Mr. Brian Murtagh: Brian.murtagh@edison.k12.nj.

us

Mrs. Jennine Duggan: Jennine.duggan@edison.k12.nj.us

Course Website: sites.google.com/site/murtaghscience/

Course Overview: This course is based on the New Jersey curriculum standards for
science, and is designed to prepare students for the end of the year Biology HSPA that will
be taken in early May. The course covers topics from basic biochemistry to cell processes,
including photosynthesis, respiration, and cell division, to genetics, evolution, ecology, and
the diversity of life.

General Rules:
1. Be respectful to everyone

• Do not speak while anyone else is speaking

• Raise your and wait to be called on before speaking.

2. Come to class on time and stay in your seat until dismissed by myself, NOT
the bell.

• Make sure you are in the classroom before the tardy bell rings, or you will be
considered late. Detention will be given if a student is late for class.

• Try to attend to personal needs in between classes. Bathroom visits will be

allowed during the class period when needed. Remember: you cannot leave
the classroom until 10 minutes into the period and no later than 10 minutes
before the end of the period, as per school policy. Excessive bathroom visits
will not be tolerated.

3. Be prepared for class.

• You must have your organized notebook as well as a writing utensil with you
every day! NO EXCEPTIONS.

• Have your completed homework in your notebook, and have it out and ready
to be checked at the beginning of class.

4. Begin the warm-up question immediately after reaching your seat at the
beginning of class.

• The warm up question will be written on the board every day.

 • These questions are NOT optional and must be completed every day. Trust
me, they end up being a big part of your grade and are easy points.

• Write all warm-ups for the week on the same sheet of paper. This sheet of
paper will be left in your notebook and will be collected and checked every
Friday

5. Food and candy are not tolerated in the classroom.

• Beverages in clear plastic bottles will be permitted, as long as they are in

visible sight of the teacher. Improper disposable of any bottles will lead to the
revoking of any food or drink in the classroom.

6. **Cell Phones are NOT allowed in the classroom**

• If a student is seen using his or her cell phone during the class period, the cell
phone will be confiscated and will be returned to the student at the end of the
school day. In addition, proper disciplinary action will be taken

Expectations
1. You are expected to keep an organized binder/notebook and review it often
out of class to prepare you for any assessments.

• There is a possibility of your notebook being collected at any time during the
year to be graded, so please be as organized as possible.

• We suggest using a loose leaf binder as your notebook, so that you can insert
any handouts or worksheets directly into the notebook in the section we are
working in.

2. You are expected to complete your assignments and turn them in, or have
them ready to be checked on time.

• Notebooks will be turned in on Friday of every week, unless specified

otherwise.

• Homework assignments can be turned in a day later for half credit, but we will
not ask for it. It is your responsibility to show me any late work.

• All late assignments, such as lab reports and class work, can be handed in for
partial credit until the day before that chapter test. No work for a specific
chapter will be collected after that chapter’s test is taken.

3. You are expected to check your grades often and follow up on missing
work.
 • Grades will be posted online for assignments as soon as possible. It is your
responsibility to check your grades frequently throughout the marking period
to ensure that you have completed all of the assignments.

• We will not chase you for late or missing work.

4. If you are absent, you are expected to find out what you missed.

• In a perfect world, every student would attend every class period, but that is
unrealistic. If you are absent, ask either of us or a fellow classmate what you
have missed.

• For all assignments given while you are absent, you are given as many days
as you were absent to complete the work and have it turned into me.

• If you are absent on a test day, you will need to complete the test during the
next class period which you are present in.

• If you are absent on a day in which we reviewing for a test, but are present on
the day of the test, you ARE expected to take the test.

5. You are expected to inform me if you do not understand me or need extra

help.

• We am more than willing to help anyone who is having a problem with any of
the material.

• Come see us after any class period to set up an appointment to stay after
school or during study hall. You can also set up an appointment with us via
email. Our email addresses are brian.murtagh@edison.k12.nj.us and
jennie.duggan@edison.k12.nj.us.

• DO NOT be shy or embarrassed to ask for help. That’s what we are here for.

Textbook

You will receive a biology textbook (Holt: Biology) to be kept at home. In addition, a
textbook will be provided for every student while in the classroom. Your textbook is very
useful tool to be used to help master the material at hand. It has many practice problems,
alternate explanations of the material, definitions of important terms within the chapters,
and a full review of every chapter.. Do not lose track of your personal textbook. If it is
misplaced, you will be required to buy a new one.

Cheating/ Plagiarism
 • Some examples of cheating are: talking during a test or quiz, looking at another quiz
or test paper other than your own during an assessment, copying another student’s
lab report, copying homework, and writing information on your hands or desk. If you
are not sure if something is cheating, please be safe and ask beforehand.

• With plagiarizing, we know it is very easy to cut and paste information that is not
your own. If you use information that you did not write, then you must reword the
information and give credit to your source. Plagiarism is considered stealing.

• If you plagiarize or cheat on any assignment, you will receive an F on that

assignment. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Grading

Grades are determined by the percentage of points earned out of the total number of points
possible. You will be informed of the value of each assignment, including tests and quizzes
before it is handed to you.

Term grades will be based on:

1. Tests

2. Quizzes

3. In class assignments

4. Labs

5. Homework

6. Warm-ups

7. Notebook checks
Sample Grading

Assignment Points Earned Points Possible

Warm Ups Week 1 4 5

Lab 1 23 25

Chapter 1 Questions 10 10

Chapter 1 Vocabulary HW 8 10

Quiz Chapter 1 13 15

Warm Ups Week 2 3 5

Lab 2 21 25

Chapter 2 Questions 8 10
Chapter 2 Vocabulary HW 9 10

Quiz Chapter 2 11 15

Chapter 1 and 2 Test 39 50

Total Points 149 180

Grade Calculation: 149/180 = 0.827 = 82.7% rounds up to 83% = B by Edison

District scale

*Please see us if you have any questions about this grading policy. Grades can be
easily followed online

Edison School District Grading Scale.

District Grading Scale

A+ 97-100% C+ 77-79%

A 93-96% C 73-76%

A- 90-92% C- 70-72%

B+ 87-89% D 65-69%

B 83-86% F ≤64%

B- 80-82%