Class Guidelines for Mr.

Davis
7​th​ Grade Science

Welcome to Mr. Davis’s Science class. I am looking forward to working with you this year and
helping you expand your knowledge and skills in science. In order to ensure your success in the
classroom I have put several guidelines into place. Please take the time to read the following
guidelines that you will be expected to follow.

I- Student class (Zoom) responsibilities:

​Students are to bring their binder, pencil and paper to every Zoom class. Please connect
to Zoom classes on time, or early. Connecting late results in loss of explanations and instruction
that may be difficult to duplicate. Please be present for class. If you are texting, playing video
games, having side chats with friends etc, this may be viewed as being absent. Please use your
first name and last initial when in Zoom classes.

Use of camera during Zoom- Having video on is my preference. However, if you are
uncomfortable, please choose a photo of yourself or other appropriate background. Please do
not change backgrounds multiple times during meetings, this is distracting. At times you may be
asked to turn your camera on for certain activities.

When using Zoom break-out rooms and chats you are expected to be respectful to all teachers
and fellow students. Inappropriate behavior will result in a call home and/or a
teacher/parent/admin meeting.

II- Attendance:
​Attendance will be taken and recorded daily. Zoom keeps records of whom and for how
long each person attends class. When possible please notify me ahead of time if you are going
to miss class. If you miss class please check our weekly outline on Schoology and Schoology
updates to see what you missed. Note that student office hours are a great time to ask
questions about missed work.

III- Student Office hours:

Student office hours will be Mon-Fri. 12:40-1:15 and 2:30-3:00. Please message or
email me to set up a time and date if you would like to meet during office hour time. Note that if
you have a quick question and don’t wish to meet in person then I will also be available during
this time to respond to Schoology messages.

This time can be used for extra help on content and assignments, studying, or getting caught up
on missed work. Note that if you have a quick question and don’t wish to meet in person then I
will also be available during this time to respond to Schoology messages.
IV- Weekly Outlines:
​Please use the weekly outlines posted on Schoology to plan for your week. The weekly
outlines are known as the Week at a Glance. These include all learning steps (assignments) for
the week, links to important documents, videos and other references. Additionally you can find
expected time frames for how long work should take and whether/how to submit tasks for a
grade. They also provide student learning goals. In other words, the “why” we are doing the
work.
Note that it is very important to complete all of the tasks in order, even if not all are
supposed to be submitted for a grade. The tasks have been purposely arranged in a particular
order to help support your learning of new content.

V- Grades:
​Grades will be based on a scaled point system, with an emphasis on helping your
science skills grow over time. Assignments will be of varying importance, length, and
time required​. There will be assessments (quizzes and tests) and they will be open notes.
Please be sure to keep track of your notes, labs and assignments. They will be needed in order
to prepare for assessments and end of unit reflections. I strongly recommend keeping a science
folder on your I-Pad or an actual physical binder where you keep copies. Choose the method
that works best for you.

Grade breakdown:​ Total points earned will determine quarter grade. Grades are not rounded
up or down.
A 94-100
A- 90-93
B+ 87-89
B 84-86
B- 80-83
C+ 77-79
C 74-76
C- 70-73
D 60-69
F 0-59

VI- Late work:

Assignments should be submitted by the due date. I will not accept late work submitted
past one week beyond the due date unless there are special circumstances. It is very
challenging to move forward with learning if we are constantly working in the past.

VII- Organization:
Suggestions for staying organized.
1)​ ​Designate a work space in your home for Zoom classes and school work.
2)​ ​Set up a work space with supplies; pencils, pens, paper, I-Pad charging access etc.
3)​ ​Use some sort of divider system for classes. Example a plastic tray that holds
various folders and/or dividers.
4)​ ​Label binders, folders and notebooks for each class so that they don’t get mixed up
5)​ ​Print out a copy of the school class schedule and post it in your work space.
6)​ ​Every week print out a copy of the class outline. High-lite important info.
7)​ ​Use a planner if it helps. Write down important due dates for all classes.
8)​ ​In science keep track of all assignments and notes. You will need them in order to
complete your study guide and prepare for assessments.