Physical Science

Teacher Information
Teacher: Mrs. DiCiancia Room: 527
Website: mrsdcscience.weebly.com Planning: 2nd Block
Phone: 919-718-2400 Ext. 2132 E-mail: jdiciancia.sl@lee.k12.nc.us
Office Hours: I am usually available after school once a week from 3:00 – 4:00 for students to
make up work missed due to absences. The date is posted on the board weekly. Students
should always confirm my availability before making arrangements to stay after school.

Course Description
Welcome to Physical Science! Physical science is the study of matter and energy, and this course can fulfill the physical
science graduation requirement. In this course, we will begin to appreciate, understand, and experiment with matter and
energy. Along the way we will be developing our scientific reasoning skills, our literacy skills, and our quantitative
reasoning skills. We will build upon the basic understanding of science we will have developed through elementary and
middle school, and we will continue to broaden and enrich that understanding as we prepare ourselves for more advanced
science courses in high school and beyond. Through our study of chemistry and physics, we will study a wide variety of
phenomena that we encounter in our everyday lives.

Required Materials
1. A 3-ring binder.
2. Pencils and/or pens.
3. You must bring all required materials to class every day. This is part of your classswork grade. If for some
reason you have trouble acquiring these materials, or if you have trouble bringing them to class every day,
come see me, and I may be able to help you.
50% Major Assessment There will be a test at the end of each unit.
40% Daily Grades This includes class work, homework, laboratory activities, and any other assignments
aside from tests and quizzes. Most activities can be completed during class time, but
occasionally there will be homework.
10% Minor Assessment There will be frequent announced and unannounced quizzes, including notebook
quizzes.
Overall Grade Q1: 40% Q2: 40% Final: 20%

Cheating
Cheating includes but is not limited to plagiarism, using your notes on a test when it is not allowed, using a calculator,
phone, or other electronic device to store information on it to be copied later, talking during a test, or copying someone
else’s work. If you are caught cheating you will be given a zero on the assignment and will receive disciplinary action. If
there was another person involved in the incident then they will also receive a zero and receive disciplinary action.

Late Assignments
1. Homework assignments and lab reports are due at the BEGINNING of class on the day they are due.
2. Students may turn in TWO late assignments per quarter.
3. There is a 20-point deduction on late assignments. After the 2nd late assignment, students may only
make up missing assignments if they stay after school with me.
4. Students can only complete a maximum of 5 late assignments with the following guidelines:
a. Assignments must be completed after school with Mrs. DiCiancia before the 8 th week of the
current quarter.
 b. If we have already reviewed the answers to the original assignment, students must complete an
alternate assignment.
c. Board review will not be accepted as late work and cannot be made up.

Make-Up work due to Absences

1. It is the student’s responsibility to remember to turn in the assignment.
2. Students are expected to make up missed daily assignments within three days of their absence unless other
arrangements have been made.
3. Students are expected to make up missed quizzes, labs and tests within one week of an absence, unless other
arrangements have been made.
It is the student’s responsibility to know what work needs to be made up.

Cell phones
1. Students are not permitted to have cell phones during class.
2. Students should not have cell phones visible or turned on.
3. Since I have a clock in my classroom, there is no need to check a cell phone for the time! 
4. With permission, students may use the classroom phone at the beginning or end of class to call parents,
work, etc. when necessary.
5. Confiscated cell phones will be given to an administrator. A parent or guardian is required to retrieve
the cell phone from the administrator.

Classroom Rules (Please refer to your handbook for all Southern Lee High School policies and rules.)
I will try to keep this list small, but each will be taken seriously; a few warnings, detention, write-ups are all possible
outcomes of disobeying the following rules:
1. Absolutely no food in the classroom and the only drink allowed will be water in a clear and closed container.
(meaning a water bottle)
2. No one is allowed behind my desk except me unless you have my permission.
3. Each person is to be treated with respect, especially each other. I do not tolerate cruel and cutting remarks to be
made to each other in a mean-spirited manner.
4. When you enter the room, please sit down, get your work out from the day before, and start on the warm-up
questions/activity.
5. Read and follow all directions especially during a lab activity. If you do not you will be dismissed from the lab,
given an alternate assignment to be completed after school and lab privileges will be revoked.

Passes
You are allowed 4 passes per quarter to wherever you need to go. (Being called by the office or guidance and
emergencies will not impact these.)

Discipline
1st Offense: Verbal Warning
● If you are doing something wrong in my class, I will immediately tell you. This will serve as your first and only
warning. This may happen inside the classroom as a verbal warning, or you may be asked to step outside the
classroom for a conference with the teacher.
nd
2 Offense: Parent Contact
3rd Offense: Administrative Referral
 Physical Science Syllabus Contract
(Return signed contract by Friday August 31st)

Teacher: I promise to hold my students accountable for the high expectations within this syllabus.

_____________ ___
Printed Teacher Name

_______________________ August 27, 2018

Teacher Signature Date

Student: I have read this syllabus, and I promise to follow all of the procedures held within.

_________________________________________ __________________________________
Print Student Name Class Period with Mrs. DiCiancia

_________________________________________ __________________________________
Student Signature Date

Parent/Guardian: I have read this syllabus and the expectations to which my student will be held.

_________________________________________ __________________________________
Print Parent/Guardian Name Best Contact (Phone number or e-mail)

_________________________________________ __________________________________
Parent Signature Date