Welcome! I am Mr. DeMilio and I am very excited to work with all of you this year. Although I have prior experience teaching high school Chemistry and Physics, this is my third year at MCVTS. More than ever, scientific literacy is an essential component of our life. STEM fields continue to burgeon and opportunities in these fields are extraordinary in scope. While it is technically my job to teach AP Physics, Chemistry, and Chemistry Honors, it is also my goal to (in accordance with our school's mission statement) challenge my students to observe the world with a critical eye, to observe and process data, to think analytically, and to prepare themselves to utilize these important skills as they pursue the abundant opportunities they will encounter once they leave our institution.
Please bear in mind that AP Physics 1 is a college-level course and that Chemistry Honors is itself very rigorous. Students in the General Chemistry will be exposed to essentially the same curriculum as their honors counterparts. All courses are math-intensive and fast-paced. As such, it will take considerable effort on the part of students, teacher, parents/guardians, and administration alike to succeed in these courses.
Homework will be assigned after each class meeting and completing all homework is essential to your success. Even though each section only meets every other day, I nonetheless recommend that Chemistry Honors students spend at least 20 minutes each night on homework, and AP Physics students spend at least 30 minutes each night (and 60 minutes each weekend). General Chemistry students should be expected to complete anywhere between 20-40 minutes of homework after each class meeting. Homework assignments will be posted to the appropriate section of "Classroom Materials" on this website after each lesson.
You will be frequently assessed on your comprehension of the material in the form of quizzes, tests, projects, lab reports, etc. There are no surprises with my quizzes and tests; the questions are comprised entirely from homework assignments and examples from class. As such, your best chance to succeed in class is to complete all homework in a timely fashion, take quality notes, and ask questions when necessary.
In each case, course content will largely be distributed in printed form. There is no traditional textbook for AP Physics 1. I will be using the
Progressive Science Initiative (PSI) curriculum, in which all course materials are available from an online database at
njctl.org. The majority of content for Chemistry Honors and General Chemistry will also be in this format; at times I will refer to a textbook (which I will distribute as necessary) as an additional resource. Many textbooks become quickly outdated and fail to align with state curriculum standards; conversely, PSI curriculum materials are constantly upgraded in order to strictly adhere to these standards. Whenever possible, I will provide an electronic copy of relevant course materials on this web page.
Additionally, the PSI curriculum relies on implementing technology in the classroom, constant formative assessments using SMART Response clickers, and collaborative learning in order to maximize student engagement and success. In every class meeting, you will be working along with your classmates in some capacity. I believe that learning is best achieved in groups in which debate is encouraged and students can work together to solve problems. Accordingly, many students are more comfortable asking questions of their classmates and instructor while in small groups instead of in front of the whole classroom.
Should you need to contact me, my email address is
demiliom@mcvts.org. Once again, I look forward to working with you this year!
