Hello Parents!
Conference week
Conference week is next week. Our lovely science team is coordinating conferences; if we missed you and you want to meet please let me know ASAP. 7th grade conferences are a bit more challenging and hectic versus 6th grade conferences. Each of us have about 140 students and we may be running back and forth between two rooms trying to catch all of our students and parents. If your child is struggling in certain classes take note of the teachers and make sure you talk to each. If you have any concerns you can also email me if you can't make it in person.
Grades
If your child is struggling in math this is reflected by their grade. 80% of their grade is based on their performance on exams. 20% is based on participation/effort. Their grade includes two retake opportunities for each topic and their original scores are recorded in the comments section. Students have two more retake opportunities Nov. 7th and Nov. 17th to retake operations with rational numbers. I have been encouraging students that are struggling to come in for extra help before or after school. Even if we move on from a concept, we have about 1 class period per week/two weeks so students can work on what they need.
At home
The first thing that can be done at home to help promote mathematical thinking is to play math games. If your child has siblings they may prefer to play with a sibling. A simple game to start with is called 5 Steps to 0. This game helps students develop number sense. I will introduce it to students in class so they are familiar with it. Good numbers to start with or try at home are below. Check out directions here.
Numbers to try at home:
127, 213, 249, 216, 284, 305, 321, 352, 428, 804
Another great game to try is called hit the target. This game is all about estimation and a useful strategy: guess and check.
1. You play the game with calculators (your phone)
2. You start the game with a range of two numbers (i.e. 650 - 670). This is the "target." The object of the game is to get inside this target.
3. You also start with a single number (such as 26). This is the "ball."
4. You try to "hit the target" with the ball by multiplying the ball by a number that you choose.
5. If the result is in the target you win.
6. If not, the result is the new ball, and the other team tries to hit the target with that ball.
7. And so it continues until there is a winner
Tips: students should not hit clear after their guess because the new result becomes the "ball", or decide how you want to treat decimals
Conference week
Conference week is next week. Our lovely science team is coordinating conferences; if we missed you and you want to meet please let me know ASAP. 7th grade conferences are a bit more challenging and hectic versus 6th grade conferences. Each of us have about 140 students and we may be running back and forth between two rooms trying to catch all of our students and parents. If your child is struggling in certain classes take note of the teachers and make sure you talk to each. If you have any concerns you can also email me if you can't make it in person.
Grades
If your child is struggling in math this is reflected by their grade. 80% of their grade is based on their performance on exams. 20% is based on participation/effort. Their grade includes two retake opportunities for each topic and their original scores are recorded in the comments section. Students have two more retake opportunities Nov. 7th and Nov. 17th to retake operations with rational numbers. I have been encouraging students that are struggling to come in for extra help before or after school. Even if we move on from a concept, we have about 1 class period per week/two weeks so students can work on what they need.
At home
The first thing that can be done at home to help promote mathematical thinking is to play math games. If your child has siblings they may prefer to play with a sibling. A simple game to start with is called 5 Steps to 0. This game helps students develop number sense. I will introduce it to students in class so they are familiar with it. Good numbers to start with or try at home are below. Check out directions here.
Numbers to try at home:
127, 213, 249, 216, 284, 305, 321, 352, 428, 804
Another great game to try is called hit the target. This game is all about estimation and a useful strategy: guess and check.
1. You play the game with calculators (your phone)
2. You start the game with a range of two numbers (i.e. 650 - 670). This is the "target." The object of the game is to get inside this target.
3. You also start with a single number (such as 26). This is the "ball."
4. You try to "hit the target" with the ball by multiplying the ball by a number that you choose.
5. If the result is in the target you win.
6. If not, the result is the new ball, and the other team tries to hit the target with that ball.
7. And so it continues until there is a winner
Tips: students should not hit clear after their guess because the new result becomes the "ball", or decide how you want to treat decimals