Teen Choices 2018-2019 Google classroom code: z68z4im Instructor: Mrs. Teresa Ulmer E-mail : tulmer@jajags.com Office Hours: Tues - Wed 7:30-8:00 am & Mon - Thurs 3:20-3:45 pm (except for days when I have meetings). * E-mail is the quickest way to contact me if you have questions or concerns related to this class. Think it Through MISSION The mission of the Jefferson Academy Science Department is to foster responsibility and critical thinking through inquiry, investigation and discovery using scientific reasoning. Course Description: This course is designed to give students the tools and processes they can utilize to cope with the challenges of being a teenager. The course will cover Colorado content standards for science as well as national health education standards which are related to making healthy or healthier choices in terms of their physical, relational, mental and family & reproductive health. Many of these topics are highly sensitive in nature. Students will be required to behave in a mature, productive and respectful manner at all times. Students will engage in research to guide their decision-making and goal-setting processes. They will determine the social, emotional and physiological consequences of certain decisions. Additionally, students will often be asked to engage with their families to discuss these health issues. Instruction: Students can expect: group work, lecture, discussion, note taking, reading, writing, problem solving, research, quizzes, exams, presentations, homework and projects among other activities. ALL STUDENTS WILL KEEP A 3-RING BINDER TO ORGANIZE THEIR ASSIGNMENTS, NOTES, ETC. Grading: Students can expect their grades to be updated weekly; students are responsible for checking their grades weekly to ensure all assignments are accurately recorded. All work will be graded on the following weighted scale: Assessments - 40% Work - 45 % Final Exam - 15 % A B C D F 90-100 % - exceeded expectations consistently 80-89 % - exceeded some expectations 70-79 % - met all expectations 60-69 % - sometimes met expectations 59 % & below - consistently failed to meet expectations
Office Hours: I am happy to spend some extra time individually working with students that need help or have questions. If possible, make an appointment to ensure that I will be available or feel free to email me your questions. Please do not wait until after an assignment OR assessment has been reviewed, collected, or graded to tell me you struggled to complete the assignment or to understand the material. Let me know ahead of time so I can help you before your grade is impacted! Make Up: Per school rule, you are allowed two school days for every day missed from school to make up work. It is your responsibility to obtain assignments and complete the work you missed. Major projects (ex. Final Projects, Unit Projects, Research Papers, etc) are due ON or BEFORE the date due, whether the student is present or not. Make up tests may be different from those given on the original test day. If you are absent for any reason, 1. Check the Monday-Friday file and Google classroom for any work that was distributed 2. Ask a classmate for notes or other things you missed 3. Turn in any collected assignments directly to Mrs Ulmer - Write ABSENT on date at the top 4. Complete and turn in missed assignments directly to Mrs Ulmer - Write ABSENT on date at the top 5. Make an appointment to make up missed tests, quizzes or labs Late Work : Assignments not submitted when collected or asked to be submitted online will be considered late. If an assignment turned in is late, a point deduction of 50% of its earned credit value will be taken. No work later than the end of each unit will be accepted. When submitting late work, write LATE at the top of the page and hand the assignment directly to Mrs Ulmer. If you know that you will be unable to complete an assignment by the due date, please contact Mrs Ulmer to make other arrangements and to possibly avoid the late work penalty. Mrs Ulmer is under no obligation to grade late work immediately as preferential grading will be first given to students' work that has been turned in ON TIME. Conduct: Students are expected to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner at all times. This means that all rules in the student handbook will be enforced. Please know that inappropriate conduct can influence your grade as well as your classmates, when I enforce rules and expectations I am doing so to ensure you and your classmates are safe, able to learn and able to be successful in my class. Failure to meet behavior expectations will result in a conference with me, a discussion with your parents/guardians, and/or the creation of a discipline plan. Repeated or severe cases of student misconduct will be referred to the admin for further disciplinary action. Disciplined or Above the Line Behaviors: Students are expected to: 1. Be the Best Version of Yourself have a positive attitude and participate fully in activities; hold yourself to high standards; turn in high quality work that is your own; complete work
on time; make work neat and legible; use correct spelling and grammar; help your classmates and share equally the workload for group projects 2. Be Responsible take responsibility for your actions and choices; don t blame others; follow safety rules; come prepared for class; be on time 3. Be Respectful - be polite, listen, encourage and congratulate others; don t do anything that impedes my ability to teach or impedes the ability of anyone in the classroom to learn; take concerns directly to me; use appropriate language; take care of school property and clean up after yourself; leave class only with teacher permission; wait to be dismissed before leaving. Academic Honesty : As with any other class, academic honesty is expected. Turning in any work that is not your own, without citation, is considered plagiarism. This includes work from print sources such as books, electronic sources such as the internet, and human sources such as other students. Any student involved in such incidents will receive no credit for work determined to be plagiarized and will face appropriate consequences determined by Mrs. Ulmer and the administration. Tardy Policy : Students should be in the room, seated, fully prepared and working on QTs when the Tardy Bell rings. ANY tardy students will either get less time to work on an activity the class is doing or may receive a zero if it is an activity that has been completed. Habitual tardiness will result in the following: 1st Tardy-teacher conference/speak with student when appropriate during that class period. 2nd Tardy-teacher notifies parent and speaks to the student. 3rd Tardy-teacher contacts parent; student receives teacher led detention/consequence. 4th Tardy-referral to office. 5th Tardy-parent, student and admin meeting at school Technology : Devices: Please bring your charged device to class every day. You will be informed of when to use devices. Devices should be stored in backpacks or under the desk, until it is needed. The devices should be utilized for educational purposes only and in accordance with the school s acceptable use policy. If your device becomes a distraction, you may lose the privilege of using technology in class or face other disciplinary actions. If you fail to bring your device, you may lose points for an assignment, have to do the work by hand or complete it for homework. In some situations, you may be able to work with a partner for the day, but don t count on it. Cell phones: Cell phone use will not be permitted in class.
When you come to class, please put your cell phone into the cell phone holder in the numbered slot assigned to you. You may retrieve your phone when the bell rings at the end of class. If you fail to follow the cell phone procedures, you will face disciplinary consequences. Food/Drink Policy : No food or non-water drinks are allowed in class. Occasionally, an activity involving food will be assigned, so the materials used may be eaten. Individual Supplies (keep these for your own use): 1 binder and dividers pencils loose leaf paper blue or black pens folder colored pencils/markers Classroom Supplies (turn these in to Mrs. Ulmer) : 2 boxes of kleenex (last name A-D); 2 sheets of poster board (last name E-M); 2 boxes of markers (last name N-R) 3-Ring Binder : Students may receive a grade for organizing and maintaining a 3-Ring binder for this course. Within each section file your work in the following order: (1) notes (2) assignments (3) quizzes (4) tests. The binder should be divided into the following sections: QTs, Reflections, Setting Goals for a Healthy Lifestyle, Assessing Valid and Reliable Information, Using Interpersonal Communication for Health and Wellness, Managing Oneself to Better Health, Making Decisions that Improve Health, Understanding and Analyzing Influences on One s Health Behaviors and Becoming an Advocate for One s Own Health All work that we complete in class will be added to the binder in the appropriate section of the binder. Loose leaf should be stored at the end of the binder. Please see the course activities outline for the chapter readings and major test dates.
Printed Name: Teen Choices Syllabus 2018-2019 Mrs. Ulmer s POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS AGREEMENT Student and Parents: Please sign below to acknowledge that you have thoroughly read and that you agree to the Teen Choices Syllabus (Policies and Expectations). I understand and comply with all of the policies and expectations for Teen Choices. Student Signature Date for parents/guardians only I understand and will support the implementation of all of the policies and expectations for Teen Choices. Parent Signature Date Parents/Guardians: Please initial next to the following indicating your position. During the course of this quarter, we may use videos or movies that are related to the health topics discussed in this course. Here is a list of some movies that we may watch: Super Size Me, Basketball diaries, When a Man Loves a Woman, 28 Days, 13 Reasons Why, Precious, Breakfast Club and Juno. I am comfortable with my child watching part or all of a PG-13 movie that is related to the topics covered in class. I am comfortable with my child watching part or all of a rated R movie that is related to the topics covered in class. I am comfortable with my student participating in class discussion regarding abstinence and pregnancy prevention as part of the family and reproductive health unit. The curriculum emphasizes abstinence. I am NOT comfortable with my student participating in class discussion regarding abstinence and pregnancy prevention. I would like my student to complete an alternative assignment during this class time which will consist of individual research completed in the library. My student will still participate in the unit material required by the state of Colorado standards such as the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the Reproductive System. Please share any additional information that you think will be important in terms of your child s success in Teen Choices. Please turn in this sheet; set up your binder; bring in classroom supplies to Mrs. Ulmer!