Mrs. Briotti
Grade 8 Science Teacher
Email: kbriotti@rsd17.org
Welcome to 8th grade science! Listed below are guidelines & policies that are important and necessary for a successful experience in science class this year. Please read them carefully.
Science is all about making sense of the things around us. We will be observing, questioning, experimenting, engineering and researching the world around us this year. Eighth grade students further their understanding of the physical sciences while continuing to develop into independent learners. Students begin their exploration of physics by exploring motion and collisions. Students wrap up their exploration of physics with the concepts of energy and waves. After gaining an understanding of the Earth's relationship with the moon and the sun, we look at our neighbors in the solar system and continue to widen our understanding of the universe. Please be prepared to learn enough to ask questions and then work hard enough to find and make sense of the answers!
Homework: Assignments will be posted on my teacher webpage which can be accessed through www.rsd17.org. Students will generally be assigned homework 2-3 nights each week. Often the homework will be to review and or study material presented in class. Homework assignments will vary in length depending on the specific curriculum topic being studied. The assignments assigned for homework are selected carefully, so it is important that you make every effort to complete each one on time.
I believe that homework and independent class work is a place for practice of new learning. However, in order for me to continually monitor the progress of your son/daughter, there will be days when I collect and grade the homework, days when I collect and check it for effort, and still others when I will not collect it at all. Homework will always be reviewed and corrected by your son/daughter or myself. Homework and classwork will usually be scored on a scale of 0-20 points, which will account for 30% of their overall average. Scores on assessments (tests, quizzes, projects, lab reports, and written response etc.) will be more representative of the grade (and student knowledge) for the course and vary in weight. Assessments as a whole will account for 70% or their overall average.
Grades: Student’s grade will be based on a variety of activities including classwork, homework, tests, quizzes, projects, and labs. Your average for each trimester will be calculated based on 2 categories: classwork/homework and assessments. The weight for each is the following:
Classwork/Homework - 30% Assessments -70%
Absences: If students miss a day of class, they are responsible for; handing in the previous day’s assignment, getting the notes from a classmate or my website, getting the previous night’s homework assignment from a classmate or my web site and arranging for makeup of quizzes or tests during flex. It is the student’s responsibility to check Powerschool regularly to see if any work is missing.
Extra Help: Extra help is available to any student during flex period, before or after school. Arrangements must be made ahead of time and students must come prepared with questions or specific topics that they would like reviewed. Please do not wait until the last minute to get help!
Incomplete or Late Work: Homework is usually corrected in class the day that it is due, credit will not be given for work that is not completed before the assignment is reviewed in class. Partial credit will be given for most other assignments handed in within 2 days of the due date.
Assessment Retakes and Corrections: Retakes are offered for most quizzes at the discretion of the teacher. Retakes are not given for tests. Students are not allowed more than 2 retakes each term. Students are required to complete a retake request form and return it by the following day. The form must have a parent signature to acknowledge the initial grade and record additional preparations taken for the retake. Both the initial and the retake grades will be averaged together(with a maximum score of 75%) and will be reflected in PowerSchool.
Grade 8 Science Teacher
Email: kbriotti@rsd17.org
Welcome to 8th grade science! Listed below are guidelines & policies that are important and necessary for a successful experience in science class this year. Please read them carefully.
Science is all about making sense of the things around us. We will be observing, questioning, experimenting, engineering and researching the world around us this year. Eighth grade students further their understanding of the physical sciences while continuing to develop into independent learners. Students begin their exploration of physics by exploring motion and collisions. Students wrap up their exploration of physics with the concepts of energy and waves. After gaining an understanding of the Earth's relationship with the moon and the sun, we look at our neighbors in the solar system and continue to widen our understanding of the universe. Please be prepared to learn enough to ask questions and then work hard enough to find and make sense of the answers!
Homework: Assignments will be posted on my teacher webpage which can be accessed through www.rsd17.org. Students will generally be assigned homework 2-3 nights each week. Often the homework will be to review and or study material presented in class. Homework assignments will vary in length depending on the specific curriculum topic being studied. The assignments assigned for homework are selected carefully, so it is important that you make every effort to complete each one on time.
I believe that homework and independent class work is a place for practice of new learning. However, in order for me to continually monitor the progress of your son/daughter, there will be days when I collect and grade the homework, days when I collect and check it for effort, and still others when I will not collect it at all. Homework will always be reviewed and corrected by your son/daughter or myself. Homework and classwork will usually be scored on a scale of 0-20 points, which will account for 30% of their overall average. Scores on assessments (tests, quizzes, projects, lab reports, and written response etc.) will be more representative of the grade (and student knowledge) for the course and vary in weight. Assessments as a whole will account for 70% or their overall average.
Grades: Student’s grade will be based on a variety of activities including classwork, homework, tests, quizzes, projects, and labs. Your average for each trimester will be calculated based on 2 categories: classwork/homework and assessments. The weight for each is the following:
Classwork/Homework - 30% Assessments -70%
Absences: If students miss a day of class, they are responsible for; handing in the previous day’s assignment, getting the notes from a classmate or my website, getting the previous night’s homework assignment from a classmate or my web site and arranging for makeup of quizzes or tests during flex. It is the student’s responsibility to check Powerschool regularly to see if any work is missing.
Extra Help: Extra help is available to any student during flex period, before or after school. Arrangements must be made ahead of time and students must come prepared with questions or specific topics that they would like reviewed. Please do not wait until the last minute to get help!
Incomplete or Late Work: Homework is usually corrected in class the day that it is due, credit will not be given for work that is not completed before the assignment is reviewed in class. Partial credit will be given for most other assignments handed in within 2 days of the due date.
Assessment Retakes and Corrections: Retakes are offered for most quizzes at the discretion of the teacher. Retakes are not given for tests. Students are not allowed more than 2 retakes each term. Students are required to complete a retake request form and return it by the following day. The form must have a parent signature to acknowledge the initial grade and record additional preparations taken for the retake. Both the initial and the retake grades will be averaged together(with a maximum score of 75%) and will be reflected in PowerSchool.