Mr. Rogers' Syllabus - Information Common to All Classes

Click on the links below for 2007-08 individual class information and syllabi. This page is at http://intuitor.com/mrstu.php

CONTACT INFORMATION

Dear Parent or Guardian,
Please familiarize yourself with both the Mr. Rogers' Syllabus -Information Common to all Classes  (shown on this page) and the syllabus for the specific class your son or daughter is taking (click the link on the schedule at right). Be sure to bookmark this page
 
I'm looking forward to working with your son or daughter. Please check the link below about succeeding in an AP class if it applies. Your help can make a big difference.
 
If you have any questions I can be reached as follows:
E-mail: tkrogers@greenville.k12.sc.us
School Phone: 355-8737

Please send me an e-mail with the name of your son or daughter as the subject as confirmation that you have read this syllabus. I will use this to communicate with you.

Extra Credit Opportunity--Science Fair

How to Succeed on AP Tests

Mr. Rogers Schedule of Classes

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th
AP Stats 

IB Design Tech

AP/IB Physics C Mechanics Plan Plan AP/IB Physics II   AP Comp Sci A

AP/IB Comp Sci AB

Rm 134 Rm 105 Rm 105 Rm 134 Rm 134 Rm 134 Rm 105 
Lunch: First lunch

How to Get Help: Mr. Rogers is normally available in  room 105 0r 134  after school Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. AP Computer Science tutors are available. Their schedule will be posted.

 
AP classes are challenging college level courses. Students in Mr. Rogers AP classes are encouraged to form study groups, use AP study books, and attend all of Mr. Rogers study sessions.
Failure is not an option.
- Gene Kranz, Mission Director Apollo 13 -

CLASSROOM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
CLASS OBJECTIVES: Teaching, tests, and assignments all focus on daily objectives. You can help by making sure your son or daughter reviews them. If they can't answer them, they need to study or bring questions to class.  Follow the links in Mr. Rogers Schedule of Classes shown above to view the objectives. Objectives may change before they're officially assigned.

METHOD OF CALCULATING GRADES: Points are awarded for each graded item. A student's points for all items are summed and divided by the total number of possible points, then multiplied by 100 to get a percentage grade. Extra credit is added to student points but not total points possible. Grade scale is shown at right.

TESTS - 65 to 75%: AP courses require students to sit for an AP exam. To help prepare students, tests will be emphasized. Each will be written as close to AP level as possible. Tests are the key element and typically count 65 to 75% of the grade. The 4th quarter will be devoted entirely to AP test review and will consist of several AP practice tests. Your 4th quarter grade will reflect your performance on the AP test.

Letter Grade Percent
A 93 - 100
B 85 - 92
C 77 - 84
D

70 - 76

 

TEST RETAKING: Each student will be granted one retest during the 1st quarter to compensate for a bad day, not to raise B's to A's. Retest grades will be lowered by 5%. The student will receive the higher of the retest and original test grades. Second quarter, a student's lowest grade will be automatically replaced by the semester exam. Third Quarter, students will have the opportunity to earn extra credit in the science fair. Fourth quarter in AP classes, the highest test grade will be counted twice.

1st SEMESTER EXAM: in AP courses, the 1st semester exam will be as close to a full AP test as possible. Students can generally enhance their performance by taking practice tests from AP study books ahead of time.

LAB AND ENRICHMENT ASSIGNMENTS - 20 to 25%: The second most important element in grades will be lab and enrichment assignments. This will normally be about 20 to 25% of the grade.

MINOR GRADE ITEMS: The remainder of the grade will be made up of homework, quiz, and class participation grades.

ZERO'S: Grades of zero have a disproportionate effect. Hence, missing lab reports will be given 40% of the possible points. This policy will generally not be in effect on tests or major assignments.

HOMEWORK: Students will have homework on a regular basis. At the end of each test, homework is to be stapled to the test and turned in for a grade of 5 points. Homework not stapled to the test will not be graded. No exceptions will be made. Homework is primarily for practice and will not be a major part of grades. Computer science students will also be responsible for about 6 programs per quarter.

MAKE UP WORK: Homework and quizzes cannot be made up but will not count against a student with an excused absence. All other work must be made up outside of class.

EXTRA CREDIT: Extra credit will normally not be available unless noted on individual subject syllabi.

CLASS PARTICIPATION: Class participation is essential. Each student starts the grading quarter with 10 points of participation credit. Deductions of up to 2 points per day will be made for failure to participate. A student who sleeps in class will be given one warning. Those who continue sleeping receive a 2 point participation deduction for the day. Participation score can be negative. 

 
Who is Mr. Rogers
Does He Wear Sweaters?

Mr. Rogers worked for about 18 years as an engineer in industry. He's a US patent holder, has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Arizona State University and a master's degree in business administration from Clemson University.

In 1993 Mr. Rogers began teaching. He has taught at Southside since 1997 and typically teaches AP Physics, AP Computer Science, and AP Statistics.

Mr. Rogers lives in a passive solar house he designed, and lifts weights. He has published articles in Newsweek, Reader's Digest, and American Physical Society News. With his sons' help he maintains a web site at intuitor.com. Parts of the site have been reviewed by or listed in various media such as Slashdot, Fark, Physics Today Magazine, The New York Times, and National Public Radio. Other parts have received support from the National Science Foundation and Clemson University.

Mr. Rogers owns no sweaters with zippers but it's a beautiful day in his nerdahood.

 
 

CLASS RULES

 

CONSEQUENCES

  1. Don't talk when Mr. Rogers is addressing the class. 
  2. Remain seated except with teacher permission. 
  3. Use your class time for learning the subject. 
  4. All equipment in the classroom is off limits except with teacher permission.
  5. Commit yourself to passing the AP Exam.
Emergency Passes: No one will be allowed to leave class during the class period without a pass written in the student agenda. No agenda means no passes. Students will be granted only two of these per quarter.
 
Minor Infractions- Individual
1st Verbal Reprimand
2nd Lunch Detention
3rd After School Detention
4th Referral
Major Infractions - Individual
Referral
Infractions- Group
Group activities will occasionally be performed outside of the classroom and will be cancelled if behavior gets out of line.

If you do not send an e-mail as described above then please sign and return a copy of this page by the end of the second week of school

I have visited the appropriate web page or received a printed copy. If I have an e-mail address I have sent Mr. Rogers an e-mail with my son or daughters name as the subject.

Parent Signature

 ___________________________ 

Date _____________

I have visited the appropriate web page or received a printed copy for the course I signed up to take from Mr. Rogers. I am committed to making every possible effort to pass the AP test associated with the subject.

Student Signature

 ___________________________ 

Date _____________

Mr
 

Check out other web sites created by Mr. R:

 

First the web site, now the book!


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