Welcome to the 2010-11 school year! I will be working with you in Chemistry, a college preparatory elective course equivalent to one year of laboratory science required for CSU and UC college applications. Chemistry students should expect to spend at least 5 hours a week in individual study outside the classroom and have COMPLETED Earth Science, Biology, Algebra, and Geometry with grades of C- or better. Concepts in Chemistry require previous knowledge of laboratory, mathematical, problem-solving skills learned in the previously mentioned courses. Our journey through Chemistry will be guided by the California State Chemistry Standards. High school chemistry students in California will take the California Standards Test in the spring. Content standards were designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level. Test results are used for student and school accountability purposes. Please review the Chemistry Class Policies and support the school and classroom rules. Every six weeks, students will share their Chemistry Interactive Notebook with a significant adult and will need a signature and comments. Students, families, and teachers working together maximize student achievement. Therefore, I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions as to how we can collaborate to make this year productive and stimulating for students. Please watch for newsletters and marquee announcements for upcoming school events, such as Back-to-School Night and Report Card Night. If you would like to be included on the class e-mail list, please send me an e-mail at [email protected] or click on the button below to visit our Wikispace. I pledge to work toward the success of my chemistry students and look forward to working with you throughout the year.