Classroom Expectations:
1. Be on time.
2. Have all of your materials with you when you come to class.
3. Be respectful of everyone and everything around you.
4. Be prepared for class (Have your homework done).
5. Actively participate in class and do your best each day!
6. ASK QUESTIONS!
Materials to Bring to Class EVERYDAY:
PENCIL, pen, paper for homework, 3-pronged folder, textbook,
highlighter, and planner.
Notes
Notes will be given in the form of a worksheet at the beginning of each new section that we study. It is important that you use your notes as you are working on your assignment. Note taking is an important skill to have as you progress through your education, so it is expected that you will take the notes given to you in class. Notes will be worth 3 points for each section. If you are absent or you lose your notes, you are expected to copy the notes from another student in class.
Daily Practice Assignments
You can expect to have a practice assignment at least 4 times per week. Practice gives you the opportunity to try the skills that we learned in class on your own. It also allows me to see if you have learned the skills when we check it in class. You will usually, but not always, have a small amount of time to start your practice assignment in class and then it is your responsibility to finish it at home. It is also your responsibility to try every problem on the assignment! Even if you are unsure of as to how to do it, you need to attempt it by writing down your ideas of how to solve the problem.
Assignments are all worth five points:
• 2 points for turning it in on time and answering questions correctly
• 3 points for reasoning/justification (showing your work correctly)
It is very important that you complete your practice assignments each night because math topics build and spiral on each other, so it is necessary to practice one skill before learning the next.
Late Work
Any late work (not due to absence) that is turned in will receive 4 out of 5 points at best. Late work may be turned in until the day of the cumulative test, after the cumulative test it will be given a grade of zero.
Tests
All tests and quizzes will be announced ahead of time (at least 2 days). Quizzes will be taken about half way through a chapter. Unit tests will be taken over the entire chapter and will be broken down into “Big Ideas”. Big Ideas are the concepts that encompass several smaller skills that are all connected.
Once a unit test is taken, you will be responsible for retaining and/or relearning the material and you will be tested over the material a second time at the end of the next unit test. If your score improves the second time, your original score will be replaced with the better score. Your original score can never decrease, only increase.
Finally, after several unit tests have been taken, you will be tested one more time over the same material in the form of a cumulative test. Again, if your score improves on the cumulative test, the better score will replace your original test score and your original score cannot decrease.
Grading Scale
Lux Grading Scale:
90-100 A 70-74 C
85-89 B+ 65-69 D+
80-84 B 60-64 D
75-79 C+ 0-59 F
Following the Lincoln Public Schools guidelines for the Middle Level Report Card, you will receive grades in three different areas:
1. Academic Grade
2. Work/Study Habits Grade
3. Social Behavioral Skills Grade
Academic Grade
For your Academic Grade you will receive a traditional letter grade (A, B+, B, …, F). Eighty percent of your academic grade is based on the TEST scores that you earn. The other 20% is based on your homework and quiz scores.
Work/Study Habits Grade
For your Work/Study Habits Grade you will receive a grade of Commendable, Satisfactory, or Needs Improvement. Your Work/Study Habits Grade is based on your practice assignments, quizzes, and the following criteria set by the district:
• Listens
• Follows Oral and Written Directions
• Is On Task
• Participates in Class
• Strives for Quality Work
• Seeks Help As Necessary
• Completes Assignments on Time
• Is Organized
• Comes to Class Prepared
To determine whether you have earned a Commendable, Satisfactory, or Needs Improvement I will use the following scale:
Commendable 90 – 100
Satisfactory 70 – 89
Needs Improvement 0 – 69
Social/Behavior Skills Grade
For your Social/Behavior Skills Grade you will receive a grade of Commendable, Satisfactory, or Needs Improvement. You will be graded on the following criteria set by the district:
• Accepts Consequences for Actions Taken
• Demonstrates Self-Discipline and Control
• Follows School and Classroom Rules
• Demonstrates Responsible Decision Making
• Demonstrates a Positive Attitude Toward Self and Others
Cooperative Learning
You will be given opportunities each day to work with the other students in your class. You will be working in teams of four students and will be doing activities to get to know the students in your team as well as your class. The expectation is that you will fully participate in your own learning as well as the learning of your entire team.
Absences
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what material you have missed. It is also your responsibility to get the notes, homework assignment, quiz, or test made-up. You have two (2) days to complete absent work; so if you are gone on Thursday, you would have Friday and Monday to get the assignment done and it would be due on Tuesday. I am more than willing to help you in any way I can, but you also need to help yourself. It is very easy to get behind in math class and I want to help you keep on top of things. It is essential that you do your current work first and then do absent work that you need to complete.
Help is Available!
I am available most days before school, during first lunch, and after school. If you would like to come in for some additional practice or you have questions regarding a particular skill or assignment and would like them answered one-on-one, please let me know when you are coming so that I can give you my full attention. If I don’t know that you are coming, I might have plans or need to complete my own tasks.
Communication (This is for the parents ☺)
I highly recommend checking Synergy on a weekly basis. We have a lot of assignments in math class and it is important that the students stay caught up. Plus, if they know that you are checking up on them, they will be more apt to do the work! Also, please be sure that your email address
that is connected to Synergy is up-to-date because I send out emails with announcements quite frequently.
I have a website where I will be posting homework assignments each day; it is linked to the Lux homepage. Please use this to see what your student has missed if they have been absent or if they cannot remember which problems were assigned. I will also provide test reminders on the website.
If you have any questions or concerns throughout the year, please feel free to contact me through e-mail at awiens@lps.org or call me at
Lux (436-1220). I want to make sure there is an open line of communication where everyone has a good experience in my classroom and concerns are addressed in a timely manner.