Mayfield Middle School
1123 S.O.M. Center Road
Mayfield Heights, OH 44124
Paul Destino, Principal
Colleen Harrison, Assistant Principal
Kate Rateno, Assistant Principal
Telephone: (440) 995-7800
Fax: (440) 499-1413
Spring 2015
To the parents of 8th grade accelerated math students at Mayfield Middle School:
As you are probably aware, there is a national concern about the mathematical ability of students in the United
States as compared to students in other countries around the world. The National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCTM) has published a set of standards, which makes recommendations for increasing the
mathematical abilities of students. One of the major steps in achieving improved performance is the availability of
graphing calculators to every student taking mathematics in high school. These calculators may be used on various
standardized tests, including the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and are required for the Advanced Placement tests in
mathematics. Many nearby colleges now require students taking various mathematics classes to have graphing
calculators.
In order to help Mayfield students better understand mathematics and to keep the current outstanding
mathematics curriculum up-to-date, the 8th grade accelerated math teachers will be requiring students to have a
graphing calculator to use both in class and on homework. Students will continue to use the graphing calculators
in high school mathematics courses.
While the coursework will be able to be done using any manufacturer's graphing calculator, the Texas Instruments
calculators are the models on which our teachers have received training and will be using in class. We are
recommending that you purchase the Texas Instruments TI-Nspire CX Color (non-CAS). The Nspire calculators also
include student software and free OS upgrades for life.
Many local retail and electronics stores carry the TI line of calculators. You can check with these stores for prices
and availability (they are generally around $125). There are often back to school sales and coupons if you look
online or at stores over the summer. Copco (www.copcoinc.com) also sells a full line of graphing calculators. We
fully recognize that this is a large investment. However, we feel that the educational benefits greatly outweigh the
expense, making it a good investment in your student's future success in mathematics. Access to a graphing
calculator will be necessary for all courses and throughout all four years of your child’s career at Mayfield High
School.
An engraving tool is available so that students may have their calculators engraved with their name. If you have
any questions concerning the use of graphing calculators, please feel free to contact us.
Sincerely,
Dan Carlson
Allison Golem
Kate McCartney
Please save your proof of purchase coupons when you purchase your calculator.
The middle school can redeem the proof of purchase coupons from the calculators for
classroom calculator equipment. We will collect them in class.