Course Information to the Student

Course Eligibility:
Seniors need a minimum combined course average (cumulative GPA) of 85 in all Regents courses and a minimum score of 85 on the NYS Regents in Chemistry.

Juniors need a minimum combined course average (cumulative GPA) of 90 in all Regents courses and a minimum score of  90 on the NYS Regents in Chemistry.

Students who fail to meet eligibility criteria can only enroll in a SUNY Orange CCHSP course with a academic waiver approved by the appropriate SUNY Orange department chair.  Requests for such waivers are made either by the high school principal or guidance director.

A few words from your instructor:

To be successful in chemistry, one must pay attention in lecture and conscientiously do the homework.  It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that she/he is doing well in this course.  This course moves very quickly and it can be very easy to fall behind.  If you are struggling, please make every effort to see me during a mutually free time.  Below you will find information about your tests, quizzes, labs and homework.

Test and Quizzes:

Quizzes will be given during the first 10 minutes of class.  Quizzes will be based almost exclusively on homework.  Quizzes may be announced or unannounced.  A missed quiz must be made up within 5 days after you return to school or it will receive a grade of zero.  The lowest quiz grade for each semester will be dropped.

Tests will also be based on homework with the possibility of some multiple-choice questions.  The week the test will be given has been provided in the course schedule.  A missed test must be made up within 3 days after returning to school. 

Labs:

Laboratory Experiments are an integral part of any Chemistry course.  We will be completing approximately 14 experiments throughout the course of the semester.  In order to be eligible to take the final exam, you must complete a minimum of 11 experiments.  If you are absent the day a lab is completed, you must make up that missed lab within 7 days after returning to school.  Prelabs must be done before the beginning of lab.  Late prelabs will receive no credit.  Conclusions are due at the beginning of the next lab period after the completion of the lab.  Late conclusions are graded but are marked 30% off.  All labs must be recorded in a laboratory notebook.  This notebook is the responsibility of the student to maintain. 

Homework:

Although there is no homework grade for this course, you are expected to be doing work outside of the classroom.  This work includes reading the chapters of the textbook, completing the problems in the chapters and completing the worksheets for that particular week.  Since quizzes are based on homework, the more homework you do, the better you will do on the quizzes.  The worksheets will be made available at the beginning of every week.  The solution to all problems will be provided at the end of the worksheet.  If you feel more practice is needed to master a particular skill, please turn to the problems within your textbook and use the solutions guide to obtain the correct answers.  If you are still struggling to understand a concept, please see me after school or during a mutual free time.

Remember: You are the key to success in this course.  The more effort you put in, the more results you will see in the end.