San Diego Unified School District SCRIPPS RANCH HIGH SCHOOL Ms. Nicolette Kimball 10410 Treena St. nkimball@sandi.net San Diego, CA 92131 http://nkscience.weebly.com/

BECOMING AMERICA’S BEST

***Parents/Guardians: Please keep below letter for your records and detach lower portion.*** You may request an additional copy of the syllabus for your records! It is also posted on my web site.

Student: Please return the Syllabus Notification slip to Ms. Kimball and keep the attached syllabus with your Chemistry materials. Dear Parent/Guardian: I am tremendously excited to be working with you and your student to make this a successful year of science achievement. This course will allow your student to continue to develop a scientific way of thinking as students explore the composition of matter and the changes it undergoes. Attached is a copy of the course syllabus and tutoring information. Once you have reviewed it carefully with your student, please sign and return the below form. I would appreciate it if you could provide me with the best number at which to reach you and an email address to ensure optimal communication of your student’s progress over the course of this year. In addition, should you ever have any questions for me regarding the course or your student’s progress, please feel free to contact me via email (preferred) or phone. Grade progress reports for any student will be made available upon request should any student or parent wish for an update. Student grades can also be viewed online at https://powerschool.sandi.net/public/. Please also check my Chemistry web site http://nkscience.weebly.com/ as often as possible for the class calendar and helpful resources. You can also get to the web site by going to the SRHS web site (http://srhsfalcons.org), clicking on Staff Directories, Teaching Staff, my name, and then my web site link.

I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to serve the students at Scripps Ranch High School, and I will make every effort to offer an exciting and engaging learning experience for your student. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best Regards,

Syllabus Notification

I have received and read the syllabus and understand the expectations for this course.

Student Signature Date

Printed Student Name Class Period: _____

Parent/Guardian Signature Date

Printed Parent/Guardian Name(s)

Parent/Guardian Email Address (for updates & important info!)

Phone number and time of day it is best to reach you

Comments/Questions

CHEMISTRY TUTORING

Ms. Kimball is available Tuesdays and Thursdays after school (unless otherwise announced) for make up work and/or extra help! Students that attend take home a signed and dated confirmation of attendance slip to show parents or guardians:

Note: If a student cannot come after school on Tuesday or Thursday, or needs to see Ms. Kimball sooner, he or she can view Ms. Kimball’s additional availability and make an appointment on the appointment calendar located in Room 601 for before school, during lunch, or for after school another day of the week.

Chemistry 1-2 Course Syllabus Scripps Ranch High School

2014 – 2015 School Year

Course Instructor: Ms. Nicolette Kimball Room: 601 Email: nkimball@sandi.net (preferred method of contact) Web site: http://nkscience.weebly.com/ Phone: (858) 621-9020 x4601

Course Information: This course is Chemistry 1-2. It satisfies area D of the A-G requirements used by the UC (ex: UCSD) and California State Universities (SDSU). In addition, a passing grade is necessary in order to graduate. Chemistry 1-2 will consist of 10 sections: Unit 1: Intro, Matter & Measurement Unit 2: Atomic Structure & the Periodic Table Unit 3: Chemical Bonding Unit 4: Chemical Quantities & Nomenclature Unit 5: Chemical Reactions & Stoichiometry Unit 6: States of Matter & the Gas Laws Unit 7: Solutions & Acids/Bases Unit 8: Heat, Reactions Rates & Equilibrium Unit 9: Organic & Electrochemistry Unit 10: Biochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry Materials:

• Textbook o We will be using Prentice Hall’s Chemistry by Wilbraham, et al. which will

initially be provided by Scripps Ranch High School. Students may be responsible for bringing this text to class on certain days to be announced in advance.

Classroom Expectations: As outlined on page “i” of the Student Handbook, it is expected that Scripps Ranch High School students will: 1. Be prepared for class daily. 2. Turn-in all assignments properly prepared and on time.

3. Be in assigned seat and ready to work when the bell rings. At the end of the period, be in assigned seat for dismissal by the teacher.

4. Be respectful of all those involved in the learning process. 5. Follow all set classroom procedures, teacher instructions, and school-wide policies addressed in the student handbook.

Additionally, no food or drinks can be consumed in class with the exception of water in a clear plastic container. Purses, backpacks, and other bags must be closed and kept off desks and off laps during class. Safety is a priority! Misconduct during labs will result in a zero for that lab. Continued misbehavior will result in suspension from all labs with no opportunity to make up the lost points. A detailed safety contract will be sent home for student and parent review. Consequences for failing to comply with classroom and school-wide rules are as follows: First offense: Warning. Second offense: Detention, lowered citizenship, and a phone call home. Third offense: Referral to the office. A parent conference may also be scheduled. Severe violations may result in immediate detention or referral. Please consult the Student Handbook for more information. Specific pages for policies include Academic Honesty Policy & Plagiarism, pages 29-30; Cellular Phones and Other Electronic Signaling Devices, page 18; Dress Regulations, page 22; Tardy Policy, page 8. All students and parents are responsible for reading, understanding, and agreeing to abide by the Course Catalog and the Student Handbook, both of which are available on-line at www.srhsfalcons.org.

Academic Grading: Students’ grades will be calculated Grading Scale based on the following categories: 89.5-100 % A Assignments* 30% 79.5-89.4 % B Quizzes & Unit Exams 45% 69.5-79.4 % C Organization** 10% 59.5-69.4 % D Final Exam 15% Below 59.5 % F

*Assignments include class work, homework, projects, labs, and participation evaluations. Late work will not be accepted. Students earn participation points based on a rubric that evaluates their contribution to classroom discussions and group activities, attendance, and overall contribution to a successful classroom environment. All students are responsible for defining assigned vocabulary, homework, completing in-class lessons, and studying for quizzes and exams. In the case of assignments that require computer/online access, students will be given ample advance notice and time to access resources at the library or in Room 601 during tutoring if needed. **Organization is an important skill for success. Students will be expected to keep all resources neat, organized, and easily accessible. Citizenship Grading: Please consult Ms. Kimball’s Citizenship Grading Rubric (distributed to students and available on the class web site) for specific details on how citizenship marks are determined. The following is a general guideline for citizenship grades: E= Courteous, cooperative, dependable, respectful, follows class and school rules, always prepared for class, honest, volunteers regularly to participate in class activities and discussions, takes leadership and assumes responsibilities in group work without direction, helpful, completes all work on time, punctual to class, excellent attendance, and is proactive about making up absentee work. G= Courteous, cooperative, respectful, follows class and school rules, usually prepared for class, honest, participates in class activities when asked, completes all work on time, usually punctual, regular attendance, and makes up absentee work without reminders. S= Unintentionally disrespectful, accepts suggestions, cooperative, usually follows class and school rules, sometimes unprepared for class, participates in class activities when asked, honest, sometimes inattentive, completes most work on time, usually punctual, regular attendance, and may need reminders to make up absentee work. N= Discourteous and uncooperative at times, socializes during class time, often unprepared for class, does not follow class and school rules, honest, avoids participation, missing some work, tardy and frequently absent, and does not make up absentee work. U= Discourteous, uncooperative, disrespectful, unprepared for class, does not follow class rules or school rules, dishonest, disruptive, tardy and/or frequently absent, and does not make up absentee work. Viewing Student Grades: Parents and students can view current grades by logging into https://powerschool.sandi.net/public/ Homework Policies: Homework is due the class after it is assigned, unless otherwise stated. Late homework will not be accepted. Attendance Policies: It is very important that you attend this class daily and be on time because:

Tardies: Students must be in their assigned seat when the bell rings to be marked on time. Students arriving late to school are required to sign in at the Attendance Office. Parents must call to excuse tardies. Consequences for excessive unexcused tardies will be assigned through our normal attendance procedures, including Senior Review/Senior Appeal Panel for 12th grade students. As outlined in the Student Handbook, consequences for tardies within each six-week grading period include:

Tardy #1 Teacher counsels student Tardy #2 Teacher counsels student and assigns detention in classroom. Parent may be contacted Tardy #3 Teacher counsels student, assigns classroom detention and/or lowers citizenship. Parent called. Tardy #4 Citizenship grade no higher than “N”

Tardy #5 Teacher counsels student and lowers citizenship grade to “U”. Student referred to vice principal. Consequences may include Saturday School or other disciplinary actions

Absences: Chemistry is very hands-on and experience based. Being in class is important! If you are absent, you will miss important class discussions and the valuable exchange of ideas between you and other students while doing group work. Make-up work due to an excused absence must be turned in within one week of the day it was assigned be eligible for full credit. In addition, labs require an extensive amount of preparation, so it may not be possible to make up missed labs, but an alternate assignment can be provided. If a student misses class due to an excused absence, it is his/her responsibility to attend tutoring or arrange for an alternate time for work to be made up within one week. If students are unable to attend tutoring or would like to see Ms. Kimball sooner, they can view Ms. Kimball’s availability and make an appointment on the appointment calendar located in the classroom for before school, during lunch, or after school on another day. Students are not permitted to make up work in the assignments category due to unexcused absences; however, make up for quizzes and tests due to unexcused absences will be allowed but are only eligible for 70% of the credit. Truancies are unacceptable, and make up work for truancies will not be permitted.

Tutoring: Students who need to make up work or would like extra help are encouraged to see Ms. Kimball as soon as possible so they do not fall behind. She is available EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY after school unless otherwise announced (no appointment needed). Students that attend tutoring receive a proof of attendance slip dated and signed by Ms. Kimball as confirmation (see example to the right). If a student is unable to stay after school on these days or would like to see Ms. Kimball sooner, he or she can view Ms. Kimball’s additional availability on the appointment calendar located on the file cabinet by the front door in Room 601. Students can use the calendar to make an appointment for before school, during lunch, or for after school another day of the week. Student Handbook and School-wide Policies: All students and parents are responsible for reading, understanding, and agreeing to abide by the Course Catalog and the Student Handbook, both of which are available on-line at www. srhsfalcons.org. For concerns regarding errors in scheduling and inappropriate level placement, please refer to www.srhsfalcons.org, then Students>Counseling Center>Course Catalog for more detailed information. Of particular interest are the following excerpts from the Student Handbook 2014-2015:

Cellular Phones and Other Electronic Signaling Devices: Education Code section 48901.5 allows school boards to set policy on the use and possession of cellular telephones and other electronic signaling devices on school campuses. On December 9, 2003, the Board of Education approved Policy H-6980 which allows students possession and use of cell phones and other electronic signaling devices on campus before school, during lunch, and after school. These devices must be kept out of sight and turned off during classroom time. Unauthorized use of such devices, including issues of academic honesty, disrupts the instructional program and distracts from the learning environment. In addition, these devices compromise the integrity of the course and students will be subject to severe disciplinary action. Therefore, unauthorized use is grounds for confiscation of the device by school officials, including classroom teachers. Confiscated devices will be given to the School Police Officer. Repeated unauthorized use will lead to disciplinary action. If a student refuses to give the cell phone or any electronic device to the teacher, the matter will be referred to the vice principal for additional disciplinary consequences. School personnel do not have resources to investigate instances of lost or stolen property. Students and parents are notified of this policy each year through the Facts for Parents booklet that is available for download on the district website: www.sandi.net. Please keep these items at home. Academic Honesty/Integrity Policy: Scripps Ranch High School has long distinguished itself as an exemplary academic learning community. Academic dishonesty, in any of its forms, threatens the integrity of this community. Therefore, it will not and should not be tolerated by students, parents, and faculty. This policy is intended to provide clear consequences and a list of examples of dishonest behavior. This is not intended to be a complete list of all possible violations to the policy, but rather to provide clarifying examples of several behaviors that are opposed by this policy.

1. Cheating--Any sharing of an assignment, examination, test or quiz, without permission of the teacher or using unauthorized materials on a test, quiz or assignment. In addition, students will not access questions, answers and/or homework from any source unless authorized by the teacher.

2. Fabrication--Any intentional falsification or invention of data, citation, or other authority in an academic assignment. 3. Unauthorized collaboration--Intentional collaboration of an assignment between a student and another person, if such

collaboration is not permitted. NOTE: All parties are subject to consequences when sharing/receiving materials and or collaboration when not authorized. All work will be the students’ own work in their own words unless authorized by the teacher. Please clarify with your teacher what “group work” entails and when it is acceptable.

4. Plagiarism--Any use of another's ideas, words, or work as one's own. Plagiarism includes the misuse of published/copyrighted material whether written or visual, the work of other students, and/or downloading from the Internet. You must put others’ work in quotations and cite the source even if paraphrased in your own words. This includes rearranging or replacing a few words. Please consult the student handbook for more information about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

5. Theft or alteration of materials--Any unauthorized taking, concealing, or altering of student, teacher, office, library or electronic materials/resources (includes theft by camera-phones) that do not belong to them.

6. Pattern of test avoidance--A pattern of absences on test days or major report due dates for the apparent advantage of performing better on the make-up test or for gaining extra working/studying time.

7. Unauthorized sharing of test questions-- No discussion of the contents of a test or quiz with anyone who has not taken the test or quiz, nor will students ask what is on a test or quiz if they have not taken it.

*Note: Other than incomplete make-ups, grade changes in the (CIF) San Diego Section for athletic eligibility will not be considered for scholastic eligibility purposes except for clerical or typographical error (CIFSDS Rule 205).

Consequences for Academic Dishonesty: All students will receive due process in the handling of the above infractions. Any alleged violation of this policy will be investigated thoroughly and appropriate disciplinary measures will be followed.

• Teacher will contact the parent with information regarding the incident. • Loss of all credit for the assignment or test with no makeup permitted for all individuals involved. • Receipt of a U in citizenship for the current grading period • Referral to counselor/VP. • Saturday School assigned. • Documentation in behavior record.

Multiple infractions could result in further disciplinary action/consequences including a “F’ grade for the course. Revised August 2013 by the SRHS Academic Honesty Committee. Please consult school web site for updates. Dress Regulations Scripps Ranch students are expected to dress professionally, with respect for themselves and their classmates. DRESS CODE Our district dress code offers personal freedom to students while at the same time adhering to legal standards. The dress code is also designed to help keeps students focused on education. At Scripps Ranch High School, school rules require students to cover shoulders, backs, stomachs, and keep pants pulled up over undergarments. It’s required that clothing:

• Is free of any advertisement or promotion of any alcohol, drugs, tobacco products, profanity, gambling, violence, or sexual innuendo

• Is free of any depictions/illustrations that demeans or negatively represents any gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability or sexual orientation

• Fits neatly at the waist without “sagging” showing underwear or having an excessively tight fit • Appropriately covers the body (no bare midriffs or back, no skin may show between the shirt and pants, shorts or

skirt) • No pajamas

Headwear

• Official SRHS headwear and sunglasses may ONLY be worn outdoors during passing periods, at lunch, and/or during PE.

• Only hats/head coverings worn for religious convictions are allowed to be worn indoors. Any other head coverings will be confiscated.

Consequences

• Upon any violation, students will be sent to the nurse and required to change into school-provided clothing. Borrowed clothing needs to be washed and returned the next day. Students will be given their clothing back to take home.

• Any further violations will be subject to administrative disciplinary actions. Return of Confiscated Items

• Confiscated items may be picked up only by a parent ONLY after school. Free Public Education The Constitution of the State of California requires that we provide a public education to you free of charge. Your right to a free education is for all school/educational activities, whether curricular or extracurricular, and whether you get a grade for the activity or class. Subject to certain exceptions, your right to a free public education means that we cannot require you or your family to purchase materials, supplies, equipment or uniforms for any school activity, nor can we require you or your family to pay security deposits for access, participation, materials, or equipment. You may be required to attend a fundraising event; however if you are unable to raise funds for the event, you will not be prevented from participating in an educational activity.