2/5/10
SNOW!!! Please be aware that until I know when we will be back in school, I
cannot update my homework pages. I've updated what was done today in 4th, 7th
and 9th periods, but did not see any of my other classes, so what is posted
does not apply to them.
Enjoy the snow and stay warm!!
1/29/10
Geometry continues. Pre-Algebra students will spend the next week reviewing
constructions from last year and learning a few new ones, with a quiz on this
information early the next week. MSM-II will be exploring polygons,
determining missing angle measures in quadrilaterals and using proportional
reasoning to find missing parts of congruent and similar figures.
All classes will spend Monday 2/1 reviewing their quarterly assessment results
and will know in what areas they struggled. We'll then spend time in this
quarter implementing interventions as needed to review some of those
objectives leading into the MSA's in March.
1/26/10
CHECK YOUR GRADES ON-LINE! Second quarter grades are complete and available
on-line through the end of the week. After that I will only have 3rd quarter
information available. If you have any questions about your grades, please
contact me before the end of the week so I can make corrections before grades
are due for report cards!
1/24/10
Thanks so much to all my students who came out on Friday night and stopped by
the game room outside the dance to play some games. Thanks especially to
Nolan Freeman, Aaron Amaker, Pearl Yu and Kaitlyn Williams who helped out with
the games and the raffle! I had a really terrific time and look forward to
the next dance when I can do this again.
On another note - Welcome to Quarter III!!! This quarter is all geometry, all
the time for both my MSM-II and Pre-Algebra students and I couldn't be happier
about that! The biggest problem that students studying geometry have is all
the new vocabulary they must learn to be able to communicate about the
subject. It's all about memorization, so my MSM-II students have created
notecards they should be studying about 10 minutes each night so they can
become 'fluent'. Pre-Algebra students went through this last year, but if
they've forgotten, notecards could certainly help them, too!
Please be sure to check the "Response" page to take a quick quiz on
vocabulary. See what you know...
1/18/10
GAME NIGHT on FRIDAY NIGHT!!!
During the dance on 1/22, there will be math games on the "C" hallway. Take a
break, play a game and then return to the dance. There will be PRIZES for the
parents who join their kids (or come for a break of their own!) in the game room.
I'm looking for some student volunteers to help me 'man' the game room.
Please sign up on my blog or in my classroom!
1/14/10 -
Assessments have begun - please be sure to check the homework page for your
class to download a
review guide and answer key. We will be getting a jump start on third quarter
during the next
couple of weeks, filling in between assessments, half days and days off! Both
Pre-Algebra and
MSM-II will be enjoying a respite from heavy algebra work and starting to
explore geometry in this
quarter.
1/8/10
Quarterly Assessments are upon us! The schedule is:
1/14/10 - English Assessment
1/15/10 - Math & Reading Assessment
1/20/10 - Social Studies & Science Assessments
Students will be in the same assessment groups they were in for the first
quarter. We will be finishing up the last few concepts this week and
reviewing. Students should NOT be getting homework in any classes the night
before assessments except to study (of course!).
1/5/10
Want to start studying for the quarterly assessment? Check your classes
homework page to download a copy of the county's quarterly assessment review
packet and answer key. Please email me if you have problems with it!
1/4/2010
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone is well-rested and ready to work, because we've got a busy few
weeks ahead of us! Math Quarterlies are still scheduled for 1/15, which
doesn't leave us much time to finish out the quarter. Pre-algebra will be
focusing on proportional reasoning and percent of increase and decrease, while
MSM-II will be finishing up with translating words into algebraic expressions,
formulas and function tables. Whew! I need another break just writing about
all that :).
12/22/09
It remains to be seen if we will have school tomorrow, so I will be waiting to
update my website until I know for sure. Until then, enjoy the snow!
ODYSSEY! I will be setting up ALL my classes with Odyssey lessons they can
complete over the winter break. If you complete an entire lesson, you get a
free homework pass when we return...No negotiating on partial completion -
it's all or nothing!
12/18/09
Just when we thought things couldn't get any crazier with the winter break
approaching, the forecast
calls for almost a foot (or more) of snow tomorrow! I will be soldiering on
as if it will all blow off the
coast and we'll be in school on Monday.
A reminder that there will be NO Breakfast club on 12/23, snow or no snow!
Pre-Algebra took their unit test last week, and we'll be working on
proportions, percents and ratios
for the next few days. MSM-II will be translating words into mathematical
sentences while still
practicing equations and inequalities.
This will be the last update until next year! Enjoy your break!
12/11/09
Two weeks with no breaks makes for plenty of time to get work done! All my
classes have been working hard and I'm not finished yet. MSM-II will continue
solving two-step equations this week. I've moved their quiz on this topic to
Monday, 12/14, to give more time for the concept to gel and the kids to gain
confidence in their skills. This is a critical concept for the rest of the
year and pre-algebra next year, so I want to make sure everyone is on the same
page. Pre-Algebra will be taking a Unit test this week, which will cover
everything we've done on inequalities, graphing lines and slope this week.
My eighth graders will also get a primer in how to compute GPA in preparation
for high school! A busy week ahead...
12/4/09
Pre-Algebra will be learning about slope this week, and MSM-II will begin
solving equations.
Please remember to sign up for Breakfast Club before before the end of school
on Tuesdays. Only the first five students who sign up may attend.
Odyssey is up and running and ANOTHER change to Breakfast Club!!!
I am in the process of finalizing my class lists in Odyssey. Most of my
classes have received their logins, which are their student ids, and their
passwords, which are the same for all students. Please contact me if your
student has not gotten this information. Based on analysis and feedback I got
during conferences, I've set up some review work for some of my students
already (go look - www.compasslearningodyssey.com!). For now, these lessons
and quizzes are for your personal use and will not be graded. If a student
continues to have difficulty, and I see that they are not making use of this
resource, then I will recommend that they do so! If you would like to use it,
please email me and I'll set up lessons on specific subjects.
OK, I've decided to change Breakfast Club, again! It is too confusing for me
to keep track of who should come on which days, and there are some students
who need more immediate help. SO - I will take the first five students who
sign up each week. Again, students MUST sign up (or have their parents email
me before the end of school on Tuesday). If you don't get an affirmative
confirmation from me, please assume I will not be available.