Memo



William C. McGinnis

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dr. Myrna E. Garcia Brian Rivera, Vice Principal

Principal Christopher Garrick, Vice Principal

September 2012

Dear Parent and/or Guardian,

Welcome to Mathematics at the William C. McGinnis Middle School! We are excited to work with you and your child. We know that we will have a successful, productive year and look forward to being a part of the academic progress your child will make in math.

Your student will be using the Progressive Math Initiative (PMI) curriculum. PMI has been designed by highly effective math teachers and aligned to state and national mathematics standards. PMI materials can be freely accessed at . Please visit the website for more information.

There are few important things to note about this math course:

◆ CURRICULUM – Teachers will be using a SMART/Brightlink interactive whiteboard to teach students. All lessons are presented on the SMART board/Brightlink interactive system using SMART notebook presentations (similar to powerpoint) and SMART response software. Students will receive a paper copy of each SMART notebook for in-class note taking and a SMART responder to use during class. SMART response software enables the teacher to question the entire class, yet measure each student’s individual response to check for understanding. The SMART responders resemble a remote control and allow students to enter number or multiple choice answers. This is a great way for the students to be engaged in the lesson and to help the teacher tailor the lesson to best meet the needs of all students.

◆ GRADING POLICY – Students will be given frequent quizzes, (every two or three days) end of unit tests, and projects that have been designed to assess mastery of content and help prepare them for important state tests. The students’ grades will be based solely on performance on quizzes and tests/projects. They will not receive points for homework or participation. This is to ensure that a student’s grade in the course is truly a reflection of what he/she knows. The students may retake any quiz or test to improve their grades, with only the highest grade counting. The emphasis in this course is on what the students learn, not when they learn it. By encouraging retakes, we create an environment where it is impossible for students to fail if they keep trying, while ensuring their grade reflects what they have actually demonstrated they know.

◆ STUDY AT HOME – Your student will also have daily homework assignments. Although it does not count for a grade, in order to succeed in this class and be prepared for quizzes and tests, students must complete their homework! Practice really does make perfect, and students will find if they do the homework they will do well in the class. Students will be given a word document with homework questions and solutions for each lesson. The homework may also be accessed online at . Please encourage your child to practice at home. The goal is not just to get the right answer, but to understand and learn the process of problem solving.

◆ RETAKES – Remember, students are allowed to retake quizzes and tests. Help your child keep track of grades on quizzes and tests and encourage him/her to retake. All retakes for each marking period must be completed before the end of the marking period to count towards the average. Encourage your student to stay on top of retakes.

◆ VISIT THE WEBSITE – Parents and students can access all in-class notes and homework problems at . From the home page, scroll over “courses” and select “common core math.” This will direct you to a page where you can select your student’s grade level. Select the appropriate grade level and you will see sub-pages for each unit. All homework problems can be downloaded directly from the site as word documents. To open the presentations you will need to download SMART notebook. A link and key for SMART notebook are provided on the website.

◆ MATERIALS – Each day students are expected to have:

o A 3-ring binder for SMART notebook notes (will be provided)

o Pen/Pencil

o Calculator (will be provided)

◆ PROGRAM OVERVIEW – During our Back to School Night we will hold an informational session for family members. You will have an opportunity to experience the program in order to develop a better understanding of this new PMI initiative.

We are looking forward to a fantastic school year, working with you and your child and seeing you at our many school functions. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the school.

Sincerely,

Dr. Myrna Garcia

Principal

William C. McGinnis Middle School

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FOR THE PARENT/GUARDIAN:

Please fill out and sign below and return JUST this bottom portion of the paper with your child tomorrow. Thanks again.

I, …………………………………………….., acknowledge the receipt and understanding of

(parent/guardian)

………………………………………………… classroom grading policies.

(student’s)

SIGNATURE……………………………………………….

DATE……………………..

HOME TELEPHONE #…………………………..

WORK TELEPHONE #.......................................

E-MAIL ADDRESS………………………………………..

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