• Parent's Page

    Hello Parents! This page is designed to help you help your student succeed this year in Chemistry and Physics.  Below are some links and useful information that will allow you to help your student navigate the waters of chemistry and physics this year:

    Student Grades:  Student grades are updated weekly on the ABI system.  The web address to access your student's grade is     http://Abi.murrieta.k12.ca.us/parent.  You will need a username and password to access it.  Your student should be given this account information during the first few weeks of school.  If they have not received this, please contact their counselor for access instructions.  If you have an account from previous years, it should still be in place and active.

    Class Website:  My chemistry and physics class websites are the primary mode of communication outside of the classroom.  It lists the lessons completed, has links to vital notes and activities performed in class, and has links to all homework and project assignments.  It is absolutely vital students check the website weekly for lesson updates, especially if they are absent from class. 

    Student Notebook:  All chemistry and physics students must have a science-specific notebook. 
    For Chemistry: All notes, activity lessons, and homework will be put into this 5-subject notebook.  It is very organized and each lesson will include 4 pages of the notebook.  The first page is for the warm-up question (called the ChemCatalyst) and initial notes, the second is for the activity or lab, the third for the bulk of the notes (called Making Sense Notes), and the fourth page is for students to complete the homework.  It is absolutely crucial that students keep their notebook organized and updated.  If students miss a class due to illness, family business, sports, or other school business, it is vital that they check my class website for the notes, activity, and homework assignments they missed.  There are periodic notebook check quizzes that I give to ensure that students are taking the proper notes and staying organized.

    For Physics:     A graphing notebook is preferred as we will be doing a lot of graphing and making data tables. Your notebook will not have the 4-page lesson format you are used to in Chemistry but a notebook will still be very important in keeping you organized. A 3-subject notebook should be sufficient (or 3 one-subject notebooks.)

    Chemistry Homework:  Chemistry students will be assigned homework after every lesson that is completed in the curriculum.  Because of the block scheduling we have in place here at Vista, we complete about one and a half lessons every block period.  This means that your student will have one or two homework assignments after every chemistry block.  Homework usually consists of reading and briefly outlining a section from their chemistry textbook and completing a few assessment practice problems.  Homework will not be collected; rather it will be placed in the notebook. Weekly notebook quizzes given in class will include homework questions. Homework is given to reinforce the material learned in class and gives the students an opportunity to practice and apply their new found knowledge. In addition to these daily assignments, they will have an online homework assignment which will be due approximately every week. They will need to register for this homework service. Instructions are given on the website. By getting students used to submitting homework online now, they will feel comfortable when they have to do this in college.
     If your student is struggling with homework assignments, please encourage them to ask questions, visit me during office hours, or utilize the websites listed in the Extra Chemismtry Help! page.

    Physics Homework: Physics assignments will be primarily online assignments. By getting students used to submitting homework online now, they will feel comfortable when they h ave to do this in college. There are daily and weekly online assignments they will be completing. We will be using two online sources for these. The first one is www.physicsclassroom.com, which I will explain in class how to use the MOP Module from this website for their daily assignments. The second one is a homework service developed by the University of Texas called "Quest". Students need to register for this service. The instructions are given on the website.

    Studying for Chemistry/Physics:  Chemistry is a step up from Biology (and Physics is a step up from Chemistry), and therefore is a more difficult course.  Students are expected to spend some time studying chemistry (or Physics) and completing homework assignments multiple times per week.  Chemistry/Physics is usually not a class that students can "glide through" by simply being present in class.  They will have to spend time solving problems, memorizing and applying terms, and studying for quizzes and tests.  Please encourage your student to take a small amount of time each day to study chemistry/physics.  A little bit everyday will be less stressful than trying to cram it all in the night before a quiz or test.  Plus, working with the material a little every day will help the information get stored in their long-term memory rather than their short-term memory, making it more easily accessible and valuable when it comes to test time.

    It is my intent to help your student not only learn chemistry/physics, but also valuable study skills that they can take with them in their future.  However, if your student is still struggling, here are some links that may be useful:
    General Tips for Success in High School
    Study Tips for Students
    Tips for Before Taking a Test
    Test-taking Tips
    Tips for Multiple Choice Tests -Chemistry tests have Multiple Choice and Short Answer parts
    Tips for Short Answer Tests -Chemistry tests have Multiple Choice and Short Answer parts
    Tips for Dealing with Test Anxiety
    Test-taking Tips for PARENTS

    Contacting Me:  If you have any questions or concerns about your student's progress in chemistry.  Please do not hesitate to contact me right away.  The best way to contact me is through e-mail.  My e-mail address is jlinden@murrieta.k12.ca.us.  You can also reach my voice mail at (951) 894-5750 ext. 6644.  Again, please feel free to contact me, even if it is just a simple question or concern.  My job is to help your student succeed in chemistry.
Last Modified on August 26, 2022