Ms. Tyson’s Class Syllabus
7th Grade Math
Rosemary Tyson, Obsidian Middle School, Mathematics Instructor
541-923-4900 ext 102; rosemary.tyson@redmond.k12.or.us
Welcome to 7th grade at Obsidian Middle School. I am looking forward to the upcoming year and having the opportunity to work with this group of students. It is my goal that we can work together to gain confidence in our abilities while developing capable mathematics in an engaging, conscious, and caring environment.
Student Background:
My expectations for students entering my class is that they are comfortable in the following areas:
· Basic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and estimation
· Basic knowledge and fluency with multiplication and division of fractions and decimals
· Comfort and familiarity of simple problem solving strategies
· Basic understanding of algebra such as using mathematical expressions and equations
What We Will Learn:
We will be focusing on three core 7th grade math standards for the upcoming year which include:
· Rational numbers
· Ratios and proportionality
· Measurement and Geometry
Student Planner:
My class starts everyday with a list of what we do in class and what the homework expectations are. Students copy this down in their planners. Parents please look at this regularly. This is the best way for me to communicate to students and parents what is happening in the math classroom. In addition, the daily agenda will be posted daily to my website.
Class Assignment Sheet/ Ms. Tyson’s Website:
These are tools that I use to help students and their parents stay informed of student progress. Students should keep track of all their assignments and their scores. Parents and students can check my website on a regular basis to stay informed. My website is already up and running. You may access it through a link on the Obsidian Middle School website.
Attendance & Participation:
Students will be on time to class with a positive attitude, ready to learn, work hard, and have fun. The key to learning math only happens through engaging lessons, mental discipline and hard work, both which cannot be achieved if students are absent or tardy. Students should maintain regular and punctual attendance to class and ALL scheduled tests.
Students are expected to participate at all times, with a positive attitude, that promotes an atmosphere of teamwork and mutual respect. Students should come to class everyday with their homework completed, any related materials, warm-up spiral, and a sharpened pencil.
Time Commitment:
All students will be studying math for about 45 minutes each school day in class. Students will have homework 3-4 days per week. No homework assignment should require more than an hour to complete. If a student is experiencing extreme difficulty and frustration stop them and send them back to school with questions to ask me. Once the questions have been answered then a student can complete the assignment and turn it in late. I have set up my class so that a couple of late assignments won’t keep a student from being successful in my class.
Grading
Students receive points in three weighted categories, which will form the overall grade.
Assessments: 60%
Assignments: 30%
Participation: 10%
I will be determining student grades based on knowledge gained and proficiency of concepts covered in class. To assess student progress I will give the students opportunities to earn points during each quarter. A student’s grades will be based on percentage of points earned.
96%-100% A+
90%-95% A
86%-89% B+
80%-85% B
76%-79% C+
70%-75% C
60%-69% D
Below 60% F
Student who are in jeopardy or receiving a D or below for a term and/or a students whose grade have fallen two letter grades will be notified just before midterm and at least 2 weeks prior to the end of the term. Students who are not meeting academic standards will be invited to attend Community School’s math intervention class.
Late Work:
Assignments turned in late will be worth 75% of their original value. Any assignments due to absence are excused in my grade book with the option of making the assignments up. It is recommended that the students still complete the assignments as preparation for the upcoming test/quiz that will contain that information. There are 2 cutoff dates for accepting late work during each term. Work from the first part of the term will be due at the halfway point of the term and the remaining work from the term is usually due just prior to the end of the quarter.
Check my website or your planner to get these critical cutoff dates.
All homework assignments, quizzes, and tests are revisable. Revisions are highly encouraged if students have not met the learning objective being assessed. Revisions should be done on a separate sheet of paper. Students are expected to show all work and explain in words how to solve the problem and what their previous misconception. Once test and quiz revisions have been submitted and approved, the test or quiz may be retaken for full credit. The revision process is critical to ensuring that your student is making progress toward meeting content proficiency standards and learning goals. I strongly encourage all students to take advantage of multiple opportunities to show growth toward standards.
Homework Requests:
I am unable to prepare lessons in advance for individual students. If you must miss class for an extended period of time you will want to get a list of work missed for a classmate, my website, or from me. Upon your return to school make arrangements with me and I will help you set up a schedule to get your make up work completed.
