Foundations of Biology
Clayton High School 2014-2015
Miss Hannah Niehoff
hannahniehoff@claytonschools.net
(314) 854-6074
Educational Philosophy
Education is power! A good education will open doors and lead you to a successful
future. It is not my job to make you learn but your own drive and determination
that will lead to the end result. It is my job to introduce you to new topics, make you
think, answer questions, guide you, and push you mentally. I promise to provide as
much support as needed to help you meet your end goal. However, it is your
responsibility to ask for help when needed and be reasonable when asking for
favors. In order for all students to succeed, policies must be followed. These
policies include:
1. Mutual Respect—Respect must be given to each person in the classroom,
this includes the person themselves, their property, their ideas, and their
learning.
2. Being on time to class – you should be in your seats with all needed
supplies when the final bell rings.
3. Being prepared – bring all supplies and assignments to class
4. Being a good listener—listening to safety instructions, lectures, and other
students is important in the learning process
5. Having a positive attitude
These things must be met to make this year a positive one for all students. If these
policies are disregarded, disciplinary action will be taken. School disciplinary policy
will be followed in addition to my classroom expectations.
About the Course
The Main Focus:
What is the nature of living things?
How do living things interact?
General Biology is an introduction to the study of life. Throughout the year students
will be learning about biochemistry, cells and their processes, genetics, ecology, and
evolution. This course is a lab course, which means we will meet one period on A
days and a period and a half on B days.
Grading
You are responsible for YOUR grade! If you have questions about the way
something was graded, you need to speak with me before or after class in a
respectable manner.
Grades in this course are weighted, meaning not all grades are equal. Each
assignment will fall into one of the three categories:
1. Assessments (tests, quizzes, performance events) will account for
50% of your grade. These events are given to assess what you have
learned.
2. Lab reports will account for 30% of your grade. Understanding how
to collect and analyze data is a vital task for all scientists and is
therefore important in the science classroom. Participation in the lab
will be part f
3. Homework will account for 20% of your grade.
Late work Policy: For each day a lab report is late you will lose 10% of the reports
total value. Late homework will also receive a deduction in the score. All late
assignments must be turned in by the conclusion of the unit. Assignments will NOT
be accepted after the unit is complete.
Additional Communication
Please contact me through email if you have questions throughout the year. If a
phone call is needed, please email your phone number and a good time to contact
you.
Test/Cell phone/ Tardy Policy
Unit tests will be given at the end of each unit. Students who do not perform as they
had wished will have an opportunity to re-take the test but must meet the following
criteria:
 Less than 3 tardies and cell phone usage warnings during the unit
 All assignments from the unit must be turned in and completed
 A time must be set up between the teacher and student to review the
unit
 The student will have 1 week after the test has been handed back to
re-take the test
 The student can only re-take each test one time
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Thank you for taking the time to familiarize yourself with the course information. If
you have any questions or concerns throughout the year, please feel free to email or
call. I am looking forward to a great school year!
Thank you,
Hannah Niehoff
I have read and understood the above course guidelines
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