Mr. Kelby Benedict
488-6154
kbenedic@psdschools.org
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF ME IN THIS CLASS?
Most students find that Calculus is much more difficult than other math classes and requires much
more time and dedication than they are used to giving. Remember – even though you are sitting in a
desk at PHS, you are taking a college level subject!! You should plan to have a significant amount of
homework each night. And also, you will be expected to complete all work assigned, whether it is
designated AP, CSU, or PHS, regardless of the credit option you will choose for yourself since the
material is all “Calculus.”
WHAT IF I GET LOST?
The key to success without trauma is to keep up on a daily basis. If you don’t understand something,
PLEASE don’t wait until tomorrow to get help. You are welcome to get help during any of my
planning periods, which are 2nd, 4th, Lunch A, and 8th. If these times don’t work for you, we can
make an appointment before or after school. If you seek help promptly, it usually takes only a few
minutes to take care of the problem. I also encourage you to form study groups with your peers,
whether formal or informal. There are 3 sections of Calc AB this year and one of Calc BC, so check
around for people you know and work well with, and meet on your off-hours to work through
information together.
WHEN CAN I USE MY CELL PHONE/IPOD/MP3 PLAYER?
You will NOT be allowed to use cell phones or any other electronic device in class unless previously
approved by the teacher.
1. 1st offense – warning by teacher to put it away
2. 2nd offense – cell phone/device is confiscated by teacher until the end of the day.
3. 3rd offense – cell phone/device is given to the Dean. Your parent/guardian will be called and
must come and pick it up. Habitual offenders will be given ISS.
WHAT IF I AM ABSENT?
It is very important that you are in class everyday to make sure you achieve your academic goals. The
school attendance policy allows students two days for every day they are absent to make up work
missed. Please try to find out the assignment missed from a friend, email me, call my voice mail or
stop in my office as soon as possible to keep up with the daily work.
HOW AM I GRADED?
 Homework
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There will be homework every night.
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Homework is due the day after it is assigned.
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Late papers will not be accepted, unless it is the result of an excused absence.
Homework completion will be checked daily, but will not be collected until the day of the
Homework/Notebook Quiz. Homework/Notebook Quizzes will be given weekly. These quizzes
consist of four problems from the current units’ assignments and/or notes taken in class. You are
allowed to use your own notebook and homework during the quiz, so it is to your benefit to keep
it organized. The Homework/Notebook Quizzes make up the 30% homework grade in this
class.
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Tests and quizzes will be given on a regular basis and will be worth 50% of your grade
The final exam will be worth 20% of your grade
The grading scale will be based on the 10% scale of:
100-90% A
89-80% B
79-70% C
69-60% D
59--- F
**CSU grades are determined by the PHS 2nd semester grade. (Your PHS grade and CSU grade may
be different if you are PHS finals exempt. If you ARE REQUIRED to take PHS finals, then the PHS
and CSU grade will be the same.)
WHAT IS CALCULUS AND WHY STUDY IT?
For the past four years, since you took Integrated 1, you have been preparing yourself to take Calculus.
Even though ending your mathematics before taking Calculus leaves you with a fine preparation for
college and for many careers, Calculus opens the way for many of the “elite” careers in business,
science, and the many branches of mathematics.
The Calculus we study at PHS is what would be called “Engineering Calculus” at many colleges. If
you are also taking Physics, you will find that we study many of the same things in Calculus. Calculus
is really the study of modeling and change, and was developed originally to support the physics
developed by Newton. Since then it has come to have many varied applications that we also explore.
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR CREDIT?
1. You may choose to take only PHS credit. In this case the course will be like all others you have
taken. You will receive a letter grade based on class performance. The final exempt policy will
work for you in this class just as it does in other classes.
2. You may choose to obtain credit through CSU. This course (AB) follows the course outline of
the M160 course at CSU. Through an arrangement with the CSU Division of Educational
Outreach, you may obtain a total of 4 semester hours of credit for the year. This is based on
successful completion of each semester with a grade of C or better for the course and a passing
grade of a C or better on the CSU final at the end of the year. The cost for credit is approximately
$288 per course. Yes, this means that even if you are not required to take finals by PHS policies,
you still must take the final for this class!! Be sure to check with the colleges you are interested in
to see if they accept CSU transfer credit earned while in high school.
3. You may choose to obtain college credit for the course by taking the A.P. Exam.
This is an AP course and we will cover all the objectives necessary for you to take the AB
advanced placement exam. The cost of the exam is approximately $85. One of the problems with
this option is that you pay even though you may not score high enough to receive credit. Also,
even though nearly all colleges recognize the AP program, the way they handle the credit varies
widely and is confusing.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great year!
Mr. Kelby Benedict
(970) 488-6154
kbenedic@psdschools.org
I, ___________________________, have read and agree to the expectations of me in this class. I have
also talked through the expectations and options for credit with my parents/guardians.
___________________________
Student Signature
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Date