Welcome to 8 th Grade!!

Welcome to 8th Grade!! Mrs. Merry’s ~ Room I-1 Algebra & Social Studies Day Creek Intermediate School “Where Failure is Not an Option!” • Please… • Sign in. • Pick up the pages on the counter • 3. Register for MY teacherweb by entering your e-mail address into the back computers.

The surest path to high self-esteem is to be successful at something you perceived would be difficult. Each time we steal our students’ struggle….. We steal their opportunity to have an esteem-building experience. Dr. Silvia Rimm

Class Schedule: 8:00 Attendance & Homework Check-In 8:10 P.E. or Elective 9:00 P.E. or Elective 9:50 PACK (MilkyWay) or Algebra (Starburst) 10:40 Algebra-cont. (Starburst) 11:25 Algebra (MilkyWay) 12:20 Lunch 12:50 Social Studies (Homeroom) 1:40 Social Studies (Switch) 2:30 Dismissal

Weekly Communications: Folders sent home weekly every Monday Sent home each week for you to review & sign. Please look for these every week and return on Tuesday morning by 8:10. Citizenship grades will be affected if folders are not returned Tuesday morning. Inside: Class work, homework, tests & quizzes (sign any tests or quizzes below 70%) Any important communication (must be signed by parent & student) PACK Planner: Inside the PACK planner, you will find school rules & procedures. You will also find on Trimester Benchmark results (parent signature required), Progress Report verifications (parent signature required), the weekly grade logs (pg. 24-26), and grade level standards Web page My web-site: Mrs. Merry's Algebra & Social Studies ***IMPORTANT!!*** Make sure you & your student register BEFORE Monday for my teacher web’s “Newsflashes.” These “Newsflashes” are the most important way I communicate with you about upcoming tests, important events, and what will be coming home in your student’s weekly folder. School web-site: http://teacherweb.com/CA/DCIS/SchoolHomePage/sdhp1.apx Fastest way to reach me: tracie_merry@etiwanda.org

Progress Reports & Grades Both you and your students will need to check their grades on ESPRI every Thursday night. The PACK planner grade page (pg. 24-26) will need to be completed by the student and signed by the parent EVERY Thursday night. PACK planner grades & signatures will be taken as a SCIENCE homework grade every Friday morning. This is a required grade, and if absent, needs to be made up & shown to the teacher. If you don’t have an ESPRI account, please set one up with our office ASAP. Students & parents who had ESPRI accounts last year will have the same account number & password this year. Grades will be posted online, website willing, for parent/student perusal starting the 2nd week of school. Grades are updated at least once a week by Thursday, but usually update grades daily. Progress Reports go home every 6 weeks, and PACK planner must be signed on page 22 to verify receipt. You can access ESPRI via my teacherweb. Grading percentage are as follows: Tests = 40% Quizzes/Projects = 30% Class work = 20% Homework = 10%

Curriculum: Algebra ALL 8th grade students are required by state law to take Algebra. Textbook: Holt’s California Algebra 1 Eleven chapters covering: Foundations of Algebra, Equations, Inequalities, Functions, Linear Functions, Systems of Equations & Inequalities, Exponents & Polynomials, Factoring Polynomials, Quadratic Functions & Equations, Rational Functions & Equations, Exponential & Radical Functions One group of students, we will complete chapters 1-8 before the school year ends. One group of students, will complete chapters 1-11 prior to spring testing. Students will be tested in May for high school Geometry. All 8th Grade teachers follow the same daily pacing guide & lesson schedule. Pacing guides for both group will be on my teacherweb.

Curriculum:Algebra Class work The bulk of all class work will be note taking and whiteboard practice problems for each lesson. All notes will be provide by the teacher. The notes are interactive, and students will be required to fill in blanks, solve problems, and complete definitions. Students will need a folder/binder to keep their notes in. Students must keep the current chapter in their folder/binder at all times. All chapter notes should be saved somewhere (Algebra 3 ring binder) so students can refer to them for review tests, Benchmark review, CST review, and will also be very helpful for high school.

Curriculum:Algebra Homework Homework is assigned every day that a lesson is taught. This means Algebra homework is assigned Monday through Friday. Algebra homework on average will take between 30-60 minutes depending on the material and your ability. If the Algebra homework is going to be more than 45 minutes, I usually try and shorten the Social Studies homework. All homework is to be completed in the student’s Algebra spiral notebook. NO work will be accepted if it is not in the student’s Algebra notebook. NO credit will be given if students do not show all steps/work to get to their given answer. There is a very specific way each page of homework is to be set up and labeled. This procedure will be covered in class and if students do not follow it, no credit will be given. Homework must be completed in pencil. NO EXCEPTIONS! Notebooks will be collected daily and a grade will be given based on work completed and accuracy (5 random problems will be taken for a grade). Daily homework will be posted on teacherweb.com

Curriculum:Algebra Tests Every chapter has up to 3 tests. 1 open ended (at the end of the chapter) 1 multiple choice test (approx. 2 weeks after the chapter) Optional Test: 1 world problem test (at the end of the chapter) Students have a packet of word problems that this test comes out of. Quizzes Algebra Journal Quizzes (AJQ). These quizzes are random and they are based directly off of the student’s classroom notes & homework. Therefore, it is critical that students take very detailed notes in class & ask questions on their homework. Lesson Quizzes Randomly given the day after a lesson is taught to check for understanding.

Curriculum: Algebra & Social Studies Grade First Aide (GFA) What is it? GFA allows a student who receives a poor test or quiz grades (less than 70%) to redo ALL of the problems that they missed on their test or quiz. The student must show all work, come up with the correct answer, and explain what they did incorrectly the first time. If a student does all of the above, I will re-grade the test, and a new grade will override their previous grade & be put into the grade book, up to 70%. GFA can be used on any open ended or multiple choice test, but it can NOT be used on word problem tests, because students have all the work and answers ahead of time on these tests. GFA means that NO student should fail Algebra or Social Studies, but students who choose not to participate in GFA could fail either subject.

Curriculum: Algebra Sending Tests home Because of problems in 8th grade with cheating, no 8th grade tests get sent home. You will receive scantrons of tests, or the work that the student did on the test, but no actual copy of a test will be sent home. Students who wish to participate in GFA must write each problem down on their answer document, so that they know what the problem is when they go to rework the problem. Students who need to re-work a word problem from a multiple choice or open ended test may set up a time with the teacher to come in and look at the actual test.

Curriculum: Algebra What help does the Holt Algebra textbook series offer at home? Tutorials and extra help for every lesson of the text E-Textbook passwords are found in PACK planner Family Letter and At Home Practice available for all chapters On-line help at http://my.hrw.com/ What Algebra help do we have at school? Strategic Students: Students will receive 100 minutes EVERY DAY of Algebra instruction. They will also have the assistance of an aide. All other students: 3rd Period PACK classes – students grouped according to student needs Students will receive challenge, reinforcement, or help as needed. PACK classes are based on last year’s CST scores & Benchmark scores PACK classes have flexible grouping and students move up or down as needed

Curriculum: Algebra Tutoring CJSF Peer Tutoring will be offered after school this year in the library, Monday thru Friday. Students who are struggling on their homework assignment at home can go on-line and watch Professor Dr. Burger (this is also helpful for parents). I will also have CJSF Peer Tutoring in my room MOST mornings at 7:30 Monday-Friday to assist students with 1 or 2 problems that they struggled with. However, if they have more than 1 or 2 problems they need help on, there will not have enough time to go over all of them in the morning. Their homework will be graded based on all assigned. Students who come in for help in the morning cannot come in and just say “I don’t understand.” They can say, “I don’t understand how to factor this problem.” They must show that they have however, made a good attempt at the problem they are stuck on. Students who have a blank notebook (no notes, no work, no effort) will not be able to attend tutoring. Tutoring is not childcare, where students can be dropped off early to be supervised. On special occasions, I will be available to help a student with a question or a challenging concept at lunch.

Curriculum: Social Studies Glencoe’s Discovering Our Past: The American Journey Age to Exploration, Capitalism, Enlightenment Road to Independence & Revolutionary War Creating a Nation Launching a Republic The Young Republic Civil War & Reconstruction Reshaping a Nation 8th Grade teachers need to cover 15 chapters, prior to the CST in early spring. This fact requires us to move at a very rapid pace. ****Note: In 8th Grade the students take the CST on Social Studies. This test covers 6th, 7th, & 8th Grade Social Studies curriculum.

Class work Class work usually consists of reading our text, note taking, guided reading worksheets, and open book quizzes. Unfinished class work becomes homework. Homework Students usually have worksheets or their chapter study guide to do each night. Homework should take no more than 30 minutes, but that does not include long term projects. Quizzes Lesson quizzes are given after every lesson. They are taken in class (most of the time) and are open book/open note quizzes. Tests & Study Groups There is a chapter test after each chapter in our book. If your student performs poorly on a test (less than 70%), they may do Grade First Aide (GFA) At 7am on the morning of MOST chapter test, I offer a breakfast study group. For $2-$3 your student can come eat breakfast & review with me for the test. in the past, students who attend study group have scored much higher on their chapter tests. Projects Students will complete projects (mostly in class) that are designed to enhance their learning of important concepts, hopefully making something reputedly dry, reasonably exciting and interesting! Curriculum: Social Studies

Study Guides For each chapter, students receive a study guide to complete. The study guides are not optional;they’re mandatory and go in the gradebook as a long-term project grade. If a study guide is lost, extra copies are available on my teacher web. Study Material Located on teacherweb are chapter notes, PowerPoint vocabulary review and chapter review games. This material is very helpful for students with homework & prior to taking the test. The review games cover almost every question that is on the test and are a great study tool for success! Extra Credit Extra credit is available for Social Studies by taking chapter review quizzes. Students can take review quizzes on their 6th, 7th, or 8th grade textbook. 6th & 7th grade quizzes are worth more points, as it is older material for the students to recall. Extra credit quizzes must be e-mailed to me to earn extra credit. Students will only receive credit once for each test they take and must pass at 70% or higher. Curriculum: Social Studies

Homework: Daily – Monday through Thursday/Friday Approx. 30 minutes per subject, excluding special projects or unfinished class work. For Algebra there will be a homework assignment on Friday; this is meant to be done & completed on Friday, not on the weekend. You don’t want to wait 3 days to practice something you learned 72 hours ago, especially in Algebra!!! PACK Planner Completed daily in class (required) It’s the student’s responsibility to write down their homework and note any unfinished class work or projects. One way to play an active role in your child’s education is to check the PACK Planner & teacherweb against your child’s completed homework nightly, to see that all assignments have been completed accurately by the due dates.

Late & Absent Work Late homework or class work will NOT be accepted for full credit. Work that is not turned in by 8:10 each morning is considered late. Projects may be turned in up to 5 days late, with a 10% deduction per day of your overall grade. Absent Work It is the student’s responsibility to check the “Absent Work Tray” upon return to class. Missed tests will have to be made up within 48 hours of the student’s absence. To make up a missed test, students must make an appointment with their teacher for a before school test make-up. Missed tests may not be made up during class time. Independent Studies For students who will be out of class 5 days or more. Must be submitted to the office at least 5 days prior to scheduled absences.

Cheating or Plagiarism The temptation to cheat or plagiarize can be a problem at this age. Cheating is marked by dishonest intent to GIVE OR RECIEVE unearned rewards and includes sharing or copying homework, class work, or projects, giving or receiving answers on tests, and plagiarism. Students who cheat in any way will receive NO CREDIT (F) for the assignment. In addition, their citizenship grade for that 6 week grading period will result in an “N” and disciplinary action will follow. In your parent packet, there is a “Cheating & Plagiarism” agreement that must be signed by you & your student.

Tardies When the bell rings, students must report to their classrooms immediately. Since there is not a tardy bell, a tardy is defined as entering a classroom, without a written excuse, four minutes or more after the bell.

Suggested Supplies: In Class Essentials Pencils, pencils, & more pencils! (Mechanical pencils work best) Several non-erasable red pens 2” three-ring binder with divider tabs for each subject (a student’s best friend!) Loose leaf paper (college rule) Highlighters 4 Spiral notebooks (70+ page notebooks to start off the year, you might want to purchase additional spiral notebooks while they are on sale, but keep them at home.) 2 Graphing spiral notebooks (A MUST) Small, self-contained pencil sharpener. 3x5 Index cards (needed for Algebra & Lang. Arts) Dry erase markers & eraser (needed for Algebra) Additional Classroom Supplies Calculator Glue sticks Colored pencils, markers, & crayons Bags of Candy Kleenex, hand soap, disinfectant wipes, & Glade plug-ins (vanilla please) Clorox Wipes

Thank you for spending your evening with me. I look forward to a successful year with your student.Don’t forget to register on my teacher web by Monday. Thank you!

Welcome to 8 th Grade!!