Back To School Night2014

Mrs. Atkinson7th Grade Math TeacherCo-Department Chair

Contact Information

• Best way to contact me is through email

• catkinson@wssd.org• Phone number 610-892-3470 ext

7214

Teacher Web Page

• Daily homework assignments (secondary resource)

• Assignment calendar (check-ins/tests)• Parent Page – Department Policies and

Procedures• Link to the Math in Focus homepage – access

to on-line text book and resources

On Line Resources

my.hrw.comPeriod 1Username: catkinson276

Password: math7

On Line Resources

my.hrw.comPeriod 3Username: catkinson322

Password: v3p9n

On Line Resources

my.hrw.comPeriods 4, 7, 8Username: catkinson323

Password: b4e2u

Classroom Expectations

• Arrive to class on time • Be prepared with your Math binder,

textbook, pencils and calculator• 7th grade students need a basic, 4-

function calculator or a scientific calculator

• Graphing calculators are not needed until 8th grade

Classroom Expectations

• Be respectful of your classmates and your teacher (s)

• Raise your hand when you want to speak

• Contribute to class discussion positively

• Be an active participant in the classroom

• NO gum chewing

Classroom Routine

• Write HW in agenda book• Warm Up• Check HW from previous night

(group/partner review)• Begin Direct Instruction/CW• Bathroom – try to limit usage during

class so as to avoid missing instruction

Classroom Supplies

• 3 Ring Binder (1”-2”)• Spiral notebook• Loose leaf and Graph Paper (always

good to have)• Covered Textbook• Pencil Pouch that includes pencils,

erasers, and a calculator• Post-It notes

SHMS Math Dept. Grading Policy

• Tests: 40% **• Quizzes/check-ins: 30% ** (both announced and

unannounced)• Homework: 15% Homework is given typically

Monday-Thursday night. Sometimes it is checked for completion and other times checked for accuracy. Homework questions will be addressed in class if students had a problem with their assignment.

• Other: 15% (warm-ups, graded HW, projects)• **We usually assess the students on either

Wednesdays or Fridays

Accelerated Math 7/8

• Grades will be calculated based on a Total Points system.

• Grades will be comprised of daily homework, Enrichment Packets, class work (Warm Ups), and Unit Tests.

• Due to the pace of the class, quizzes will be given less frequently. We will be covering the second half of 7th grade Math and ALL of 8th grade Math.

Assignments

• Daily homework assignments are worth 2 points each and are usually checked 2-3 times per week.

• Homework is posted on the side board daily.• Warm Ups are collected at the end of each week

and are worth 5 points.• Graded HW assignments will be assigned

throughout the marking period – these are graded based on accuracy.

• Quizzes/Check-Ins are given throughout a chapter (2-3 days prior notice)

• Chapter Tests are given at the end of each Chapter. (at least 1 week notice)

Enriched Math 8

• Challenge*Challenge problems are assigned from the text book and/or Extra Practice*Identified and designed by the publisher to be more difficult*included in daily homework assignments

• Enrichment*Enrichment activities are extensions of content which require deeper levels of thinking and problem solving*may require written explanation*Enrichment packets are assigned with each Chapter

Test Corrections

• Test corrections will be assigned as a homework assignment, worth 2 points toward their daily homework grade.

• Any student who scores below a 75% on a Chapter Test will have the opportunity to take a re-test (within 1 week), on which they can

• earn a maximum score of 75%.

Need Help?

• We are available for help after school on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

• Peer tutoring is available on those days as well (Ms. Devlin’s room C220 on Tuesdays and Mrs. Atkinson’s room c214 on Thursdays)

Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

• Focus – Move away from “mile wide, inch deep” curricula; Narrow scope of content

• Coherence – Build on solid conceptual understanding; Think across grades & link to major topics within grade

• Rigor – Conceptual understanding; Procedural skills & fluency; Problem solving

Mathematical Practices1. Make sense of problems & persevere

in solving them2. Reason abstractly & quantitatively3. Construct viable arguments & critique

the reasoning of others4. Model with mathematics5. Use appropriate tools strategically6. Attend to precision7. Look for & make use of structure8. Look for & express regularity in

repeated reasoning

SHMS Math Mission Statement

The mission of the SHMS mathematics program is to:

1. Inspire intellectual curiosity and aesthetic appreciation of mathematics as a body of knowledge

2. Promote critical thinking and problem solving skills to solve real world problems

3. Develop computational fluency and understanding of mathematical algorithms in order to apply known facts to unknown situations

4. Encourage students to be active participants in a life-long learning process as independent thinkers

Problem Solving in Math in Focus

Thank you for coming!!

Enjoy your evening!

• Looking forward to a wonderful year!!