Mrs. Merry’s ~ Room C-3 Math & Science Welcome to 7th Grade!! Mrs. Merry’s ~ Room C-3 Math & Science Day Creek Intermediate School ~ “Where Failure is Not an Option!”

Mission Statement/Goals It is our mission to provide your student with a nurturing environment that promotes independent learning and successfully teaches 7th grade content and standards. It is our goal that every child grow academically and be equipped with life skills to further their education. We strive to make learning engaging and relevant to their lives.

Communication Weekly Folders every Thursday Missing Work Web page Inside: Class work, homework, tests & quizzes (sign any tests or quizzes below 70%) Any important communication (must be signed by parent & student). Folders must be RETURNED signed by Friday morning! Missing Work Check ESPRI daily/weekly for missing (MI) or absent (AB) work. Parents fill out & sign PACK Planner grade check every Thursday night. Students will receive a grade weekly for this. Web page Teacher website: http://evansmerry.weebly.com/ School web-site: http://teacherweb.com/CA/DCIS/SchoolHomePage/sdhp1.apx Fastest way to reach me E-mail: tracie_merry@etiwanda.org or call school office Office hours: Before or After school by appointment PACK Planner (front page must be signed & turned in w/envelope) School rules, procedures, grade level standards, Interim Assessment results (parent signature required – pgs. 16-21), Progress Report verifications (parent signature required–pg. 22), the weekly grade check logs (pg. 24-26)

Bloomz We frequently send out CRITICAL information about our classrooms. To receive these you must subscribe to Bloomz. Using your cell phone (BOTH student & parent), please register as follows: Add the Bloomz app to your phone or computer Use our class code to sign up. Phone users, text our class code CMJQ92 Students, it is important you sign up, but please get your parents permission. PLEASE MAKE SURE BOTH YOU AND YOUR STUDENT ARE BOTH REGISTERED BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS ON MONDAY. 

Website We update our teacher website weekly. It would be great if before school starts each Monday, you and your student should read the “What Happening?” link so that you both know what we are doing in class for the upcoming week. There are also important dates and deadlines posted on the calendar link. Homework, for me, is posted by Sunday night each week. I post the entire week’s worth of homework, but occasionally there are changes. If a change is made to our homework, I will try to send out a Bloomz reminder. However, the whiteboard in our classroom, that should be copied by your student daily, is the most accurate list of homework.

Progress Reports & Homework Weekly Grade Checks Progress reports are sent home in Thursday Folders at the 6 week mark in each Trimester (verify receipt by signing PACK Planner). AERIES – please make sure to look at the comments section in AERIES for assignments, as both teachers put important comments and notes in there. Report cards are mailed home at the end of the Trimester (every 12 weeks). Daily – Monday through Friday (Math on Friday’s) Approximately 20-30 minutes per subject, excluding special projects or unfinished class work. If one subject is longer than 30 minutes, the other subject will be less than to balance time out. PACK Planner Completed daily in class (required) It’s the student’s responsibility to write down their homework and note any unfinished class work or projects. One way to play an active role in your child’s education is to check the PACK Planner & our Weebly website against your child’s completed homework nightly, to see that all assignments have been completed accurately by the due dates. Homework for the week is posted by Monday morning. Occasionally there are changes, and that is why your student’s PACK Planner is most accurate.

Late & Absent Work Late work will NOT be accepted. Absent Work No LATE work accepted at all. If a student has an assignment missing in the gradebook (mi), and they believe they have done it, they should check the “no name basket”. Missing assignments will stay missing (mi) in the gradebook and NOT be changed to zero (0). Absent Work If you know your child is going to be absent, e-mail me by Noon, and I will put their absent work up at the office for you to pick up after school. It is the student’s responsibility to check the “Absent Work Tray” upon return to class. All absent work is due the following Monday morning after the absence (must be turned in @ 8:00am). Missed quizzes & tests will need to be scheduled for make-up before or after school the teacher. Independent Studies For students who will be out of class 5 days or more. Must be submitted to the office at least 5 days prior to scheduled absences.

Cheating/Plagiarism & Grades The temptation to cheat or plagiarize can be a BIG problem at this age. Cheating is marked by dishonest intent to GIVE OR RECIEVE unearned rewards. Please read and DISCUSS with your student, sign, and return our Cheating & Plagiarism Policy in our parent packet. Class work (20% of overall grade) Grade taken on classwork assignments. For math, classwork grades are based on effort & participation and averaged each week into gradebook. Homework (10% of overall grade) Grades taken on homework assignments. For math, random problems will taken for a grade daily (not all assigned), and weekly average entered into gradebook. Quizzes (30% of overall grade) Section quizzes in Science. Daily Quick Check Quizzes & mid-chapter quizzes in math. Tests (40% of overall grade) 1 per chapter in math & science Possible spiral review test in math

Curriculum: Math California Math Course #2 Based on Common Core Standards. Material covered: Ratios, Proportions, Percent's, Integers, Rational Numbers, Expressions, Equations, Inequalities, Geometric Figures, Measure Figures, Probability, Statistics Two separate workbooks & students MUST have a 3 ring binder to place workbook pages in. All work should be shown on separate lined paper, and final answers transferred to the workbook answer document. In the front of the folder will be the chapter ‘Math Record’. This will show all of your student’s current assignment, quiz, & effort grades for math. The ‘Math Record’ is available for parents to see their student’s math grades at ALL time. 250 minutes of math instruction per week plus additional 100 minutes weekly instruction in PACK (math intervention, practice, or enrichment). Covering 1 lesson per day, every lesson builds on the previous days lesson, absences and incomplete/missing work will put your student very behind.

Curriculum: Math Online Resources in Math See light blue “Etiwanda Resource” page on counter for website & log-in information. The students will have access to the entire textbook online, as well as, other on-line tutor videos, practice quizzes, practice tests, extra help worksheets. For every chapter there will be an on-line chapter practice test that will be taken for a QUIZ grade. The first page of their results must be printed and ALL their work must be stapled to it for students to receive credit. Your student’s access code is the same as last years, and will be reviewed and written in their PACK Planner the first week of school. Students will also have IXL goals that are custom designed to fill gaps in their math skills. Each column of the IXL goal sheets will be taken for quiz grade and the 3 columns will be averaged together for a test grade.

Curriculum: Science Holt California: Life Science Science Notebooks 6 Units & 18 Chapters: Scientific Method Cells Biology Hereditary & Genes Evolution Earth & Life History Living Systems Structure & Function in Plants & Animals Family Life & The Human Body System Investigation & Experimentation Science Notebooks All Science work is completed in the student’s Science folder. Students need to have a plastic folder with brads & pockets to place each chapters copies and workbook pages inside. Students will also be using Interactive Reader & Study workbook. All science grades will be logged on a grade sheet found in the front of the students folder. All science grades can be viewed at anytime on this sheet.

GRADE FIRST AIDE (GFA) Grade First Aide (GFA) On most tests & quizzes where a students scores below 70% may be redone as a Grade First Aid (GFA). GFA’s can raise a student’s non-proficient grade (below 70%) up to a proficient score of 70%. For science, students will need to schedule a time to complete their GFA during lunch, before or after school. For math, students will need to complete the GFA packet and follow ALL the instructions. All GFA’s must be turned in by their due date & signed by a parent to receive a grade increase. GFA’s mean that NO student fail either of my classes, but students who choose not to participate in GFA could fail. Please keep track of your student’s GFA’s on ESPRI – due dates & notations are made under the “comment section” of ESPRI.

Reminders Please review our parent packet with your student. Please review PACK Planner with your student. Cell Phone Policy (turned off and on desk or backpack while on campus, not in pants/shorts pocket) Tardies – Gates locked at 8:00am Gum (not allowed on campus) Dress Code Policy (no midriff or undergarments showing at any time, no halter top, no short shorts, etc.) Please bring classroom supplies Monday morning!  Please complete and return any school or class forms Friday, August 11th.

We steal their opportunity to have an esteem-building experience. The surest path to high self-esteem is to be successful at something you perceived would be difficult. Each time we steal our students’ struggle….. We steal their opportunity to have an esteem-building experience. Dr. Silvia Rimm