August 20, 2015

Dear Parent/Guardian,
Welcome to a fantastic new semester! It is my privilege to welcome your child to physical science. I am very
excited to have your child in my class this year.
The physical science course is a semester long introductory course that consists of both physics and
chemistry. Half the semester will be devoted to physics while the chemistry portion will be covered the
second part of the semester. Students will be introduced to a variety of topics and will be able to learn the
material in various ways such as labs, activities, projects, and individual and cooperative work. I expect
nothing but the best from my students. To insure that your child succeeds, we must all work together. Please
see attached syllabus for rules and procedures of my classroom.
I currently am working on a website for my classroom and will hopefully have it up and running in a week or
two. It is my goal to have my assignments and agenda posted on the website.
Students should bring the following to class: a three-ring binder, 5 tab dividers, loose leaf paper, pencil, blue
or black ink pen, color pencils, and a calculator.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns throughout the semester, please feel free to email or call
me. I am looking forward to a bright semester and hope this will be an exciting time for your child when
he/she is exposed to the wonders of physical science.

Sincerely,

Lacey Teague
Physical Science Teacher
North Myrtle Beach High School
lteague@horrycountyschools.net
(843) 399-6171 Ext. 2506

PHYSICAL SCIENCE SYLLABUS 2014-2015

Email: lteague@horrycountyschools.net
School Phone: (843)399-6171

Teacher: Ms. Teague

Planning: 4th block (1:50-3:20)
Webpage: http://teaguescience.weebly.com

Course Description:
Physical Science is an introductory science class comprised of content from physics and chemistry curricula.
Physical Science stresses the application of mathematics as the language of science. It serves as a strong
foundation for other high school science courses. This course emphasizes inquiry-based learning, process skills,
higher-order thinking skills, and interactive group classroom and laboratory skills. Because experimentation is
the basis of science, laboratory investigations are an integral part of this course. Investigative, hands-on lab
activities that address the high school inquiry standards are central to effective instruction in this course.
Standards:
This course complies with the South Carolina State Standards. These standards can be found in the Horry County
Student/Parent Handbook and at the South Carolina Department of Education website:
https://dev.ed.sc.gov/apps/cso/standards/supdocs_hs.cfm
Units of Study:
The academic units listed below may not be covered in this particular order.
Unit 1: Scientific Inquiry
Unit 2: Forces and Motion
Unit 3: Conservation and Transformation of Energy
Unit 4: Nature and Properties of Waves
Unit 5: Structure and Properties of Atoms
Unit 6: Properties and Classifications of Matter
Unit 7: Chemical Bonding and Reactions
REQUIRED Instructional Materials:

Lab contract agreement signed by parent/guardian and student

Three ring binder with tab dividers
Loose-leaf paper
Pens/Pencils
Calculator

SC Grading Scale:

100 93
92 85
84 77
76 70
69 0

A
B
C
D
F

Overall
Grade for the Semester
st
Weeks
1 Nine
40%
nd
2 Nine Weeks
40%
Final Exam
20%
100%

Grading Procedures:
Major Assessments (50%)
Mid-level Assessments (30%)
Labs/Projects
Practice (20%)
Homework/Class work

Make-Up Policy:
All assignments are due at the beginning of class. Work that is turned in later will have points deducted. A
total of ten points will be deducted each day for three days. Assignments turned in after three days will
receive a grade of 50.

Students will be given three days to make up any missed labs or assignments. It is the students
responsibility to come to me after class to determine what they have missed during their absence and to set
up a date after school to complete a missed lab. If a lab is not made up within the allotted time frame, a
grade of 0 will be given and cannot be made up.

Safety in the Science Classroom:

Any student who comes to lab without the proper clothing attire will not be permitted to conduct labs.
Instead the student will have to complete a class assignment as a portion of the lab grade. They will receive
a 0 for the lab until it has been completed. The student will have 3 days after the lab is conducted to
complete the lab on their own time (before or after schoolaccording to teacher tutorials).

Student Attendance:
Students are allowed to miss no more than 5 unlawful absences per class. If a student misses more than 5
unlawful days in a class, the student shall receive an FA (Failure due to attendance) for all subsequent
grading periods (interims and report cards) until the excessive absences are made up.

Learning Assessments:
Quizzes
Tests
Presentations
Lab Activities/Demos
Projects
Group Work

Classroom Rules/Policies and Procedures:

Classroom Rules
1. Do what is expected of you and keep a positive attitude!
2. Respect the property and rights of others around you.
3. Please do not talk while the teacher or your peers are speaking.
4. Come to class on time and be prepared. You need to have your notebook and book every day for class
(unless told otherwise).
5. No eating, drinking, or chewing gum in class/lab.
6. Leave lab/work area clean before leaving classroom.
7. NO CELL PHONES! Students need to review the policy on cell phones at school.
8. All school rules and policies apply.

Consequences for Breaking Rules/ Not Following Procedures

1. Verbal Warning.
2. Student/teacher conference and contact parent
3. Principal Referral

Classroom Policies and Procedures

1. Please get permission to go to the restroom. You must sign out and get a pass from the teacher to leave the
classroom.
2. All homework and class assignments should be handed in to the teacher at the beginning of class.
3. When it is time for class to begin, you should be seated and be working on the daily warm-up, not talking.
When class ends, you should remain in your seat until the teacher dismisses you.
4. When a student is absent, it is his/her responsibility to get their make-up work from me when they return.

5. Labs, activities, homework, daily assignments and notes should be kept in your notebook to keep track of
you progress and to use as study materials for the tests.

Lab Safety:
Because science demands hands-on experiences, it is necessary for safety in the laboratory to be a priority.
Students will be taught lab safety procedures and will be held responsible for their behavior in lab situations.
In order for the student to participate in lab experiences, the parent/ guardian and the student must sign a
safety contract.

Retest Policy
Students who do not master a major/unit test with a grade of 77 may retest. The following rules apply: (1) A
student must retest within 10 school days of the original test. (2) A student must attend a minimum number
of tutoring sessions as decided upon by the teacher. (3) The final unit test grade will be determined by
weighting the original test grade as 1/3 and the retest grade as 2/3. (4) If retesting is necessary, the highest
grade attainable will be 77. (5) Retesting on assignments other than major/unit tests is left to the discretion
of the teacher.

Communication
I will available through email and by phone if questions, comments, or concerns arise. It is my goal to
continually keep in contact with parents and to keep them updated via email.

Please sign up for REMIND. It is a fast and easy way for you and your child to receive reminders of up
and coming tests, quizzes, and major assignment due dates. Just text the number given and enter the
message seen below. Please remember to include the @ symbol.

Dell Venues
Our classroom will be utilizing technology, and as a result new expectations need to be met and
understood by all. The Dell Venue devices that were distributed on Sept. 17th are for academic use only.
Due to the capabilities of the Dell Venue, students must respect the privacy of all persons within the
building. Any student found using the device for anything other than the academic purpose of the lesson
will be dealt with by NMBHS administration.

It is important for parents and students to realize that the devices provided to students for technological
use are owned by Horry County Schools, and since they are owned by HCS, the device can be searched
at anytime. If your child uses the device for non-educational purposes during my class including but not
limited to:

Videoing,
Photographing,
Imaging or voice recording,
Messaging, and
Accessing social media , etc.

He or she will receive a discipline referral or a more severe punishment if warranted. Voice and video
recording or image capturing is prohibited unless the student has written permission from all persons
involved.

Teagues
Physical
Science

Student Name: _________________________________

Dear Parent/Guardian:
Please sign below acknowledging that you have had the opportunity to read the parent letter, syllabus,
state standards and lab safety contract. *Please sign the lab safety acknowledgement on the back.

________________________________
Parent/Guardian

_________________________________
Student Signature

_________________________________
Date

__________________________________
Date

Please that you have received:

Parent Letter: __________
Class Syllabus: _________

Lab Safety Acknowledgement:_________

Please fill out the following with your current contact information.
Parent/Guardian Name: ________________________________________________________________
Home Address: _______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________________________________

Home Phone: ________________________________________________________________________

Cell Phone: __________________________________________________________________________

Additional Comments: _________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me by email, phone or write comments
on this sheet. Thank you!