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Classroom Regulations
AP Biology-Patterson
1.
Classes and laboratory sessions will begin promptly, so please enter the classroom quickly, go directly to your
seat, and prepare for class. When the bell rings at the end of the period, please remain in your seat until
dismissed.
2. Talking or other such misbehavior while another student or the teacher has the floor reflects a lack of respect for
the teacher and fellow students and should not be tolerated by anyone in the class. In that same spirit of
encouraging mutual respect, to respond in a negative or sarcastic manner to another student's questions, answers
or comments are always inappropriate. Remember, no "put-downs".
3. Please do not to enter any drawer, cabinet or closet, or handle any equipment on the counter tops without the
expressed permission of a teacher. Please treat any plants and animals in the room with care and kindness.
Please don't tap on their glass enclosures, and never open their enclosures or feed them without Mr. Patterson's
supervision.
4. Please make no marks or holes of any kind on the desks or walls of the classroom. Defacing your school's
property is a serious offense. You must take care of our beautiful building!
5. Please be careful to pick up any trash on and around your desk at the end of the period, and put it in the trash
can on your way out. If you have been drinking a cool drink, please be sure to wipe up any condensation rings.
You should also be sure to push in your chair as you leave so that other people can move easily through the
aisle.
6. Be sure to use your breaks for visits to the bathroom, water fountain, and pencil sharpener and for talking on a
cell phone. When we have double periods, opportunities will be provided for needed breaks. If you must visit
the bathroom at the start of the period, check in with Mr. Patterson first, then leave. Make sure your cell
phone is turned off and out of sight during class and that it will remain off until 4:00 on lab days and
days when you will attend tutorial. If it makes noise, I will confiscate it. You can claim it later that day
or the next day from the Dean of Students, Mr. Snead.
7.
You may not eat any food or candy, or drink soft drinks in any part of the building unless it is at a teacher's
invitation during a class or meeting. You may bring drinking water to class as long as it is in a closable
container. Please wipe up any water spills or condensation rings when you leave. When you finish a lunch
meeting in the building, take your trash out of the building a dispose of it in an outside container. Gum is never
to be chewed in the Science & Art Building.
8.
You are required to have a notebook in which you keep this AP Biology Student Handbook, class notes,
handouts, tests, homework, assignments, and lab write-ups. For AP Biology you will need a large loose-leaf
notebook with a minimum of 1-inch rings (1.5” to 2” rings are strongly recommended for AP Biology because
of the large amount of course-related paper you will collect).
9. Bring your AP notebook to class every day. Most of the time you will not need to have your textbook with you.
You can use your laptop for taking notes, but if you abuse this privilege just once for playing games,
inappropriate internet cruising, emailing, etc., you will lose the privilege of using your laptop for notes for an
indefinite period of time.
10. Your safety in the lab is of utmost importance to Athens Academy. Listen carefully to all instructions and then
follow them. If you break some glass, don't pick it up with your hands. Notify the teacher and then go get the
broom and dustpan. If you should spill water or other liquids on the floor of counter top, get a sponge or mop to
clean it up. If you or a fellow student should get cut, burned or injured in any way, you are required to let the
teacher know immediately so that prompt first aid can be administered. Notify the teacher and be sure to wash
your hands if you think that they may have come into contact with another person’s body fluids.
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11. The slick floor in this room makes leaning back in one's chair a very hazardous activity. If your chair should
slide out from under you, serious injury could result. No leaning back!!
12. If you are absent from a class period in which a test is given, you must make up the test at the earliest
opportunity (free period, tutorial, next class session, etc.). Unless illness or personal difficulties (these must be
confirmed by a parental note) have prevented you from studying thoroughly, you are expected to be ready to
take the test as soon as you return to school. This may mean the very same day. Remember, if you know ahead
of time that you will miss a test, you must notify Mr. Patterson ASAP.
13. If you are absent from a review session the day before a major test, make contact Mr. Patterson immediately
upon your return to school to make arrangements for a review and a make-up test.
14. Whenever you are aware ahead of time that you will miss a class in which a test will be given or in which an
assignment will be due, make arrangements to take the test or turn in the assignment before you leave. This
would of course apply to all athletic event absences, doctor's appointments, and such.
15. After they are graded, all major tests must be taken home and signed by a parent and corrected by you. This
is important communication between your parents and the school. The parent’s signature will count as a
homework grade of 5 points as will the test corrections (also 5 points). AP Biology test essays that have
received less than 90% of the possible points must be completely rewritten. Those essays with 90% or better
need only their weak areas or sections rewritten. Corrections of written questions will be on separate paper
attached to back of the test. Just correct the multiple choice questions on the test itself. Test corrections are not
pledged work, so you can work together to come up with excellent answers to study for the AP Exam in May.
16. Mr. Patterson will keep all your major tests on file at school once they have been signed and corrected. Your
tests will be available at any time and will be checked out to you during review for the AP Exam. You will
return them to Mr. Patterson after the AP Exam.
17. It is your responsibility to make every effort to make up the work missed due to absence from class. It is to
your advantage to do so. If you are a member of an athletic team, hold an elected office, participant in school
plays, engage in a lot of volunteer service work, etc., you must use your free time wisely to study for tests and
to do your assignments because you will have less time and energy after school.
18. On several occasions this school year, a substitute teacher will be called upon to fill in for Mr. Patterson. Every
student is expected to treat this visiting teacher with the full measure of respect and helpfulness extended to any
teacher or honored guest.
19. During laboratories, you will wear safety goggles and other appropriate safety equipment whenever we are
working with any chemicals, glassware or a heat source. Remember, any accidental (or otherwise) spillage,
breakage, wound, or other mishap should be immediately reported to Mr. Patterson.
20. Athens Academy's Honor System will be rigidly enforced in this class. The work that you present must be
your own. This includes almost all homework assignments, all lab write-ups (not including the raw data in the
labs), and essays, and of course, quizzes and tests. Copying another student's work will be treated as a possible
violation of the Honor Code. If you are not sure if some action you are considering may or may not be a
violation of the Honor Code, ASK! Studying old tests given in previous years without specific permission from
Mr. Patterson will be treated as a Honor offense. Be certain that you do nothing during a test or quiz that would
bring your integrity into question. During any test, just like your textbook or class notes, you may not have a
cell phone at hand without special permission from the teacher. Also, when writing papers, homework
assignments, and/or extra credit where you have consulted a source other than your textbook—especially the
Internet, be sure to give credit by proper reference citation to the author(s) of your source(s), and include all the
bibliographical information. It is so easy to step over this line, and so easy to avoid plagiarism offenses. Just
cite your sources, and ask if you have any doubts!!!
IN SHORT:
Be respectful. Be on time. Be careful in the lab.
Be thinking ahead. Be good.