AP Calculus AB Course Syllabus 2014-2015
Mr. Mark Jason Ondruch.
[email protected]
(281) 920-8000, ext. 6046
Meeting Times: 1st and 5th
Tutorial Times: Mon-Wed morning or second half of lunch
Goal: Prepare students for the next step in their lives through a good understanding of Calculus I
Resources and Materials:
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Textbook: Smith (keep at home as a resource)
Stu Schwartz’s Lecture Notes for AB Calculus Topics Manual (BRING EVERY DAY)
TI-83/84/89 Graphing Calculator (BRING EVERY DAY) I will be using a TI-84 in class.
Organized binder (MATH only) with paper and dividers (lesson and assignment schedules, lesson notes and handouts,
mathematicians, POWs, quizzes, history/proofs) (BRING EVERY DAY)
PENCILS (BRING EVERY DAY)
Straightedge (Student ID, BRING EVERY DAY, should suffice)
Lots of notebook paper
Red pen for corrections will be assigned one at the beginning of the semester.
Journal will be provided for goal setting write ups, reflections, and other writing assignments throughout the semester.
You may eat small snacks and drink water in my class. Other types of food will be permitted on food days.
Course Calendar/Schedule:
 Spend at least 30-45 minutes a day, seven days a week on math (studying and doing homework). Make a schedule to follow
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weekly.
Assignments: Homework, as stated on assignment schedule, write up nicely and box answers. POWs (Problem of the week) as
assigned. Minus 5% for not having full heading on papers turned in (name, date, title) and/or for using pen instead of pencil.
Completing notes may be assigned for homework; if I call on you to present those notes/homework and you don’t have them
you will lose a board point.
Due Dates:
 Homework is due the class following the lesson
 If you know you are going to out of my class, you must turn in your work early.
 POW’s and journals are usually assigned the 1st class day of the week and are due on the 1st class day of the following week.
You should spend 15 minutes on each POW individually and then check, correct, and score the POW from the online
solutions; afterwards in your study group discuss questions and different ways of working them.
Quizzes are usually given on schedule (Tuesday-SYMKC (Stuff You Must Know Cold, Wednesday/Thursday-Multiple Choice,
Free Response, Friday-Trig)
Exams as stated on the assignment schedule, usually on Fridays (expect any material covered including HW, POWs, SAT, etc.).
Expect a binder check on test days. I will be creating a wall of honor for students who excel in mathematics, to be on this wall,
must have a 620 or higher on math SAT (this was the typical value to enter a ‘top public university’), 5 on AP Calculus AB
Exam, or other extraordinary mathematical feats that I will discuss later.
All students will be expected to take two MANDATORY AP Practice Exams in the spring in preparation for the AP Exam, one
after school during the week of April 13th – 16th and one on Saturday, April 25th from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (This will count as
your Spring Final Exam). These are crucial to your performance on the AP Exam and to your grade in this class.
Tuesday, May 5th 2015, morning AP Calculus Exam for College Credit!
Course Policies:
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Attendance:
 If absent, you will need to get together with another student and online for the lecture notes, etc.
 If you know you will be out of my class, you need to tell me ASAP (by talking face to face, call, or email).
 You are responsible in getting the solutions to the homework problems on the day that you miss. Solutions will be
posted on Edmodo so you should never feel behind.
Tardies: Please get to my class on time. Failure to do so will result in 7 am detention Monday-Wednesday. Detention is for
every unexcused tardy, 2 unexcused tardies will result in an S in conduct; more than 2 will result in a P in conduct.
Class Participation: When the bell rings, students are expected to be quiet with HW and/or notes out on desks. You will
present work on the Elmo and/or Smartboard (min of twice a six weeks) and work cooperatively with your peers. I will be
taking pictures throughout the year. Please comment after signature if you do not want me to take your picture. I like to
share pictures of students working at Open House and end of school year.
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Study Group Picture: Each month a study group picture will be assigned. Students need to take a picture with a new
student each month. It needs to be printed out to turn in, not sent electronically. The student who is in the most pictures
that month will get a board point.
Technology: Sign on to www.khanacademy.org. Once you have an account, go to www.khanacademy.org/coaches and go
to add coach with code 432SVA. Make sure you are using an email or Facebook name that I can easily understand that it is
you. Also visit www.edmodo.com and click on the student sign-up link. Enter the code 3btvcg and complete the
registration form. Put picture of yourself ASAP. Be sure to turn the Notifications on in the Settings. Check Edmodo daily.
Parents can email me to get a code to get into Edmodo also. If you have any questions about Edmodo please ask me
ASAP. Homework questions should be posted on Edmodo before asking in class.
Phones, etc: Your phones will be used extensively for educational purposes to check for understanding and even calculus
speed races to check for accuracy of content and promote friendly competition among peers. On other occasions, I will ask
for you to put up your devices to focus on the work in front of you. If I ask for the class to put up any devices, but you
refuse to obey, then the consequence will be that I will take up your device and will have to come by afterschool to pick it
up. If I have to take up your phone more than once, then it will be sent to the main office where a fee will be needed to be
paid to get your phone.
Guidelines for turning in assignments
Unless otherwise stated, all answers should be rounded to 3 decimal places.
Solutions should NEVER just be a single number without some description of how you got that number.
No Work = No Credit (NWNC).
Everything is for a grade.
If students do not have a homework assignment they are required to fill out a yellow card and turn it in. If a student doesn’t
turn in a yellow card a 1st time=-1 Board Point, all others will be detention. Every missing assignment after the first will
result in detention.
Make-ups:
 “Make-ups” on homework assignments is not an idea which should be entertained, if you are absent on the day you
return to class you should have homework for the missed day and the day you come in, put at the top of turned
assignments “Absent with note” or “Absent without note”.
 If an absence is excused, then the quiz is excused.
 Make-up exams will be taken at 6:30 am on assigned days: Monday-Wednesday. If an absence on the original test day is
unexcused, then exam grade will be a zero.
Redoing Assignments and Exams for grades below 75:
 Students can redo homework one day after due date, put “Late” at the top. Late homework loses 25 points. If missing
“Late” students lose an additional 10 points.
 Students can redo tests. Test corrections must be complete before the test redo will be recorded.
 Test redoes will count up to a 75. There will be no bonus or curving on redo grades.
 Test redoes will be Monday mornings at 6:30 am.
Test Corrections:
 Test corrections should be done after every test. Test corrections are reworking the problem missed correctly and
writing two sentences, half point back for each missed if all are completely correct.
 They are due Friday morning before the next test.
Cheating:
 If you can’t explain what you wrote down then you are cheating. This includes but it not limited to: copying
someone’s homework or in class assignments, copying answers from the internet, using a pencil when we are checking
work, letting someone else copy your work, having someone else’s homework paper, using a cheat sheet for a quiz or
test, etc. No grade is worth cheating over. In the end you hurt yourself and your classmates. I take this very seriously,
trust is hard to rebuild.
 Students will receive a grade of 0, a P in conduct, 2 days of detention with me, and no future recommendation from me.
A P in conduct will affect your NHS standing.
Tutorials:
 All students are encouraged to come to tutorials before school and during lunch.
 If you have trouble with any math question, you are expected to come in the morning for tutorials, use study groups,
and/or use resources like the textbook, Edmodo, and Khanacademy before the homework is due.
 Once a week, students can earn one merit for coming to tutorials. Be sure to sign in.
Letter of Recommendation-If you would like me to give you a letter of recommendation you will need to write it first and
then I will edit it.
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Grades:
 Overall Six Weeks Average determined by:
 Quizzes
20%
 Homework/Daily work
10%
 Exams/Projects
70%
 Grades are online, check to make sure they are correct. Let me know ASAP if I need to check a grade.
 Bonus Opportunities:
 Students can write a current related math topic song or poem and present it to class, check with me first, +1 Board
Point
 One merit = +5 on a quiz of your choice
 Extra Board Points = +5 on Board Point quiz grade
 No absence = +1 on report card, no tardy = +1 on report card
 100% attendance on test day = +1 on test
 50% of students wearing calculus shirt on test day = +1 on test
 One Board Point per Six Weeks for a good math comic or puzzle that Mr. Ondruch has not seen, turn in an
explanation of where it could be used in math class.
 Any other bonus opportunities will be announced in class.
How to Help Your Child Succeed in AP Calculus
1. Make sure your child is doing homework regularly. Assignments are given at every class meeting. Check
for completeness. 30 minutes of math everyday.
2. Encourage your child to read the textbook, make notes as necessary, and study its examples. There are
also very good instructional videos online at www.khanacademy.org and www.houstonact.org in case they
are absent or just want to have the material presented again.
3. Help your child to ask questions in class, on the forum, and in tutorials. “I don’t understand this!” is NOT
a question. “Can you help me see where I made a mistake in working problem #3?” is something we can
work with.
4. If your child is having difficulty, encourage him or her to come in for tutorials. I am available most
mornings and most lunches, and by appointment.
5. Help your child to take a serious approach to forming a study group with other serious students. Pizza can
be a powerful lure to entice study-ers to your house. More than four students becomes a party instead of a
study group.
6. Help your child to organize his or her time and prioritize tasks.
7. Encourage your child to persevere in spite of challenges. This might be the first course in which your child
really has to struggle to master the material. Remember that it’s better to learn how to struggle now than
when they are off by themselves in college.
8. Encourage your child to stay involved in academics during the spring semester.
9. Encourage your child to prepare for the AP Calculus Examination. The exam will take place May 5th.
10. Encourage your child to attend the AP Calculus Exam prep sessions that are held during the spring
semester. Put them on your family calendar when they become available.
11. Please contact me right away with any concerns you might have about your child’s performance. My email
is [email protected] . My phone number at school is (281) 920-8000 ext. 6046
I work very hard to help all students master the concepts and skills of AP Calculus. Student success will depend on
many factors, including previous math knowledge and personal motivation. With all of us working together, we can
help to ensure that your child has the best possible learning experience.
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We have read and understand the AP Calculus AB Course Syllabus.
Student Name (printed) ________________________________________________________________
Student Signature ________________________________________________
Date ______________
Parent Signature _________________________________________________
Date ______________
Parent email _________________________________________________________________________
Period______
If possible please donate: red pens, AAA batteries, tissue box, or markers (any kind)
Questions/Comments: