Course Syllabus

Honors Biology: Policies and Procedures
Please remember that the policies, rules and expectations outlined in the WHS Student Handbook apply to students at all times.

Teacher: Dr. Robin

Email: robin@wellesleyps.org

Classroom: Room 337/438                Office Hours: Mondays after school (2:30 – 3:05 PM) in Rm 438

Office: Room 358

Website: Canvas

 

 

1. General Classroom Culture

The core values of Wellesley High School (Academic Excellence, Respect for Human Differences, Cooperative and Caring Relationships, Commitment to Community, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) will always be upheld as a standard in our learning community and in our classroom. I always encourage and expect members of our class to treat each other and members of our WHS community with respect, kindness, compassion, and openness. This also includes academic integrity, daily preparation for active participation with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

 

 

1. Materials you will need/are suggested:

• 3 ring binder with loose-leaf paper OR notebook and folder
• Pens and pencils
• Charged laptop/charger
• Headphones (sometimes we view videos during classwork)

 

    Class Textbook: Campbell Biology Concepts & Connections, 8^th Ed. ($120 replacement cost)

   

 

1. Student Evaluation:
   Student work in Biology will fall into either the category of Assessments or Assignments. Assessments will be worth 60% of your grade each term, and will include tests, quizzes, some major projects, and formative assessments after some classwork, homework and lab assignments.

Assignments will be worth 40% of your grade each term, and will include classwork, homework, labs, Canvas quizzes, knowledge checks, and other assignments.

• Assessments (Tests and Quizzes): 60%
• Assignments (Labs/projects): 40%

Homework will be assigned, though not always graded. This does not mean that homework is optional, or not an important part of your learning experience. All homework must be completed on time, whether or not it is graded. This is an important part of your learning the course material.

Late assignments will receive a 20%-point deduction if they are submitted after the due date and time posted on Canvas. All assignments must be submitted by the scheduled date of the upcoming Unit Assessment. Any assignment not submitted by that date will receive 0 points and cannot be revised.

Assessments cannot be revised. Assignments may be revised for up to 80% credit. Revisions must be submitted within a week of receiving a grade, or by the end of the unit, whichever date is earlier. Exclusions can apply at teacher discretion (for example, you may not revise the Final IRP Lab Report).

This course will also assess students using a Midyear Exam, a formal written Final IRP Lab Report for a long-term experimental project, and a Final Exam. Each assessment will be worth 4% of your year grade, and will be averaged together in the E1 category of your grade, which is worth 12% of your Y1 grade.

1. Attendance:

Please make every effort to attend class and be on time - assuming you are symptom free - do not come to school with new symptoms. Labs BEGIN at 7:30 am. If you have a written excuse for being late, take it to the house office before coming to class. If you are late without a written excuse, come directly to class.  All attendance policies outlined in the student handbook will be followed.  If you know you will be absent or tardy from class, please email me (robinj@wellesleyps.org) ASAP. It is important for you to contact me about missed work or you will fall behind. Communication is key!!

When you are absent from class, you should check the class Canvas page, which will inform you of what you are responsible for making up. My expectation is that you will always check this page when you are absent and make up the missed assignments. You may also reach out to me via email. Whether or not you email me, you are responsible for making up ALL work from days you are absent.

When I am absent from class, you will receive a Canvas announcement that will communicate the required assignments for the class. The class meeting may be canceled, or you may be asked to attend class with a substitute teacher. Work assigned during a class that I miss will be due at the beginning of the following class period.

 

1. Academic Honesty/Integrity

Please be clear that cheating, copying HW, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will NOT BE TOLERATED. This includes the sharing of HW, classwork and most documents. I will indicate if an assignment should be done in groups. If you need clarity, ask!  If they should occur, a failing grade for that particular activity will be assessed for all parties involved.  The appropriate assistant principal will be contacted as well as parents/guardians.

Please review the student handbook regarding changes about the use of AI in schoolwork.

 

1. Canvas
   A majority of course materials will be on Canvas. Units will be outlined in module format and links to all documents, homework assignments, PowerPoints, labs, etc. will be found in these modules. The Canvas Calendar will be updated regularly with due dates, assessment dates, etc. The announcement feature will be regularly used for any and all updates, especially if there is a last-minute change (like a canceled class- this is rare, but it happens occasionally). Please check Canvas regularly for course information, updates and meeting links. If you are absent, this is the first place you should check. I strongly encourage you to download the Canvas app to your cell phones and allow for push notifications so you have the most up to date information possible.

 

1. Technology Use (Phones and Laptops)

Cell phones will remain turned off/silenced and placed in your assigned pocket in the phone holder (NOT on your person or in backpacks!) at the start of class. Occasionally, phones will be permitted to be used as academic tools (for instance, the phone’s camera may be valuable for data collection), but usually they will remain in the assigned phone pocket. The use of laptops will be frequent. The appropriate use of technology is expected and the district's Acceptable Use Policy for technology & BYOL agreement will be adhered to at all times (frequent infractions include prohibited behaviors such as texting or watching non-school related videos during class time).

 

I look forward to working with each of you this year.  Please know that I am here to help you learn and succeed in biology.  I hope this will be a rewarding year for all of us. 

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Robin

Parent/Guardian-Teacher communication

Parents/Guardians should feel free to contact Dr. Robin any time via school email at robinj@wellesleyps.org as this is the best form of communication during the school day.