Linden Middle School

September 2016

Mrs. Boyer’s 7th Grade Math

Soaring Eagles

Welcome to a New School Year

Welcome
I would like to welcome you to a new and exciting school year. My name is Mrs. Boyer. I believe that communication between home and school is essential for your student’s success. Please feel free to contact me at any time regarding your student’s progress. My e-mail address is mboyer@lindenschools.org, and phone number is 591-0757.
Materials
2 Composition Notebooks
Pencils
Instruction
Math concepts will be presented by teacher demonstration and instruction, practice assignments, class notes, and in-class activities. Students are always allowed and will be given the opportunity to ask questions on all practice assignments before and after they are completed. Most lessons will include taking notes, as well as related activities. I am available before and after school for extra help and to answer questions.
Attendance
Regular attendance is vitally important! Many activities are of a participatory nature and therefore absences can be particularly disruptive to the progression of a students’ learning. Lectures, note-taking, films, demonstrations, cooperative learning activities, and class discussions are difficult, and frequently impossible for a students to “make-up.” I sincerely urge you and your child to make every effort to schedule appointments, vacations, social events, etc. at a time which will not conflict with regular school attendance.
Math Books
Our math text will be completely digital this year. The website that you will access your digits account is: www.mymathuniverse.com
You will find the following helpful:
Homework Assignments
Review the lessons seen in class
Tutorial Videos
Extra Examples
Help walking through every homework problem
Expectations
Students are expected to be respectful to themselves and others.
Students are expected to be honest and truthful.
Students must come prepared to class each day. They must have a pencil (no pens), composition notebook, and planner. Extra materials will not be handed out during class.
Complete all practice work before class, which is located online 4-5 times per week.
Students must actively participate in class. This means taking notes, and trying sample problems.
Students must ask questions when clarification is needed.
Put forth a good effort on all work, both in class and out.
Prepare for summative assessments by studying and practicing problems.
Accept consequences that come from making poor choices and make the changes necessary to prevent it from happening again.
Homework
Students will need to complete daily practice assignments online. Students can access these assignments through their digits account. The homework automatically corrects the assignment as the student progresses for instant feedback. There are also many support options to help students complete the assignment, including reviewing that day’s lesson, being walked through each problem, or watching a video or animation about that topic.
All homework assignments will need to be completed to 90% correct before students will be allowed to take the topic test. This is to ensure that students have practiced the skills necessary to be successful on the test.
Students who do not have computer access at home can complete their work in the media center everyday before school, and/or after school Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Cheating
Students are expected to do their own work, which includes completing their own daily homework, as well as their tests and quizzes. Students who are caught cheating will not receive credit for the assignment and will be referred to the office for discipline.

Inside this issue:

Welcome
Instruction
Materials
Math Books
Expectations
Attendance
Classroom Management
Cheating
Grading Policy
Communication

Other Notes:
My door is always open. I am here for the students and am committed to helping them succeed.
Students are responsible for bringing their planners to class everyday. They will not be allowed to leave the room without them.
Please bring in Kleenex for our classroom.

Students grades will be based on the following:
Tests/Quizzes 80%
Homework 15%
Notebook Checks 5%

Soaring Eagles

Page #

Test Policy
Students will be given three opportunities to take each test:
Students will take the test the first time once all homework from that topic is complete. If homework is missing or incomplete, it will have to be done and turned in before that student will be allowed to test.
Students who are prepared for the test on the originally planned testing date, will be given an opportunity in class on the next day to give up their original test grade and retake the test for a new grade. However, they will have to complete the assigned practice that night for review.
Any student who would like to take the test for a third time (accepting the last test score), can sign up for a scheduled time after school.
* We will talk about this policy at length in class, but the theory is to have students complete their practice before the test, so they are better prepared to do well on the assessment. This means that homework will need to be done before students will be able to test. Please help remind your child each night to check their digits accounts for any assignments or review.
Help Available
After School —Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 2:40-3:40 in the media center
Before School — Everyday at 7:30 in classroom
During Class — Everyday During Lesson

Grading Policy

What a grade really means:

Letter	Description	Kid-Friendly Description
A	Student has demonstrated a mastery of at least 90% of the learning objectives from the trimester. Mistakes made were minor and do not detract from the overall understanding of the concepts presented.	I get it! I can easily help others to understand the ideas. I can solve problems with little difficulty.
B	Student has demonstrated a mastery of 80-90% of the learning objectives from the trimester. Most mistakes made were minor.	I get most things we’ve done. Most of the time I can help others. Sometimes I make some mistakes.
C	Student has demonstrated a mastery of 70-80% of the learning objectives from the trimester. Some major mistakes were made and/or misunderstandings exist. The student is encouraged to seek additional help from the teacher or a tutor.	I think I get most of it, but it is hard for me to complete a problem without making a mistake. I do better when I have some help.
D	Student has demonstrated a mastery of 60-70% of the learning objectives from the trimester. Many major mistakes were made and/or misunderstandings exist. The student is clearly working below grade level. Additional help from the teacher or tutor is necessary for success.	I’m not really sure of what to do when working on problems. I get things confused easily. I need help to start/finish problems.
E	Student clearly does not understand the learning objectives and is unable to work through tasks at grade level. Student is in need of corrective action in the form of additional help from the teacher or a tutor. It is highly recommended that the parent and student contact the teacher in order to determine a plan of action.	When I do problems, I usually guess because I’m not sure what to do. I have a hard time with math vocabulary. I need help to try problems.

Classroom
Management
I believe each child is in-charge of their own self and responsible for making their own choices. I am here to help students make the best choices possible. In order for that to happen, the following rules must be followed:
Be prepared everyday.
Respect others and yourself.
Follow instructions.
If a student chooses to break a rule, they will be asked to correct the behavior. If they are unable to do that, they will be referred to the Responsibility room as outlined in the student handbook. Severe disruptions will result in immediate referral to the office.

Communication
Assignments are posted on the www.mymathuniverse.com website everyday and are listed under the “to do” list. Please check there for your child’s daily work .
Grades will be available in Parent/Student Vue anytime you would like an update of your student’s progress. Please make sure that you have a log-in and password for this program.
I will also send out e-mail messages several different times throughout the year. E-mail is a very efficient and convenient way for parents and teachers to keep in contact. I think that communication between parents and teachers is extremely important in helping students succeed.

Make sure to spend time each night reviewing and completing assignments.

“A Classroom, like a garden, needs constant care and nurturing to produce beautiful and steady growth.”

Soaring Eagles

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Parent Signature — Please have parents sign and return by Sept. 9th

I have read and understand this information, including the following:
My child must login to www.mymathuniverse.com 4-5 times a week outside of school to complete daily homework and to access up to date grades.
I can access my child’s account at www.mymathuniverse.com at any time to see what my child was assigned.
If my child cannot complete their homework online from home, they will need to arrive at school in time to use the computers in the media center (7:15-when busses arrive).
My child must complete all homework assignments before they will be able to take the test for that topic.
I can be contacted by e-mail regarding my child’s math class._____________________________________________________ (Please clearly print parent’s e-mail address on the line)
X ___________________________________
Parent Signature
___________________________________
Student Name and Hour