Policies and Agreements
Conduct and Expectations in an IB Class
This is a college-level course and we will treat you as college students. We expect that you will be attentive and responsible for your own learning. We expect that you will do the assigned work in this course, you will trust that the assigned work will help you reach the course goals, and you will let us know in a timely manner when you are struggling with the course.
During class, please refrain from activity that will take away from your learning or from classmates’ learning. Any student who does not cooperate in class potentially takes away from another student’s positive experience; that is unfair and unacceptable. When we (your teachers) are speaking, please give us the courtesy of listening. When it is your turn to speak, we and everyone else will return the courtesy.
Academic Honesty
It is assumed that Sequoia students are honorable people and academic honesty is a critical part of our school culture. Cheating or plagiarism will not be tolerated and is clearly a violation of course and school policy. In addition, colleges can require you to report any instances of academic dishonesty.
- If plagiarism is suspected, you will be held accountable according to the District Academic Honesty Policy.
- For all official IB assessments carried out in the class (IAs), teachers are required to authenticate it as the student’s work per IB policy. If a teacher cannot authenticate it, then it will NOT be submitted to IB resulting in a missing component towards the final IB score. (An N grade is received).
- If the assignment is a formal IB assessment, and it has already been submitted to IB, it will be reported to the IB organization and the student will face consequences dictated by IB.
- Students cannot submit the same IA, or parts of an IA, to satisfy two different IB course assessments. For example, you may not use your IB Biology IA as your Environmental Systems IA, or vice versa.
Electronics
Please be respectful by keeping cellphones and other devices away throughout the period unless we are using them for a specific purpose. We do not want to hear or see you distracted by your devices at any time during class. This includes the inappropriate use of laptops, iPads, or other digital note-taking devices.
Absences
Regular attendance is very important for success in IB Biology. Most of the labs, presentations, and other assignments are difficult, if not impossible, to completely make up.
- If you have missed notes, kindly ask a peer to borrow notes from days you missed, sometime outside of classroom hours.
- If you know you will be absent, make an appointment to make up the work before you leave.
- If you are sick, make an appointment as soon as you return. Email ahead when possible.
Practice: If you miss an assignment due to an excused absence, it is your responsibility to figure out what you missed while out and to seek and schedule a make-up. If you are absent, check with a classmate and check the class website for a summary of what you missed. You may turn in the assignment within two days of returning without penalty.
Assessments: If you are missing the day of an assessment due to an excused absence, you will take the assessment at the teacher's convenience without penalty. If you do not attend this session you will not be allowed to retake the assessment. The assessment will be slightly different and the period of time you have to complete it may be shorter.
Labs: If you missed a lab due to an excused absence, it is your responsibility to schedule a time and date for a lab make up session within two weeks of your absence.
You may not make up assignments, activities, assessments, or labs missed due to an unexcused absence. Your absence must appear as excused in Infinite Campus on the date of your return to class.
IAs must be turned in by 10 pm on the day they are due, or they will not be sent to IB and you will a receive an "N" (aka zero) on the IA component. You must still submit the IA within 5 (five) school days in order to pass the class for that semester.
Late Work
Late work will be accepted within 3 calendar days. After this time, your work will receive a 50% penalty. Missed labs require actual lab make-up or completion of an alternative assignment. If you feel that you need an extension for an assignment, you must communicate this with Ms. Thomas BEFORE the due date. Again, you may not make up assignments, activities, or labs missed due to an unexcused absence.
Computer Use
All students must have access to a computer and email account. There are many computer resources available to you at our school. Remember to hit "Submit" on all Canvas assignments and check the submission preview to ensure it went through.