Physical Science
John Mizell
Email: john.mizell@bcsemail.org
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I’m very excited to work with your children this year at Discovery Academy. Below is a list of
items that need to be completed that will ensure your child’s success in our class. At any time, if
you have questions, please feel free to email me.
1. Text Message Reminders – Parents and students should both sign up for this. If
you would like text message reminders and updates for our class, please text
“@ndamizell1” to 81010 and follow the instructions.
2. Edmodo group – Students only – go to edmodo.com and create an account as a
student. Then join the group “vi2xjy.” We will be using this website for online
collaboration and additional resources.
3. Online Textbook – Students – go to www.ck12.org and make a student account. Once
you are signed in, click Groups, Join a Group, and enter the code “ac4iy.” You’ll be able
to use the online textbook once you’ve joined our group. You can also join by clicking
here.
4. Parent Survey – Parents, please go to the link http://goo.gl/IrofRe and complete the
short survey. Thank you.
Materials List for Mr. Mizell’s Class
Each student will need the following:
 Two Composition Notebooks
 Mechanical pencils with a white eraser
 Additional supplies might be needed as we get into certain projects throughout the year,
but a list will be sent home prior to those projects.
Thank you again and I look forward to see you all again soon.
Sincerely,
John Mizell
Earth/Environmental and Physical Science Teacher
Martin L. Nesbitt Jr. Discovery Academy
Procedures to Succeed
1. With your child, check their Canvas and Power School for updated assignments and grades on a
regular basis. Also, please make sure your child has the login information for Power
School/Parent Portal so they can check their grades on a regular basis as well.
2. Before Unit Tests, review the unit topic “Scale” handout, which can be found on Canvas, to
check their ability. The Scale is like a check off list of understanding. They want to be at level 3.
Also, students can use the practice problems to check their understanding. If they need help,
they can use Smart Lunch to get tutoring.
3. Homework – The required homework in Physical Science is a quiz per unit (Introduction, Motion,
Forces and Motion, etc.) and chapter questions. To do well on the quizzes, students need to
read the sections the quiz is over and take notes prior to taking the quiz. Students do have the
option for extra credit (5pts) on their quiz grades by answering the questions at the end of each
section in the book call “Points to Consider”. Students have to answer all of the questions for
each section in order to get the full extra credit towards their quizzes. I recommend student get
in the habit of doing the extra and doing it before they take the quiz.
a. Additional Homework might occur if students do not finish classwork in class. This can
include Online Simulators, Lab Questions, and/or other class assignments.
4. Once homework and classwork is completed, it needs to be uploaded on Canvas.
5. I usually put in homework/quiz grades into Power School throughout the week and mainly on
the weekends. If your student is claiming that they have completed the homework/quiz, they
can show you the completed work. It will be posted on Canvas. It will have a green mark if I have
graded it. Quizzes are taken on Canvas as well and students have the ability to go back after
completing it to review their answers and the correct answers. Please make sure they are
reviewing the quizzes before the unit tests, because they might see those questions again (hint,
hint, wink, wink ).
6. Another helpful tool on Canvas is the calendar. The calendar will show all of your child’s
assignments in all their classes.
7. Please use Canvas for assignment due dates and Parent Portal for actual grades.
8. Makeup Work – if your child was out and missed a lab, the best thing would be for them to stay
after to do the lab they missed to be able to grasp the concept. If that is not an option, they can
do the “Points to Consider” questions at the end of each section for the chapter we are
currently on in the online textbook.
Signatures
By signing below, I agree that I have read the parent letter and procedures to succeed as outlined
above:
_____________________________________
Print Student Name
___________________________________________
Student Signature/Date
_____________________________________
Print Parent/Guardian Name
___________________________________________
Parent Signature/Date
_____________________________________
Parent/Guardian email address
___________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Cell Phone Number