Classroom Rules and Procedures
Mrs. Campbell’s Class
Introduction
• Welcome to Mrs. Campbell’s biology class! Mrs. Campell is
your new permanent teacher.
• In this course, we will gain a deeper understanding of life.
We will study living things at all levels, from the all the way
up to the level of the whole world! As the year progresses,
we will also work to develop the skills necessary to succeed
in the classroom throughout the rest of high school and
college. Furthermore, we will build the thinking skills
required for success in life outside of the walls of any
classroom. I am excited to work with you this year and see
all of you develop as biologists, young adults, and citizens
of our community, country, and world.
Class Vision
• I will become a biologist.
• Biologists are not the people who always know
the answer, but are the best problem solvers.
Excellent biologists can analyze a situation and
figure out what is the most useful question to
ask. Then, they create a plan to answer their
question. Biologists can apply this skill to
scientific problems like creating new medicines as
well as to problems outside of the laboratory like
getting into college.
Class Vision (Continued)
• The class will average at least a 3 on all assessments.
• I will average 3 or higher, demonstrating that I have mastered the
knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a college course. I will help
those around me to do the same so that we will all finish the year
prepared for the rest of high school and college.
• I will become a self and community advocate.
• While it is our goal to live in a world in which all people are treated
equally, we must acknowledge that this is not our current reality. Each of
us is born with both privileges and disadvantages that come from where
we are born, how much money we have, the color of our skin, our gender,
our sexual orientation, etc. It is our moral duty to create a school,
community, country, and world where diversity is respected rather than
used as grounds to treat people unfairly. As such, I will work relentlessly
in this class to develop the biology knowledge and life skills I need to
better myself and the world around me.
Classroom Policies and Procedures
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Materials
Staying Organized
Absence Policy
Electronics Policy
Leaving the classroom
Food, drinks, and gum
Behavior Expectations
Class Materials
• You are expected to bring the following to class
every day:
• 1. Pen or pencil
• 2. 1.5” 3-ring binder dedicated to biology must be
brought to class no later than Friday, December
6th. From that point on, the binder will need to
be completely up to date with all the appropriate
content. Missing content from your binder
(notes, handouts, etc.) is unacceptable.
• 3. 3-hole punched lined paper for note taking
(kept in binder)
Staying Organized
• All students will use their binders to stay organized. You must have a
folder to bring your homework to and from class; your binder will stay in
the classroom. Binders must be kept as follows:
• 1. Write your name, the date, and the class period on every piece of paper
you use in this class (this includes notes!)
• 2. All handouts, notes, and graded work will be kept in your binder in
chronological order.
• Example: On August 9th, I got one handout, took two pages of notes, and
got a graded quiz back that I took on August 5th. I should put the quiz with
all my other materials from August 5th and put the handout and notes
after my material from August 7th.
• 3. If you lose anything, it is your responsibility to replace it. First, check
the tray on the counter by the door. If there are no more copies of the
paper you need there, you can either print yourself another copy or make
a copy of a classmate’s paper. You can also look on the Stern MASS
website (explained below) Mrs. Campbell will only provide one copy of
each handout per student.
Handouts, Classwork, and Homework
• 4. All class materials will be posted on the Stern
MASS website.
• Go to http://www.sternmass.org
• From the Students drop down menu, select
Classes/Homework
• Click on Science
• Click on Mrs. Michelle Campbell
• Under Classes, click on your class period (3 and 5
or 2,4, and 6)
The Do Now
• The Do Now is a warm-up exercise that gets
your brain ready to learn the day’s lesson
• You are expected to get out your notebook
and start the Do Now as soon as you sit down
in your seat
• Even if you do not know the answer, write
something
• Always do your best, even if that means
guessing
Absence Policy
• 1. Check the class website for the PowerPoint and any handouts from the
day you missed.
• 2. When you return to class, check the tray by the door for any handouts.
• 3. Ask Mrs. Campbell what you missed.
• 4. If an assignment was given on the day you were absent, you will have
one extra class day to complete the assignment.
• Example: I was sick on Monday. The class got a homework assignment
that is due Wednesday. I will have until Friday to hand in the assignment.
• 5. If a quiz or test is given on the day you are absent, you must be ready to
take it as soon as you come back. You can take assessments before school,
during nutrition, during lunch, or after school. If you do not take the
assessment before or during the first class after you are absent, you will
receive a zero (unless you have made other arrangements with mrs.
Campbell).
• 6. If your absence was due to truancy, you will receive a zero for any work
or assessments we took.
Quiz and Test Procedures
• No talking. If you are caught talking about
ANYTHING during a quiz, Mrs. Campbell will give
you a zero. If you talk during a test, it will also be
taken away, and you will have to finish it after
school that day or the next day.
• Keep your eyes on your own paper. If you are
caught looking at another student’s paper, you
will earn a zero.
• Cheating will be handled according to school
policy. See pages 8 and 9 of your Stern MASS
agenda book for the full policy on plagiarism
Electronics Policy
• 1. No personal electronics are permitted in
class unless you have explicit permission to
use them for research. If I see them, I will take
them.
Leaving the Classroom
• You must ask for permission before leaving the
classroom for any reason. You may use the
hall pass to go to the restroom any time
besides the first and last ten minutes of class.
Mrs. Campbell will keep track of the time you
leave and the time you return. All restroom
breaks must be under five minutes.
Food and Drinks
• No food, drinks, or gum are allowed during
class. You may drink water. No juice, milk,
sports drinks, or any other beverages are
allowed
Entering the Classroom
• Pick up any handouts from the tray by the
door
• Enter quietly and respectfully
• Sit in your assigned seat
• Look on the board for important information,
such as the Do Now, the agenda, the Exit
Ticket, and the homework
Expected Classroom Behaviors
• Be respectful of all people and things in the
classroom at all times. This means:
• Stay in your seat unless you have permission
to get up
• Respect the teacher or your fellow classmates
when they are talking
• Raise your hand if you have a question,
comment, or concern
Use Polite Language
• No profanity or other foul language will be
tolerated
• Pretend someone you look up to is in the
room listening to you. Would you use that
language in front of your grandmother, in
church, or in front of our principal? If not, do
not use that language in the classroom
Borrowing Pens or Pencils
• You may borrow a pen or a pencil if you need
one.
• In order to borrow a pen or pencil, you must
trade something with Mrs. Campbell. This is
called collateral. For example, you might give
Mrs. Campbell your school ID in exchange for
a pencil. You will get your ID back when you
give the pencil back.
Don’t ever say I don’t know
• Saying “I don’t know” is giving up. DO NOT
ever give up on yourself. Write something.
Make an educated guess or a wild guess.
• A blank answer is always a wrong answer.
Consequences for Inappropriate
Behavior
• First Offense: Verbal warning
• Second Offense: Seat change
• Third Offense: Phone call home and
conversation with Mrs. Campbell outside the
classroom
• Fourth Offense: Referral
Grading Scale
• The grading scale is not changing. See your
syllabus if you have any questions about
grading
Test Corrections
• Tests are chances to learn. After each test,
you will correct all of the problems that you
answered incorrectly. You may be able to
increase your test score by 0.5 if you turn in
your test corrections on time.
Late Work Policy
• Absolutely no late work will be accepted. If
you will not be able to complete an
assignment on time, you must speak with Mrs.
Campbell at least 2 days before the due date
for an extension.
Homework
• You will have homework most days. If you do
not have something that you need to hand in
during our next class, your homework is to
read for a minimum of 30 minutes (in addition
to reading for any other class). Students with
the strongest reading skills consistently
perform the best in biology
Office Hours
• Mrs. Campbell will hold office hours immediately after
school every Monday and most Wednesdays from 3:30
to 4:30. Office hours will always be posted on the
board. Appointments can be made outside of these
hours. Everyone is welcome to come to office hours at
any time for help with anything. If you will attend office
hours, you must do the following:
• Decide the topic(s) you want to review before getting
to office hours.
• Bring all of your class materials related to the topic you
want to study and prepare questions to ask.
Retakes
• If you are unhappy with your grade on any standard, you
may do a retake of the assessment for that standard. You
will have the opportunity to do two retakes per semester.
The questions will not be the same, but they will cover the
same material. In order to do a retake, you must do the
following
• Schedule the retake time with Mrs. Campbell within two
days of receiving your grade. Your retake must be
completed within 10 calendar days of your meeting with
Mrs. Campbell. Retakes may not be done during class time.
• Complete your test corrections for the original test before
you take the retake.
Contacting Mrs. Campbell
• My email address is listed in your syllabus.
Feel free to contact me for any reason.
Student/Parent Acknowledgement
• Take your syllabus home tonight and review it
with your parents
• You and your parents must sign the syllabus,
and you must return it to Mrs. Campbell the
next time class meets