Math Department Grade 7 & 8

Room: 111
Email:[email protected]
Office Hours: By appointment (subject to modifications)
Phone Number: (323) 308-1700 (Available throughout school hours).

I have the pleasure to inform you that I will be your child’s mathematics teacher for the school year of 2023 - 2024.  I hope you are as excited as I am to begin this new journey. We will be together a whole year which might sound like a long time but trust me it won’t be, we will make it through together. I want us to work as a team and feel comfortable with each other to make this the best experience possible. I do not know how much you like or dislike math and please don’t tell me because it might break my heart but I am hoping that by the end all of you will enjoy the subject so much you will go to college, major in math and become even greater mathematicians, in fact that is my goal.
 
Student Expectations: Students are expected to be Punctual, Prepared, Trustworthy, Respectful, Responsible, Caring, Fair, and be a good Citizen. Along with these, students are expected to follow all school rules.
 
Consequences:
If classroom expectations are broken at any time, the teacher may give a verbal warning, detention, school beautification, have student-teacher conferences, phone calls home, parent conference, or referral to intervention office. The teacher is free to apply any of the consequences as necessary.

Daily Procedure: Students are expected to enter the room quietly and ready to learn. The first thing to do is place their phone on the corresponding pocket. Students then review the agenda for the day and complete and submit the warm up. If students are done early, they are to check their work and then get ready for their notes and/or class activity/assignments. 

Supplies:
*One spiral 1-subject graph notebook or paper *Three ring binder *Two pencils, two pens, highlighter, and eraser. Notes and specified assignment will be kept in the notebook. Students are expected to create organized notes and observations throughout the day. If at any point you would like to see what your child is doing in class or whether or not s/he has homework, you can check their math notebook and/or schoology.
 
How can I be a master Mathematician?
1.) Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. 2.) Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 3.) Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 4.) Model with mathematics. 5.) Use appropriate tools strategically. 6.) Attend to precision. 7.) Look for and make use of structure. 8.) Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Cooperation
Your cooperation grade will be based upon classroom behavior, participation, and your ability to follow class expectations. Failure to comply with rules and expectation may result in a “U” on the report card.

Work Habits
Your work habits grade will be based on attendance and completion of assignments. Missing assignments as well as excessive absences and/or tardies may result in a “U” on the report
card.

Homework (late/make-up work)
Students will be given homework assignments on a regular basis. Any unfinished classwork will become part of the homework. All homework is to be turned in before the beginning of the class period on the due date to receive credit. Late/make-up work will be accepted but it has to be complete and submitted within two days of the original due date and points will be deducted. Please note that no extra credit assignments will be given, so be responsible.

Quizzes and Tests
Short quizzes will be given at the end of each section. These might be individual or in groups (up to teacher’s discretion). Tests will be provided at the end of each unit, no collaboration or notes will be permitted. If a student is absent during a quiz or test, he/she will have to make it up afterschool by appointment.

Notebook
Notes and specified assignment will be kept in a notebook, which will be allowed during group quizzes and some individual  quizzes.

Attendance and Absent Work
Attendance, punctuality and consistency are important components of learning. Consequences such as detention and phone call home will be applied if the student is constantly late or absent. Students are expected to be in class and on time every day. Warm-ups, classwork and homework must be made up when a student is absent. It is up to the student to inquire about any work assigned the days he/she was not in class.

Academic Integrity
There will be Zero Tolerance for any dishonest behaviors such as cheating on a test or copying someone else’s work. If a student is found doing any of these, he/she will receive no credit for the assignment and parents will be notified.

Grading Scale

4 pts. - A - Mastery

3 pts. - B - Proficient

2 pts. - C - Approaching

1 pt. - D - Developing

0 pts. - F - Not yet proficient/ No evidence of proficiency