Rochester Catholic Schools

1. Rochester CatholicSchools • Revised Math Curriculum • (Algebra I in Grade 8)

2. RCS Grade 8 Algebra I Curriculum Addendum MeetingJuly 23, 2008attendees:Ruth SalingPam SmithMonte ImmingRon GainesKaren SwatoshNancy GuadetDave Doty

3. Agenda: • 9:00      Gather -coffee, water & danish available • 9:10      Prayer (Dave)Receive paper copy of revised curriculum (Pam) • Walk through revisions (PowerPoint) • Make any needed changes or clarifications to RCS Grade 8 Algebra I curriculum addendum Prayer~ Today’s GospelMt 13:1-9 on the Feast of St. BridgetOn that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down,and the whole crowd stood along the shore.And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,and birds came and ate it up.Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

4. Prayer~ Today’s Saint & pilgrimage In the 1300s, St. Bridget constantly strove to exert her good influence over Swedish king Magnus II, while never fully reforming, he did give her land and buildings to found a monastery for men and women. This group eventually expanded into an Order known as the Bridgetines (still in existence). In 1350, a year of jubilee, Bridget braved a plague-stricken Europe to make a pilgrimage to Rome. Although she never returned to Sweden, her years in Rome were far from happy, being hounded by debts and by opposition to her work against Church abuses. A final pilgrimage to the Holy Land, marred by shipwreck and the death of her son, Charles, eventually led to her death in 1373. In 1999, she, Saints Catherine of Siena and Edith Stein were named co-patronesses of Europe. Bridget’s faith, rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the Avignon papacy. Despite the hardships of life and wayward children (not all became saints), Bridget was “kind and meek to every creature” and “she had a laughing face.”

5. Prayer~ pilgrimage reflection from Principal Tom Donlon Catholic Identity: from Lourdes to Lourdes Pilgrimage as a Paradigm for What we Do I would propose that, beyond the vast sweep and glorious richness of the Catholic tradition itself, a font for our Catholic identity here at Lourdes High School is to be found less in our particular origins and history than in our title itself: Lourdes. The Lourdes Shrine in France is about two fundamental human and religious experiences: pilgrimage and health/wholeness/holiness. The Characteristics of Pilgrimage Pilgrimage is an ancient and venerable devotional practice in the Catholic tradition. Aimed at conversion, the purpose of pilgrimage is to change a person’s life. Pilgrimage is also understood to be a paradigm for all religious experience.

6. Why are the Math Standards changing? • MN Legislation Approved in 2006 added Additional Math Requirements Minnesota law will require algebra II or its equivalent for graduation from high school. (Minn. Stat. § 120B.023, subd. 2(B)(2) (2006).) • New requirements approved by the 2006 legislature relate to students that will graduate in 2015. The State of Minnesota has determined that, in order to be successful after graduation in the post-secondary schools, a student needs to have successfully completed Algebra II. • This new legislation will mean that all students beginning with the class of 2015 will need to complete Algebra I by the end of grade 8 and complete Algebra II to receive a diploma. During the 2008-2009 school year RCS will be evaluating current Algebra skills within our curriculum. From this we will determine if the sequence provides ample opportunity for students to be successful in Algebra I and finally Algebra II. We will then develop a further amended curriculum to address a new sequence to further improve achievement in this area.

14. Frequently Asked Questions about the 2007 Minnesota Mathematics Standards • Q.Minnesota law requires all students to complete an algebra I credit by the end of 8th grade. Do the 8th grade standards and benchmarks fully outline the content for algebra I? • A. The 8th grade standards and benchmarks encompass the material that is normally mastered in an algebra I course. Additional material should also be included in 8th grade mathematics, in preparation for high school. For example, it is common to begin work with quadratic functions in algebra I, but mastery is not expected until algebra II, so quadratic functions are not emphasized in the 8th grade standards and benchmarks. On the other hand, some material that is likely to be introduced in 7th grade or earlier, such as the square root, is expected to be first mastered in 8th grade. Therefore square roots are included in the 8th grade standards and benchmarks, rather than in an earlier grade.

15. Frequently Asked Questions about the 2007 Minnesota Mathematics Standards • Q.Minnesota law requires algebra II or its equivalent for graduation from high school. (Minn. Stat. § 120B.023, subd. 2(B)(2) (2006).) Do the 9-11th grade standards and benchmarks fully outline the content for algebra II? • A. Some algebra II material is introductory in nature and lays the foundation for future courses. Students are not expected to master such material. For example, logarithms are usually introduced in algebra II, but mastery of the fundamentals of logarithms is not expected until precalculus or college algebra. For this reason, logarithms are not mentioned in the 9-11th grade standards and benchmarks.

16. Frequently Asked Questions about the 2007 Minnesota Mathematics Standards • Q.Minnesota law requires algebra II or its equivalent for graduation from high school. (Minn. Stat. § 120B.023, subd. 2(B)(2) (2006).) Do the 9-11th grade standards and benchmarks fully outline the content for algebra II? • A. Some algebra II material is introductory in nature and lays the foundation for future courses. Students are not expected to master such material. For example, logarithms are usually introduced in algebra II, but mastery of the fundamentals of logarithms is not expected until precalculus or college algebra. For this reason, logarithms are not mentioned in the 9-11th grade standards and benchmarks.