September 8, 2026
Hello Parents —
It’s almost time!
I’m grateful to be your child’s science teacher this year. As you know, we are studying Earth Science, and you should have purchased Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Earth Science. In addition, your child will need a 3-ring binder dedicated to this class only. We’ve found that 1 ½ to 2-inch binders work great, and if your student has his/hers from last year, use it after removing the 2025-26 content. Binders need sectioned tab dividers, labeled for the seven months of our course: Sept, Oct, Nov, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr. Lastly, add a batch of lined notebook paper and a few pencils in a pencil pouch and your student is good to go for the year!
This is the place your students must visit each week to know what I expect for science homework. I update homework assignments by Wednesday mornings, 8 a.m. (If you don’t see an update, please don’t be shy! The sooner somebody lets me know about a missing post, the sooner I can fix it. Thanks).
Science homework will follow this pattern:
- Assigned reading from our textbook.
- Questions to answer. We will train your student to write his/her answer in a complete sentence, incorporating the question into the answer. Students must NOT rewrite the exact question onto their paper.
- A lab activity to finish.
We don’t collect homework each week; instead, we collect a month’s worth of work at a time (I will call this “your science package”). For example, all of September’s homework (“your September package”) is due on October 6.
When science homework is about to be due, I’ll publish a “Table of Contents” page here, along with a list of assignments to be included in the package. If you don’t see something on the list, we don’t want it. Generally, I will provide PDF links to any handouts from class, so that if your student loses his, you may reprint it. Students who miss a lab due to absence are excused from labs done in class.
Missing work will be indicated by an “m” in the grade report and is worth “0” points. Missing work does affect a student’s overall grade. I do not accept late homework, unless it is due to an absence.
So many words — I know! Once we get going, all will be clear and rhythmic. If I had your students last year, nothing has changed. If you’re new this year and something seems fuzzy, please ask questions!
Thanks, and welcome to Earth Science!