PARENTS
Welcome to the APES web site.
This is my 14th year at Millbrook, my 10th year teaching APES.
I graduated from NCSU in 1974, BS in Wildlife Biology.
Many environmental issues are steeped (unfortunately) in
political turmoil. My #1 job is to lead students to discover
how the environment works (the science behind it), not how
political systems "work". I hope to help students
learn to identify "good" science vs. "junk"
science and to sort through all the media bias and sensationalism.
Dissenting opinions will be encouraged as well as challenged
for supporting facts and evidence. The world is not crumbling
before our eyes and much progress has been made, but the work
ahead is very challenging and endless, as well as very rewarding
and exciting. We are only just beginning to understand how
things work here on Earth.
To insure a balanced and accurate presentation of Environmental
Science we will tap into the vast resources of the Internet.
It is important your child has a reliable Internet connection
and e-mail address (able to receive attachments and bulk e-mail).
Two points I would like to stress -
A.P., Advanced Placement translates to "college level"
work and expectations. Self-motivation and self-direction
are crucial.
Grading frequency is much lower, which translates to "more
work, preparation time and stressful moments" for the
students to deal with.
The AP Exam is optional, held in May. See past results below.
I encourage all "A" and "B" students to
take the exam, and select "C" students. The cost
of $89 can return a value of over $1000. Notice the national
statisitcs show 49% scored less than 3, meaning no credit.
It is a tough test.
Grades will be posted at SPAN. You may set up your own SPAN account and see your childs grades anytime.
My email is bmurphy@wcpss.net
Please take time to explore all the information posted on
this web site.
Thank you and I look forward to meeting you at Open House
(Sept. 20).
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