Welcome to Success



Welcome to Success!!!

Welcome to math class! My name is Mrs. Garcia, and I will be your guide through the exciting journey into the world of mathematics. At this point, toss away any negative feelings you may have about mathematics, because, over the upcoming school year, I will show you how exciting, useful, and important mathematics is to YOU. Again, welcome to our math class!

• WHO IS MRS. GARCIA?

Again, my name is Mrs. Garcia. I am a graduate of Penn State, but I was first a graduate of our very own Central Dauphin East High School. My husband and I have a young son named Lorenzo, or Enzo, as we call him. My interests include- but are not limited to- mathematics (of course!), cooking, running, field hockey, football, reading, and helping others. I am a member of the Women’s Civic Club of Hershey, have run in three half marathons, and regularly volunteer for Special Olympics and have a special needs sister. My goals for this year are as follows:

1. Help EACH OF YOU develop responsibility

2. Help EACH OF YOU feel comfortable with mathematics (no stress here!)

3. Help EACH OF YOU learn mathematics and understand the significance and relevance of it to your lives

4. Help EACH OF YOU learn to work cooperatively and with respect for one another

“Life is not a destination. Life is a journey. As long as you continue the journey, you will always be a success.”

Albert Camus, author

• THE TEXTBOOK WEBSITE

Your textbook has a variety of online resources that you can use to help you do well this year. To access these resources:

1. Go to

2. Choose your state (Pennsylvania), log in as a student/parent, and select a subject (Mathematics)

3. Click on your subject (we are using the 2008 textbooks); this will bring you to the main web site that you will use. Here you can find:

- Online Student Edition (username and password to be provided; it has been my experience that they are changed frequently)

- Problem-Solving Handbook (problem-solving practice)

- Chapter Readiness Quizzes (for each chapter)

- Sample Chapter Tests

- Concepts in Motion (animations, interactive labs with extra practice, BrainPOPS – extra explanations)

- Extra Examples (for each section)

- Personal Tutor (for each section)

- Self-Check Quizzes (for each section)

• HOW CAN YOU USE THE TEXTBOOK TO HELP YOU THIS YEAR?

We will not always use the textbook in class. But, you may want to use some of the additional resources in the book to help you succeed this year. What follows is a list of things that can be found in the book:

- Quick Checks (at the beginning of every chapter)

- Key terms, highlighted in yellow

- Practice problems in each section

- Standardized test practice (in every section)

- Study Guide and Review (at the end of every chapter)

- Practice test (at the end of every chapter)

- Extra Practice (at the end of the book – for every section)

- Glossary of terms (at the end of the book)

- Selected answers (to odd problems – at the end of the book)

- Symbols and Properties, Formulas and Measures (at the end of the book)

- ONLINE ACCESS CODE:

• REQUIRED MATERIALS EVERY DAY!

- Textbooks

- Pen/Pencil – ALL HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, QUIZZES, AND TESTS MUST BE DONE IN PENCIL!

- A calculator (scientific – look for sin, cos, and tan buttons and a pi (π) key) Any scientific calculator works; I like Texas Instruments and Casio calculators the best, but there are other options out there.

- A binder (you may share this with another class, but you must have the subjects separated and organized) You need a binder because we will have guided notes for each lesson, and you will want to keep these organized by topic!

• PROCEDURES

Although the list and explanations below may seem tedious, these procedures are for YOUR benefit. We will go over and practice them constantly, so be sure to read them carefully and KNOW them. These procedures will create a learning environment that is comfortable and beneficial to each of you. Thank you!

1. BEGINNING OF CLASS/ENTERING CLASSROOM

- Immediately sit in your assigned seat (you are TARDY if not in your seat when the bell rings!).

- Begin the Do-Now activity (will be posted on the screen at the front of the room). This may be some problems or simply to begin checking your homework at the start of class.

- Put your completed homework assignment on your desk so I can check it when I come around.

- Write down your homework in your planner. This will be posted on the board daily.

- Sharpen pencils at the beginning of class; this should NOT be done during class! Thank you!

2. CLASS PARTICIPATION

- All students are expected to participate in class. You can be called on if your hand is raised and if it is not raised. I will often use Popsicle sticks to select students. I do this so that I get input from all students.

- If you wish to speak during class (ask a question, make a relevant comment, etc.), please raise your hand. Thank you!

3. ADDITIONAL HELP

- Please ASK if you need help!

- Available EVERY DAY DURING 9th Period Academic Enrichment – MATH HELP will be available in either Mr. Underkoffler’s or Mrs. Garcia’s room every day (odd days – Mr. Underkoffler (Room 510), even days – Mrs. Garcia) You must bring all math materials, including guided notes to Math Help.

4. WHEN YOU ARE ABSENT

- There will be times during the course of the year when you will be absent, so it is important that you know what to do when this happens. Please see the district work make-up policy for more information. In general, you have one school day to make up work for each day that you are absent.

- When you are absent, please check the “Absent Work” binder in the classroom. This will list any notes that were taken (although you will have to get these from someone from class), worksheets that were handed out, any announcements that were made, a list of homework assignments, as well as if there were any Do Nows on your Do Now sheet.

- You are expected to make up all work in a timely fashion and without reminders! Please make sure you show me any make-up work and any assignments that were turned in the day you were absent. Get notes from someone from class, and complete the Do Now, if there was one! You can also often find the notes on my web site.

- “Being absent” is not an excuse for not being able to answer questions on a quiz or test. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated because it allows more time for me to help YOU learn math! Thank you!

5. MOVING ABOUT THE CLASSROOM

- Please do not walk around the room while I am teaching.

- Sharpening your pencil, asking to go to the lavatory, and throwing papers away should occur during non-instructional times!

- You should have several pencils with you each day in case your pencil point breaks or gets too dull. You should not get up to sharpen your pencil while I am teaching. Continual disruptions will result in a loss of points and other possible consequences.

- I do not keep tissues in my room. Please bring tissues if you know you are sick or have allergies.

6. CLASS DISMISSAL

- The bell does not dismiss the class and you do not dismiss the class. I will dismiss the class at the end of the period- once everyone is quiet- by saying, “Have a nice day!” or something to that effect.

- If you waste time, and do not get quiet right away, you may have to stay after class, and I will not write late passes for you! I will make every effort to get you to your next class on time, but it takes teamwork! Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

7. GRADES

- If you ask to see your grades, I will be happy to make your grade available to you, but please do not ask to see your grade or ask questions about your grade during instructional time. Ask either at the beginning of class, or during other free times. Parents have access to grades through the home access center. If you have not gotten access yet, contact the school office.

- Grades are weighted so that your grade is mainly based on your performance on formal assessments of your mathematics skills. See the percentages below.

- HOMEWORK (15%)

- Part of your grade is based on homework. You must complete homework assignments completely to do well in this class. These assignments are critical to learning mathematics. From past experience, those students who do not do the homework, tend to do poorly on tests and quizzes.

- Homework assignments will occur almost every day because it is important that you practice what you have learned. Time will often be provided in class; please use this time to begin assignments and ask questions!

- At the beginning of class, place your homework on the corner of your desk so that I can check that it is completed. If homework is not out on your desk when I come around, you may not receive credit for it.

- Each homework assignment is worth 4 points and will be entered daily.

• If one or just a couple of questions are missing are incomplete, you will receive 3 out of 4 points.

• If around half of the questions are completed, you will receive 2 out of 4 points.

• If less than half of the questions are completed, if the directions are not followed, or no work is shown, you will receive 0 out of 4 points, and it will be counted as a missing homework assignment.

• According to district policy, because homework is reviewed in class, late work is not accepted, except for absences.

- IMPORTANT NOTE: Credit will not be given if work is not shown. Also, points can be deducted if the assignment is not completed neatly. Do not forget to show me make up assignments; it is your responsibility as a student to remember to show me these assignments.

- Checking homework: We will go over the solutions to every homework assignment. See directions on how to check your homework solutions.

- CLASSWORK, INCLUDING DO NOWS (10%)

- Includes, but not limited to, Tickets in the Door or Tickets out the Door

• These are quick classwork activities either near the beginning of class or near the end of class to assess your knowledge on the material that has recently been learned.

• Can include Senteo problems, short writing assignments, or review problems.

• Each can be graded for correctness or checked for completeness, and can be worth a varied number of points.

- Includes, but not limited to, Do Nows

• Do Nows that require mathematical calculations will occur about two times per week (sometimes more, sometimes less)

• Do Nows such as this will be completed on a gold Do Now sheet that will fit four Do Nows. When this is filled, you will turn it in to receive classwork points.

• Each Do Now will be worth one point. You will be scored on whether these problems are correct, as we will review each Do Now.

• Absent students are required to make up/complete the Do Nows. You can find my copy of the Do Nows in a folder at the back of the room.

- TESTS (50%)

- Tests make up a large portion of your grade. Tests will be announced about a week ahead of time. About three or four days prior to a test, you will receive a review worksheet that contains questions similar to those that will be on the test. The review worksheet will be part of your homework grade.

- Tests are common assessments, meaning that students across the district take the same test (the numbers used for each problem and the order of the problems may differ, but the content is the same). You will receive these tests back as soon as everyone has taken the test.

- Each test will be out of 100 points and include multiple choice problems, short answer questions, and one essay (multiple part problem). You will have at least two tests each marking period.

- QUIZZES (25%)

- Generally occur at the mid-point of each chapter. Not every chapter will have a

mid-chapter quiz. See course timeline.

- Each quiz will be out of 100 points. You will have at least two quizzes each marking period.

8. OTHER EXPECTATIONS

- Note-writing

- First and foremost, you are expected to take notes on classroom examples on a daily basis. These notes will help you in completing homework assignments and to do well on tests and quizzes.

- Writing notes to each other in notebooks or passing notes during class is not acceptable. If you are caught doing this, the note or notebook will be taken away. Any content found in these notes may be shared with parents/guardians.

- Working on Other Work During Class

- Students are not to be working on work for other classes or reading chapter books during math class.

- Students are not to be working on that night’s homework during class time, unless otherwise stated by the teacher.

- Working on other work, or working ahead on homework will result in warning cards being given.

- Cell Phones

- Cell phones are NOT to be used during class time, unless being used for a classroom activity.

- You can use a cell phone as your calculator at home, but cannot be used as a calculator in class, since cell phones cannot be used on the PSSA or Keystone Exam.

- Gum/Candy/Food

- Gum, candy, and food are not allowed in the classrooms as per school policy. If you have any of these items, you will be made to get rid of them and will receive a red card. Repeated offenses may result in lunch detentions or an office write-up!

GOOD LUCK THIS YEAR!!!

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson[pic]

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