Mrs. Tracy VanDrisse & Mrs. Jessica Benson Math 8 2017 - 2018 Mrs. Tracy VanDrisse & Mrs. Jessica Benson

Quizzes (formative) = 40% Practice = 10% Grade Categories This is a change from last year. This change is due to a directive from CCSD. Test (summative) = 50% Quizzes (formative) = 40% Practice = 10% You can see almost the entire grade is from assessments, so it is imperative students are completing homework and focusing during class.

Homework Policies Homework is NOT counted as a grade this year, but it is expected the students are completing the assignments to prepare for assessments. Because it is not counted, there is concern some students will not attempt the problems. Homework helps reinforce the concepts taught in class and is similar to what will be on the assessments. If there is an absence, it is expected the student complete the missed assignments.

“Quiz Upgrades” There is an opportunity for students to improve their quiz grades if they do not perform as desired. In order to get a “quiz upgrade,” they MUST have their “blue sheet” from the unit because this is where the quiz scores and desired upgrades are noted. They must also perform better on the particular concepts on the unit test than they did on the quiz.

“Quiz Upgrades” Example The first quiz was about parallel lines and angle relationships. Your child earned 70%. As a class, we went through the correct solutions, and your child saw where the errors were made. Before the test, your child reviewed angle relationships. On the unit test, your child gets four out of five angle relationship problems correct. That would be 80%, so your child can replace the quiz score of 70% with 80% from the same concept on the unit test.

Math Help Opportunities Students are always allowed to come and ask me during home room. They need to ask their teacher for a pass to come and see me. I try to post the homework solutions every evening, so students can refer to my blog if they get stuck or want to check their answers. There will be some opportunities during the school day to get extra help, and before school help is available by appointment. There may also be announced help sessions. Students will be told in class or it will be on the blog.

High School Math Placement Most high schools offer three possible placements for students who are in on-level math 8; however, we won’t know for sure until the high schools contact us about placement. Three placement options: Algebra I Algebra I with Support/Math Foundations Algebra I with Honors

Supplies Needed A 5-subject NOTEBOOK – preferably one with a durable cover SCOTCH TAPE or a SMALL STAPLER with STAPLES PENCILS & ERASERS GRAPH PAPER A TI-XS 30 Multiview CALCULATOR

Math Notebook The students are responsible for keeping a math notebook. The notes & examples are completed in class. The sections we complete together in class are posted on my blog for students who are absent or if a student missed a part during class. Students are encouraged to use their notebooks for homework help and to study for quizzes and tests. Homework assignments & warm ups can also be completed in the notebook, so everything is in one location.

Donations Thank you to all who have already donated supplies, and thank you in advance to anyone who donates in the future  . Dry Erase Markers for whole class usage during in-class practice Pencils (please buy “cheap” wood pencils so the students return them if borrowed) Tissues

Blog http://www.cobbk12.org/McClure/ You can access the blogs, from the the McClure homepage http://www.cobbk12.org/McClure/ Quiz and test dates will be listed on the blog. That is where the most current info will be located. There are also helpful websites linked on my blog. There is a tab with the online textbook directions and the syllabus if you need it for reference.

Distribution List A distribution list will be created to e-mail math information to those wanting the updates The emails will include the topics of study for the unit as well as the tentative assessment dates, but please check the blog for any revised assessment dates. I hope to have the list set up by next week. If you don’t receive an email from me by the end of the weekend, feel free to email me so I can add you to the distribution list.

Contact Information If you want to contact Mrs. Benson or me, e-mail is the preferred method. If you call, a message will be put in our mailbox so it will take some time for us to call back. E-mail addresses: tracy.vandrisse@cobbk12.org Jessica.benson@cobbk12.org

Welcome to Eighth Grade Math at MMS!