1. Back To School Night 2014 Mrs. Atkinson 7 th Grade Math Teacher Co-Department Chair

2. Contact Information Best way to contact me is through email catkinson@wssd.org Phone number 610-892-3470 ext 7214

3. Teacher Web Page Daily homework assignments (secondary resource) Assignment calendar (check-ins/tests) Parent Page – Department Policies and Procedures Link to the Math in Focus homepage – access to on-line text book and resources

4. On Line Resources my.hrw.com Period 1 Username: catkinson276 Password: math7

5. On Line Resources my.hrw.com Period 3 Username: catkinson322 Password: v3p9n

6. On Line Resources my.hrw.com Periods 4, 7, 8 Username: catkinson323 Password: b4e2u

7. Classroom Expectations Arrive to class on time Be prepared with your Math binder, textbook, pencils and calculator 7 th grade students need a basic, 4- function calculator or a scientific calculator Graphing calculators are not needed until 8 th grade

8. Classroom Expectations Be respectful of your classmates and your teacher (s) Raise your hand when you want to speak Contribute to class discussion positively Be an active participant in the classroom NO gum chewing

9. Classroom Routine Write HW in agenda book Warm Up Check HW from previous night (group/partner review) Begin Direct Instruction/CW Bathroom – try to limit usage during class so as to avoid missing instruction

10. Classroom Supplies 3 Ring Binder (1”-2”) Spiral notebook Loose leaf and Graph Paper (always good to have) Covered Textbook Pencil Pouch that includes pencils, erasers, and a calculator Post-It notes

11. SHMS Math Dept. Grading Policy Tests: 40% ** Quizzes/check-ins: 30% ** (both announced and unannounced) Homework: 15% Homework is given typically Monday-Thursday night. Sometimes it is checked for completion and other times checked for accuracy. Homework questions will be addressed in class if students had a problem with their assignment. Other: 15% (warm-ups, graded HW, projects) **We usually assess the students on either Wednesdays or Fridays

12. Accelerated Math 7/8 Grades will be calculated based on a Total Points system. Grades will be comprised of daily homework, Enrichment Packets, class work (Warm Ups), and Unit Tests. Due to the pace of the class, quizzes will be given less frequently. We will be covering the second half of 7 th grade Math and ALL of 8 th grade Math.

13. Assignments Daily homework assignments are worth 2 points each and are usually checked 2-3 times per week. Homework is posted on the side board daily. Warm Ups are collected at the end of each week and are worth 5 points. Graded HW assignments will be assigned throughout the marking period – these are graded based on accuracy. Quizzes/Check-Ins are given throughout a chapter (2-3 days prior notice) Chapter Tests are given at the end of each Chapter. (at least 1 week notice)

14. Enriched Math 8 Challenge *Challenge problems are assigned from the text book and/or Extra Practice *Identified and designed by the publisher to be more difficult *included in daily homework assignments Enrichment *Enrichment activities are extensions of content which require deeper levels of thinking and problem solving *may require written explanation *Enrichment packets are assigned with each Chapter

15. Test Corrections Test corrections will be assigned as a homework assignment, worth 2 points toward their daily homework grade. Any student who scores below a 75% on a Chapter Test will have the opportunity to take a re-test (within 1 week), on which they can earn a maximum score of 75%.

16. Need Help? We are available for help after school on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Peer tutoring is available on those days as well (Ms. Devlin’s room C220 on Tuesdays and Mrs. Atkinson’s room c214 on Thursdays)

17. Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Focus – Move away from “mile wide, inch deep” curricula; Narrow scope of content Coherence – Build on solid conceptual understanding; Think across grades & link to major topics within grade Rigor – Conceptual understanding; Procedural skills & fluency; Problem solving

18. Mathematical Practices 1.Make sense of problems & persevere in solving them 2.Reason abstractly & quantitatively 3.Construct viable arguments & critique the reasoning of others 4.Model with mathematics 5.Use appropriate tools strategically 6.Attend to precision 7.Look for & make use of structure 8.Look for & express regularity in repeated reasoning

19. SHMS Math Mission Statement The mission of the SHMS mathematics program is to: 1.Inspire intellectual curiosity and aesthetic appreciation of mathematics as a body of knowledge 2.Promote critical thinking and problem solving skills to solve real world problems 3.Develop computational fluency and understanding of mathematical algorithms in order to apply known facts to unknown situations 4.Encourage students to be active participants in a life-long learning process as independent thinkers

20. Problem Solving in Math in Focus

21. Thank you for coming!! Enjoy your evening! Looking forward to a wonderful year!!