Welcome to Biology 2011-2012
Your teacher:
Your room:
Mrs. Baldessari
Email: sbaldessari@beachwoodschools.org
School phone: (216)831-2080 ext: 255
Website – located on BHS homepage under teacher websites
709 Need help?: Academy M,T, Th, F 7:30-7:55 and afterschool by appointment
What you will need:
1) Covered Textbook (kept at home or in your locker and brought to class when instructed)
2) Pay $15 lab fee on-line or bring check in Friday 8/26
3) Scientific or graphing calculator
4) 3 X 5 note cards with a method of keeping them together – baggie, rubber band, pencil pouch, or hole
punched with a ring
5) Writing materials – pen, pencil, colored pencils, fine tip black marker, paper
6) A binder at least 1 ½ inches thick with at least 5 dividers labeled:
Vocabulary, Notes (this will include - handouts/worksheets/homework), Labs, Projects, Warm ups
** Bring in a box of Kleenex and a roll of paper towels and earn two homework passes allowing you to hand in
two homework assignments one day late with no penalty
Please note: All supplies are due on Friday, August 26th - 5 point homework grade
Successful students will:
1) Attend class and when absent take the initiative to make up missed work
2) Check ESIS regularly
3) Check syllabus with homework, quiz, test, and project due dates
4) Know what your grade is, and why it is what it is
5) Study- vocabulary, notes, handouts
6) Actively participate during class discussions, activities, and labs
7) Do all assignments to the best of your ability and on time
8) Ask questions and come to me for help
One classroom rule:
1) RESPECT – yourself, others, and the classroom
Classroom procedures:
1) Show up prepared, on time, everyday
2) Pick up handouts as you enter the room
3) Check your folder for returned papers
4) Read daily objectives and complete warm-up during the first few minutes of class
Assignment due date policies
1) Assignments will be posted in 3 places – 1) posted daily when you arrive; 2) on the bulletin board outside
room 709; and, 3) on my website.
2) Late work – Assignments not turned in on time will receive a late penalty. You will be permitted to use two
late homework passes each semester, each good for one additional school day. (More information on those
can be found below.) Once those are used the late penalty is 10% of the points possible per school day.
3) Once an assignment has been returned to the rest of the class you may not receive any credit. You may
still turn an assignment in after this time to receive feedback and to remain eligible for extra credit, but no
points will be awarded for the assignment itself. The only exceptions are for absences.
---------------------------Cut and sign response on back and hand in on 8/26----------------------------------------
How do grades work?
1) Grades will be weighted:
 tests 50%
 labs, in class activities, and projects 40%
 quizzes 5%
 homework 5%
2) Homework assignments are based on completion – due on the date assigned for 100% grade
3) Labs are based on completion, quality of work, and demonstration of content knowledge
4) Quizzes will be given often and have a low point value – goal is to help you learn the material
5) All assignments will be announced – no pop quizzes
6) Projects will have a grading rubric provided in advance
7) Extra credit assignments will be made available throughout the course of each quarter
Homework passes
1) I understand that sometimes things come up and you simply cannot get your homework done on time. In
order to avoid going without sleep and/or being stressed, you may use two late assignment passes each
semester. If you do not have your homework, simply complete the form and turn it in instead of your
homework. Your homework will be due the following school day.
2) Each unused homework pass will earn you 5 bonus points at the end of each semester, but only if you have
no missing work throughout the semester.
3) Homework passes are not able to be used to post-pone quizzes or tests.
4) Earn 2 extra homework passes for bringing in a box of Kleenex and a roll of paper towels.
Extra Credit
1) Extra credit projects, “freak” points for doing something outstanding, Turning in unused homework passes –
5 points each
2) Turn in all assignments – extra credit points will only count if you have no missing assignments.
Studying
1) An often overlooked aspect of homework is studying. On days that notes and Power Points are discussed in
class, you should review them that evening for homework. It is easier to learn things in small chunks, and it
is easier to remember something when it is still fresh. Thus, it really is a good idea to study a little bit every
day rather than cramming.
Quizzes and Tests
1) Once quizzes and tests have been graded, I will pass them back, go over them, and recollect and file them.
You or your parents are welcome to make an appointment and review any quiz or test further.
2) As previously mentioned quizzes are formative, meaning that they are given to help you learn the material.
They will be given often, vary in size, and have low point values. Every chapter will have a vocabulary quiz
and a content quiz prior to the unit test. In more difficult chapters, we will have five point daily quizzes.
3) Quizzes and tests are not graded on a curve. However, if a question is missed by the majority of students, it
will be thrown out.
4) Tests will typically be given on a block day to allow maximum time for every student to finish the test.
5) Tests are summative, meaning that this is your opportunity to show what you have learned. Chapter tests
will typically be composed of three parts – multiple choice, extended response, and a lab activity. Each
grade will be reported separately. Sometimes students fail to perform as expected. Those that score less
than 70% on a chapter test, will be asked to meet with me and do some remedial work to prepare to retake a
similar test. Students that scored higher than a 70%, but would still like a chance to do better are welcome
retest. The higher of the two test scores will be recorded. Retests will be given on Thursday mornings at
7:30.
Textbook reading
1) When reading is assigned, you are required to take Cornell notes.
2) Cornell notes may be used on all content quizzes. They may not be used on vocabulary quizzes or tests.
-----------------------------------------------------cut and hand in the signed response below----------------------------------I ______________________ (print name), have read the Biology syllabus and understand the class expectations.
___________________________________________(student signature)