Dear parents, We are delighted that your son/daughter is in our math class this school year. With your encouragement, your child will participate in and enjoy many exciting and rewarding experiences throughout the year.

Welcome to 7 th Grade Math!! Mrs. Jenni Thompson and Ms. Rebecca Musa

About Mrs. Thompson 6th year- 4 years at AG Middle School 2 years at JM Robinson National Board Certification Bachelor’s Degree in Education Master’s Degree in Educational Technology

About Ms. Musa 17 th year teaching 5 years in South Carolina 11 years in Charlotte 10 years at Robinson Middle as an EC Teacher 7 th year co-teaching & I love it! Bachelors in Education University of South Carolina Masters in Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities Francis Marion University

What’s different this year? Common Core Standards Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Communication Skills Writing and Journaling Creativity and Innovation Skills Collaboration Skills Information and Media Literacy Skills Contextual Learning Skills

But why?? Every child in America needs to be ready for today’s and tomorrow’s world. A profound gap exists between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need for success in their communities and workplaces. To successfully face rigorous higher education coursework, career challenges and a globally competitive workforce, U.S. schools must align classroom environments with real world environments by fusing the three Rs and four Cs.

Connected Mathematics 2

GREAT Parent Resources Parent Guide: Parent Website: Both websites are also on my CMS wiki page!

Success for your child… Teacher’s role Parents’ role Student’s role

Teacher’s Role: Support your child at school Provide a safe and comfortable learning environment Tutor (Tuesday morning from 7:15PM-7:45PM) Implement Lessons Check for understanding Test and Quizzes Daily Assessment Projects Assign appropriate and meaningful practice problems Keep parents and students informed both in the classroom and online Prepare students for Middle and High School

Parents’ Role: Provide support at home Provide appropriate materials (and encourage students to bring them to class- This includes calculators!) Stay informed! Check assignments in agenda Check website us Check Parent Assist Help students with school work, but do not do it for them! It is okay if it’s not perfect! Be positive about math! Ask what they are learning in class.

Student’s Role: Write down homework Complete assignments on time and to the best of his/her ability Participate in class Prepare for tests and quizzes ASK FOR HELP There are TWO of us!!!

Grading Policy Formal- 45% – Tests – Quizzes – Projects Informal- 45% – Daily Quizzes/Reflections – Class work/Investigations – Class Participation Homework- 10%

Test Corrections All students will make test corrections. If they receive a 100% they will write a short reflection. Test corrections count as an additional test grade which will average with their original grade to bring up their overall average.

Tutoring Tuesday mornings, 7:15AM-7:45AM Students need to come prepared with questions and something to work on!

Homework Policy I will check for completion daily Completed and work shown- no deduction Incomplete, no work shown, or late- 5 point deduction – Student receives working lunch

Weekly Problems Beginning soon, students will receive problem sets each week which will be due each Friday. Problems given on Friday are due the following Friday. Problem sets will count as a grade. Students are to show their work for all problems. (thought process)

If your child gets “stuck” Here's a list of questions you can ask the child when they are stuck: 1) Is there an example in the book like this? 2) Do you have an example like this in your notes? 3) Can you do some easier problems and go back to this one after? 4) What part of the problem is giving you trouble? 5) Let's read the problem together and make sure we understand what it is asking. 6) Can we draw a picture of the problem? (This works well for word problems.) 7) Can we make up an easier problem that is similar to this? Then we can work our way up to this one. 8) What did your teacher say about this assignment?

Wish List Throughout the year, we always need the following: Tissues Clorox/Lysol wipes Plain and colored copy paper Small dry erase markers Graph Paper Pencils

7 th Grade Math Topics Data Analysis and Statistics Number Theory Algebraic Reasoning Integers Fractions Decimals Rates, Ratios, and Proportions Percent Percent of Change and Simple Interest Geometry Perimeter, Circumference, and Area Volume and Surface Area Probability Equations Inequalities Graphs and Functions EOG Review

Opportunities for rigor outside the classroom – Middle Schools The mission of MATHCOUNTS is to increase enthusiasm for and enhance achievement in middle school mathematics throughout the United States. Mathcounts offers two unique programs to middle school teachers and students: The MATHCOUNTS Club Program and the MATHCOUNTS Competition Math/index.html - Charlotte Math Club Math/index.html

Contact us! Write a note in the agenda My websites: (also accessible through the Robinson website) Contact Mrs. Cockerham (Guidance Counselor) to set up a team conference

Thank you for attending! If you would like a copy of this PowerPoint presentation, please me and I will be glad to send it to you! Have a great evening!