Back To School Night
2014
Mrs. Atkinson
7th Grade Math Teacher
Co-Department Chair
Contact Information
• Best way to contact me is through email
• catkinson@wssd.org
• Phone number 610-892-3470 ext 7214
Teacher Web Page
• Daily homework assignments (secondary
resource)
• Assignment calendar (check-ins/tests)
• Parent Page – Department Policies and
Procedures
• Link to the Math in Focus homepage – access
to on-line text book and resources
On Line Resources
my.hrw.com
Period 1
Username: catkinson276
Password: math7
On Line Resources
my.hrw.com
Period 3
Username: catkinson322
Password: v3p9n
On Line Resources
my.hrw.com
Periods 4, 7, 8
Username: catkinson323
Password: b4e2u
Classroom Expectations
• Arrive to class on time
• Be prepared with your Math binder,
textbook, pencils and calculator
• 7th grade students need a basic, 4function calculator or a scientific
calculator
• Graphing calculators are not needed
until 8th grade
Classroom Expectations
• Be respectful of your classmates and
your teacher (s)
• Raise your hand when you want to speak
• Contribute to class discussion positively
• Be an active participant in the classroom
• NO gum chewing
Classroom Routine
• Write HW in agenda book
• Warm Up
• Check HW from previous night
(group/partner review)
• Begin Direct Instruction/CW
• Bathroom – try to limit usage during
class so as to avoid missing instruction
Classroom Supplies
• 3 Ring Binder (1”-2”)
• Spiral notebook
• Loose leaf and Graph Paper (always good
to have)
• Covered Textbook
• Pencil Pouch that includes pencils,
erasers, and a calculator
• Post-It notes
SHMS Math Dept. Grading Policy
• Tests: 40% **
• Quizzes/check-ins: 30% ** (both announced
and unannounced)
• Homework: 15% Homework is given typically
Monday-Thursday night. Sometimes it is
checked for completion and other times
checked for accuracy. Homework questions will
be addressed in class if students had a problem
with their assignment.
• Other: 15% (warm-ups, graded HW, projects)
• **We usually assess the students on either
Wednesdays or Fridays
Accelerated Math 7/8
• Grades will be calculated based on a Total
Points system.
• Grades will be comprised of daily homework,
Enrichment Packets, class work (Warm Ups),
and Unit Tests.
• Due to the pace of the class, quizzes will be
given less frequently. We will be covering the
second half of 7th grade Math and ALL of 8th
grade Math.
Assignments
• Daily homework assignments are worth 2 points
each and are usually checked 2-3 times per week.
• Homework is posted on the side board daily.
• Warm Ups are collected at the end of each week
and are worth 5 points.
• Graded HW assignments will be assigned
throughout the marking period – these are graded
based on accuracy.
• Quizzes/Check-Ins are given throughout a
chapter (2-3 days prior notice)
• Chapter Tests are given at the end of each
Chapter. (at least 1 week notice)
Enriched Math 8
• Challenge
*Challenge problems are
assigned from the text
book and/or Extra Practice
*Identified and designed
by the publisher to be
more difficult
*included in daily
homework assignments
• Enrichment
*Enrichment activities are
extensions of content
which require deeper
levels of thinking and
problem solving
*may require written
explanation
*Enrichment packets are
assigned with each
Chapter
Test Corrections
• Test corrections will be assigned as a
homework assignment, worth 2 points toward
their daily homework grade.
• Any student who scores below a 75% on a
Chapter Test will have the opportunity to take
a re-test (within 1 week), on which they can
•
earn a maximum score of 75%.
Need Help?
• We are available for help after school
on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
• Peer tutoring is available on those days
as well (Ms. Devlin’s room C220 on
Tuesdays and Mrs. Atkinson’s room c214
on Thursdays)
Common Core State Standards
(CCSS)
• Focus – Move away from “mile wide, inch
deep” curricula; Narrow scope of content
• Coherence – Build on solid conceptual
understanding; Think across grades & link to
major topics within grade
• Rigor – Conceptual understanding;
Procedural skills & fluency; Problem
solving
Mathematical Practices
1. Make sense of problems & persevere in
solving them
2. Reason abstractly & quantitatively
3. Construct viable arguments & critique the
reasoning of others
4. Model with mathematics
5. Use appropriate tools strategically
6. Attend to precision
7. Look for & make use of structure
8. Look for & express regularity in repeated
reasoning
SHMS Math Mission Statement
The mission of the SHMS mathematics program is to:
1. Inspire intellectual curiosity and aesthetic
appreciation of mathematics as a body of
knowledge
2. Promote critical thinking and problem solving
skills to solve real world problems
3. Develop computational fluency and understanding
of mathematical algorithms in order to apply
known facts to unknown situations
4. Encourage students to be active participants in a
life-long learning process as independent thinkers
Problem Solving in Math in Focus
Thank you for coming!!
Enjoy your evening!
• Looking forward to a wonderful year!!