"Welcome to Chemistry at Nerinx for 2011-2012!"

I am continually in the process of updating this site.  If you have any suggestions or questions, let me know.

A couple of things:   I completely rebuilt this website in 2008 due to hosting changes.  I continue to work on it as I think of things or other things are needed or become available -- tabs change, files are moved/updated, etc.  Please let me know if you find anything that is not correct, does not show, or does not show properly.  Former students should be able to find any information you are looking for by looking at the approprite sections in the current chapter notes.  If you have any questions or specific needs, let me know.

I try to keep things updated in PowerSchool as grades become available but some things are easy to translate to what you might see there.  I generally enter the grades as I can but sometimes there are adjustments you receive after corrections or other things.  Some things do not ever appear specifically, such as extra credit points which are not figured into your grade until the very end of a quarter.   Please understand that any "quarter or semester average" that shows in PowerSchool is pretty meaningless until the actual end of the quarter/semester given the way scores are treated by the program.  Ultimately, however, it is always the grade that I calculate which will be the final grade for the semester/quarter. 

Based on some discussions this past summer with former students, this year I am treating homework differently than in years past -- I have made homework mandatory and assigned a definite point value to homework.  This will likely have an impact on grades as I record them vs. what PowerSchool calculates.

Moreover, with the beginning of the second semester 2011-12, I am being more careful with homework assignments.  Included in this is a "statute of limitations" for late homework.  At the moment that is a calendar week from the day the assignment was originally due.  I am  no longer giving full credit for a late assignment.  For each additional day an assignment is late, the grade will drop.  If you are sick, the clock starts the day you get back. (That is, I will give you one day to get a missed assignment in without penalty.)  I will also be putting a zero ("0") for a homework grade if it is not handed in when due.  If you are sick/absent this will show up as a "0" (along with a comment about you being absent) until the assignment is handed in.  Maybe this will serve as a reminder to you of this missing work.  Of course, if you just do not hand an assignment in, this will also show as a "0", and the clock will have started. 

Quarterly Report for Quarter 4 is due on May 15

Written Report for Quarter 4 is due by May 22


Always remember:  You can start on either the Quarterly or Written reports at anytime during the quarter.  Hint-Hint:  Think about articles/events as you find them.  Don't wait until the last minute!

Also:  As some of you will discover if you haven't already, you must assume that something might go wrong (failure to connect, email/computer dies, Nerinx email does not work, mail does not go through, internet stops working, etc.) and get these reports done and handed in early.  No matter what the circumstances, each report is due when it is due!