WELCOME to Science!  Please fill out index card with: –Child Name, parent/guardian name(s), contact number(s) and (best)

Need some help!  we recycle old ink/toner cartridges/cell phones  Students bring: Campbells Labels for Education, Box tops, can tabs (class incentives)  Always need..PAPER, dry erase markers, basic office supplies, or anything else you think would be helpful!

A bit about me..  BA Marine Science  MS Science Education  Ed.S. Educational Leadership  Ph.D. Curriculum & Instruction FAU …(middle schoolers and sharks)  13th year at Pioneer  Science Dept. Chair, Volunteer Coordinator

Discipline Plan  Independent learning environment in a science class (self-directed THINKERS)  (try to resolve here first)…..then…  Letter/ /Phone Call Home  Detention (even academic) for Zeros!!!! (I will issue a detention after 3 zeros are obtained) * Students will be required to make up work for half of what they earn. (May use lunch time as alternative)  Referral  (this process follows the district discipline matrix)

Class Procedure Overview  Fill out agenda from white board –time has proven that students that do not fill out agenda tend not to perform as well  All classes have a Daily Warm-up Question In Notebook/Binder (good way to review)  Get other materials/assignments ready for the day  Any bound notebook/folder will do for daily assignments. After each quarter students may keep work at home. DON’T Throw anything away!

Starting this Year! In an effort to improve students’ retention of FCAT content for 8 th grade exam: (physical Sci. only) -Students will keep a cumulative notebook of essential content -Travels with students’ teachers from grades 6  7  8

Work Expectations  Often time is given in class to complete work, how your child uses it is important  Math/Reading/Writing Integration (CORE)  Projects-Ample TIME-open ended (Inquiry- type) for expression of interest/talents  Students need a parent/personal Gmail and/or flash drive to save/send work  Biology is a high school course with a fast(er) pace.  Expectations- students MUST ask questions if they need help

The Books  ALL texts available at  Earth 6, Life 7, Physical 8, Biology Honors  Encourages inquiry and good note-taking skills (they CAN write in the interactive book)  Save everything for testing!!! For future reference! Files here, files at home.

Dirty “F” Word FCAT and EOC  FCAT Science- 3yr. Cumulative exam (Earth, Life, Physical)  8 th grade teachers CANNOT review everything (feel free to purchase additional review materials).  Bio EOC covers ONLY Bio. 25 % Midterm (semester grade) and EOC is 30% of Final Grade  Information for FCAT/EOC practice will be posted on my website.  After/before school reviews offered after the 2 nd quarter for both Physical and Biology.  Last yrs. Bio scores. 62-5s, 4-4s, 7-3s. Those students  Chem. 1 H. or Bio 2 H.

Where’s The Homework??  Students carry agendas, I try to post assignments to website. (All students were asked to “phone a friend” or 2..3…  Pioneermiddle.com…click on Faculty/Staff> click on Science  click on Martin *A long term “research project” is expected in Physical Sci. gifted/adv. classes. (NOT Bio Honors) Assignment grading- X vs. 0 X is excused (no make up required, LIFE happens!). 0 is NO credit and ZERO points earned.

Back to….Sci Fair?  In Lieu of Science Fair, Physical Sci. students elected to work on building SeaPerch ROVs  Completed as group project with background paper discussion on ROVs  Will need some help soon… have applied for funding, but waiting Seaperch.org for details or YouTube “SeaPerch”  Biology is not required to complete a project, however if ANY student wants to pursue, I’ll be happy to help out  Grant Opportunities or other partnerships? Send my way!

Field Trip?  Pennekamp snorkeling trip is pending approval for May after ALL testing mess  More details to come

Contacts/Questions  Website  USE  Conference-if NECESSARY..contact  (she’s the 8 th grade coordinator)  ** , quick response!… confidential issues not discussed via  Need tutoring? Referrals are always good! Student cannot currently be in my class.