More INB updates

Where has the time gone? We are already in our 3rd week of school and progress reports go home on Friday! Oh my!

Tomorrow and Wednesday I will be checking notebooks for this six weeks. I will be looking for completeness, table of contents being up to date and your Unit 1 Title Page. More examples of what we have done in class are below. You should have through page 19 filled in.

Unit 1 Cover Sheet pg. 10

2nd Vocab Word (pg. 14) **Page 15 will also be vocabulary) 

Comparing and Ordering Notes (pg. 16)

Also, if you are absent, don't forget to check out the Class Handouts folder for the dates you are absent to get copies of what you missed. As soon as all the Graded Paper files have names on them, you will be able to track your grades by checking your file.

If you need to come to tutorials this week, remember that my times are as follows:

Tuesday 3:45-4:30 pm

Wednesday and Thursday: 8:00 am-8:25 am

Never Give Up!

Today was an exhausting day for my Pre-Algebra students as they went through and corrected their tests from Friday.  I gave this time in class to do this since we were on the verge of the end of the Six Weeks. I have been able to enter in the new grades for First Period but have not been able to yet for Eighth Period. My goal is to grade them tomorrow and get them in before I leave for the day.

As I graded the test this go round, I was very shocked and amazed at the grades.  We have spent five weeks reviewing the material from 5th-7th grade and the only new concept that was tested was Scientific Notation.  Class averages for these tests were half of what my standard expectation of mastery is.  Due to this I will be spending this week reteaching the material to the students that is crucial for them to master before we move on.

Starting next week, I will push on with Eighth Grade Material.  Please work with your students on number operations, using fractions with all four operations, ordering rational numbers, converting rational numbers and all other items that go along with what we have covered.  It is only with your help that we can be successful.

If your student would like to come in for tutoring tomorrow morning, Tuesday, September 26th, 2011, please print out this blog post and highlight this section so that they may come in.

Thank you for your support!

Mrs. S

Tuesday 9/20

Pre-Algebra:

Videos: Level 1 Exponents; Level 2 Exponents; and Scientific Notation 1
**Today I want you to do a 3-2-1 response to each video.  You will probably take two pages in your comp book for these notes.  Exponents are somewhat new but Scientific Notation should be a review.

Chapter 2 Vocabulary is due on Thursday, 9/22.
Chapter 2 Review is due on Friday, 9/23.
Chapter 2 Test is Friday, 9/23.

Tomorrow I will be posting a list of my favorite iPhone/iTouch apps that you can use to help you in Math. I will also link them to the side so that you can always find them.

Tutoring will be tomorrow morning!  Meet me at the Black and Gold stairs in the morning and I will come get you at 7:45 am.

Monday, Monday

Another great day with Mrs. Smith-

Pre-Algebra: I gave back tests today and have talked to the students about how retakes can be done.  They must fill out the form and then schedule a tutoring date for the chapter one test THIS WEEK.  They will come to a tutoring session to ask questions and review what was taught.  Then they must go home, study and practice, and then come in for a second tutoring time and take a new test.  They will not take the same test but rather a completely different one.

Check Your Readiness is due on Thursday.  Flipped Pre-Algebra does not have any video to watch tonight.

STAAR: We are working on Rational Numbers and converting decimals, percents and fractions.  Today we discussed our Summer Plans and made a circle graph.  We will have homework later this week and it is expected to be turned in promptly.

Newspaper: Don't forget that your interview is due on Wednesday when you walk in.  Your interview transcript that you will be typing on Wednesday in class is a Test Grade for this six weeks.

I will be having tutoring every day this week to accommodate the test corrections.  Friday will be the last day to correct the test and therefore you must come in at least once before then for tutoring.

Homecoming Weekend

I hope that everyone has a wonderful, and safe, Homecoming weekend in Crandall. I launched all of my students today with "Have a great weekends; Stay safe; Make good decisions and see you on Monday!"

Don't forget: Benchmark #1 on Tuesday/Wednesday
NO QUIZ next week! :)
Practice Sheet #6 will be given on Monday and due on Friday as usual.
Grade cut off is Wednesday for my class. I will have all tutorial sign ups on Tuesday and Thursday put up first thing Monday morning. I will hold you responsible for showing up! :) Don't make me call you! :)

Tutoring, Benchmarks and More

Yesterday afternoon was an amazing (but wild) afternoon in tutoring. We had over 30 students sign in and come to make up grades before the end of the Six Weeks. Remember that this week I will not be having tutoring on Thursday afternoon due to Homecoming festivities. Next week we will be back on track for Tuesday and Thursday tutoring.

If your student has low grades in my class, I URGE them to come to tutoring on these days (and ask about others) because I am here to give them help.

Our first benchmark is next Tuesday and Thursday. This is a district benchmark over what has been taught so far in Eighth Grade. It don't want it to be stressful for the students but I want them to understand that the Benchmarks that we give are very important because they will determine many things for our future (TAKS Tutoring, Flex Year attendance, etc.). Please make sure that you (or your student) gets a good night sleep the night before and is well nourished the morning of the benchmark.

Have a wonderful day!

Oh, and if you didn't see on the previous post (POP QUIZ is Thursday this week!)

Progress is being made!

We have been so busy at school and are already on the down hill slide of our third week. OH MY HECK where has the time gone? Progress Reports will be going home on Friday so make sure that you ask you child for their report. Also, don't forget that you can check VSI at all times to see your student's grades as well.

I will be having tutorials Thursday afternoon and staying as long as needed so feel free to have your student stay. I apologize for not being there today as I had a fall while walking into work and had to be taken to the Urgent Care center in Garland to get it checked out. It turns out to only be a strain on my joints (thankfully).

We have our first Unit test on Thursday (tomorrow) and I am sure that everyone will do great. I am also doing a binder check and looking for the 3 handouts that have been given so far (multiplication chart, operation rules and coordinate graph foldable). If your student has all 3 it is an EASY 100! 2/3= 67 1/3= 34 and 0/3= 0. I take two binder grades a 6 weeks so these are easy for your student to be able to keep up with.

Also I am taking a composition notebook grade. These grades are for extra credit on their test. I will take them up EVERY time we have a test and put the grade in the comp book. If you haven't seen your students grade sheet in their binder yet, take a look at it as it is where all their grades are kept (followed by their graded papers). They should always be in there.

I'm hoping to get a lot of stuff graded this weekend and back to you so that we can start doing corrections and have even more updated grades. Remember that my tutorial times are Tuesday and Thursday after school. I am there until 4:30 pm on those two days.

Student Council Announcement: Our first meeting is September 13th from 3:30-4:15 pm. We will meet in room 316 and be voting that day for our officers. We have a big leadership conference coming up that ALL officers will be attending on October 2nd in Corinth, TX. More details to come on that after officers are elected.