is strictly forbidden. Talking in
general during quizzes and tests is also forbidden. Anyone caught doing either will be awarded a grade of zero for the
assignment and an office referral.
VIII. BYOD: This year we are introducing BYOD or Bring Your Own Device (technology). I am excited about how this will change
our learning and classroom environment. My goal is to implement Technology Thursdays…students will be allowed to use own
devices on Thursdays. Any other time will be teacher discretion. Students will be expected to have devices put away
unless the lesson permits it.