WAYZATA HIGH SCHOOL
Physical Science 2011-12
Mr. Brandon Heebink
brandon.heebink@wayzata.k12.mn.us
Room A305/A306
(763) 745-6929
ONLINE RESOURCES
 For students: Moodle Page at http://whsonline.wayzata.k12.mn.us, login to the site and
click on Courses, then click on Science and click on Physical Science – Heebink.
 Website on the school website: go to http://www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/Brandon.Heebink
WAYZATA HIGH SCHOOL’S MISSION STATEMENT
Wayzata High School exists to create opportunities to build “Character and Scholarship for
Life.” All of our efforts will go into supporting students as they develop knowledge, skills and
confidence to become capable and global citizens.
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The pursuit of knowledge leading to wisdom is a noble and admirable goal.
One must act on knowledge to enhance one’s life.
Those who strive for the dual goals of scholarship and character will improve not only
their own lives, but also the lives of those around them.
Individuals with a strong commitment to these ideals will help form a stronger school,
community, country, and world.
BRANDON HEEBINK’S MISSION STATEMENT
My mission as an educator is to create a classroom environment that promotes learning for
each individual student. Our classroom will be a safe, comfortable place where students will
actively be able to grow and challenge themselves academically and personally. It will be a
place of respect for each other, our surroundings and ourselves. Students will be expected to
think critically (like scientists!). A classroom culture like this will develop stronger character in
each student and will allow for high levels of success in scholarship for all who are a part of it.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Textbook: Physical Science by Prentice Hall
Loose-leaf Paper & Graph Paper
Calculator (scientific or graphing)
Book Cover
1.5 to 2 in. Binder w/5 Dividers
Pencils & Pens
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed as an introduction to the physical sciences of chemistry, physics and
earth and space science. Emphasis will be placed on hands-on activities and critical thinking. A
majority of the course is based upon understanding concepts, but applying mathematics in
order to describe these concepts is essential. The topics covered in this class are listed at the
end of this syllabus.
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
Unit tests
Lab Assignments/Reports
Term finals
Projects
DAILY ASSIGNMENTS
Class participation
Binder checks (explained below)
Assigned text passages with reading strategy
Worksheets and book questions
Classroom activities and labs
HOMEWORK
 Homework will be assigned DAILY and all homework is required to be completed and
handed in.
 Homework will be due the day after it is assigned unless otherwise mentioned in class.
 Any homework not turned in on time will have until the day of the unit test to complete.
An assignment can get half credit ONLY if it is done with the teacher during Homework
Club Hours (see below).
 If an assignment is not completed prior to the unit test, it can no longer be made up.
 Homework Club Hours: (no after school hours during fall and spring seasons)
o Mondays & Thursdays: 2:20 – 3:20pm
o Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Fridays: 2:20 – 3:00pm
o Every day before school from 6:45 – 7:30am
QUIZZES
 Quizzes will be given in class regularly (approximately 1 per week). Quizzes are intended
to test current or recent information covered in class.
 Quiz Corrections: If a student earns less than 75% on a quiz, he or she may make quiz
corrections and earn up to 75% on that quiz. Quiz corrections can only be made up if the
student comes in during Homework Club Hours prior to the respective unit test.
BINDERS– 5 SECTIONS
Organization is a key to being successful in and out of the classroom and it will be a focus in this
class. There will be 5 sections in the binders: Warm-Ups, Book work, Handouts & Worksheets,
Labs, and Class Notes. Along with these sections loose leaf and graph paper will be kept in the
binders to be used in class. Binders will be checked regularly as part of the class work portion of
the grade. The first several pages of the Class Notes section should be a table of contents that
includes the name of each set of notes and the page number on which it starts.
GRADING SCALE
Tests
Homework
97.0% - 100%
93.0% - 96.9%
90.0% - 92.9%
87.0% - 89.9%
A+
A
AB+
40%
20%
Labs/Class Work
Quizzes
83.0% - 86.9% B
80.0% - 82.9% B77.0% - 79.9% C+
20%
20%
73.0% - 76.9% C
70.0% - 72.9% C67.0% - 69.9% D+
63.0% - 66.9% D
60.0% - 62.9% D< 60.0% F
CLASSROOM GUIDELINES
1.) BE RESPECTFUL: Please be respectful to peers and follow teacher instructions.
2.) BE PROMPT: Class begins as soon as the bell rings. A student is considered tardy if
that student is not in his or her seat with materials out and ready to learn when the
bell rings. We will follow the school guidelines for tardy issues as follows:
a.) After a student has exceeded 3 tardies in one term, the student will be assigned
1.5 hours of Saturday school for a fourth offense.
b.) On the fifth tardy the student will be referred to the third floor administrator
where additional consequences will be decided upon.
c.) On the sixth tardy, the student will be suspended from school for one day.
3.) BE PRESENT: We will follow the WHS absence policy which states that a student’s
grade will be reduced one letter grade for every absence after the 6th absence in a
term. If you are absent it is your responsibility to get all make-up work that you missed
from your teacher and complete it. For each day absent, you are given two days to
complete the work that was missed and no more than 5 days for 3 consecutive
absences.
4.) BE INVOLVED: Active participation in class discussions, group work, and during labs is
required for you to be successful in physical science.
5.) BE SAFE: Food, drinks, cell phones, ipods, mp3 players, etc. are not allowed in the
classroom with the exception of plain water in a sealable bottle.
6.) BE ETHICAL: Cheating is not tolerated. If you are caught cheating you will receive a
grade of zero for that assignment and/or test, your parents will be contacted, and a
letter that describes the incident will be placed in your file. A second offense will
result in automatic fail of the course.
7.) BE MATURE: Every student is expected to behave appropriately in the lab setting.
Unsafe behavior in a science classroom and lab will result in a zero on the assignment
and removal from the situation.
8.) BE PREPARED: Each student will be allowed a maximum of five hall passes (including
bathroom) for the entire semester. Only with student planners will hall passes be
granted.