Jefferson Middle School

Jefferson Middle School 6th Grade Gifted Science – Class Syllabus

Teacher: Steven Kaestner, Room 105 Phone: 255-8691 x20539 Class Website:

Course Description: This class is intended for the subset of gifted students who have exceptional interest and aptitude for science and math.

In keeping with NM State Standards, 6th grade gifted science will focus on Earth Science. Major blocks of time will be devoted to studying the nature of science, energy, matter, geology, weather, astronomy, and Earth systems relationships. The NM State Science Standards that will be addressed during the year can be accessed online:

Language Arts and Math Common Core State Standards will be infused throughout the course. Please see:

To help meet student’s IEP goals and individual learning needs, a variety of class experiences should be expected. These may include: individual and group assignments, discussions, presentations, hands-on labs, independent study/research, films, discussions on science in the news, and other things that might be interesting and/or appropriate for gifted students. Students will do an independent science/engineering research project (which they might enter in JMS’s Science Fair).

Materials Needed Daily: At a minimum, students need to bring a pencil, loose leaf paper, and some method (such as a binder/folder) for keeping papers organized. Earphones are often useful.

Grading: The bulk of student’s grades will come from their daily work on class assignments. The larger and longer-term the assignments and projects are, the more they will be weighted towards a student’s final grade. Almost always, students will be notified in advance of the infrequent (often open-note) tests and quizzes. Parents will receive a progress report during the middle of each 9-week grading period. Parents can also check grades on StudentVue. (I often catch up on grading over the weekend – an average of 2 to 3 grades per week is typical.) I encourage students to check their grades online and communicate with me to rectify errors, zeros, or any confusion about assignment grades. I will gladly make time to discuss student progress with parents – please email me or call. (over) I do accept late work. I will accept it through the end of each quarter (with a 25% penalty). I also give out one “ticket” per quarter that allows students to turn in an assignment up to one week late with no penalty. (The ticket can’t be used on certain major projects – this will clearly be communicated to students.) Extra credit opportunities are uncommon.

Homework: Besides occasional longer-term projects, homework will likely be assigned several times per week. Sometimes it will involve finishing an in-class assignment and sometimes it will involve work independent of what was done in class. Efficient workers in class will have less homework. Students are urged to record their assignments in their agendas. Assignments will be posted in a consistent location in the classroom, spoken, and also placed on the calendar portion of my website (click on the blue text). I know students are busy outside of class and I usually do not assign something for the next day (unless perhaps it takes under 10 minutes). My expectation is that students will usually not need parent assistance for completion of homework (with the possible exception of some long-term projects).

Classroom Management: The many labs we will do are not free from risk. Students need to behave safely while letting other kids learn. Class norms and expectations will be discussed with students. I’ll work with students if there is a problem – if that fails, I’ll let you know!

Special Note: While I have experience teaching science to gifted students, this is just my second year with teaching sixth graders Gifted Science. I'm going to make mistakes, learn from my mistakes, and adjust my teaching (and likely some of the policies in this syllabus!) as the year unfolds. Thanks in advance for your patience.

Voluntary Lab Fee: Providing kids with interesting labs gets expensive. I’d like your child to work with various materials, chemicals, and equipment that are not commonly purchased by the school. Can you help defray the cost of these supplies? A voluntary $15 lab fee would be helpful in covering a portion of these expenses. (Plus, I bet we don’t want to have kids do a fundraiser!) So, only if you are able and willing, please send in a check payable to “Jefferson Middle School” and write “Gifted Science” in the memo line. Your canceled check is your receipt (unless you request one). Equipment purchased with this money may be shared with other JMS teachers, but consumable supplies will go solely to the 6th grade Gifted Science class. Thanks!