Important Things To Know About
HONORS MATH
in Mrs. Peterfeso's Class
6th graders and parents to a new year of Honors math!!
I'm looking so forward to getting to know all of you!! Below you will read about many interesting things you need to know to be successful in Honors Math this year.
Read all about SUPPLIES,TEXTBOOK ONLINE, STUDY HABITS, HOMEWORK, ANSWERS TO HOMEWORK, CALCULATORS, EXTRA HELP, PROJECTS, GRADING, EXTRA CREDIT AND THE GRADING PERCENTAGE SCALE.
Just click on the words above or scroll down to find out all about it or click here to go back.
SUPPLIES:
Students will need a
scientific calculator, ruler (inch and cm),
notebook exclusively for math, graph paper, protractor,
pencils, erasers, and
a green correcting
pen. Students should have these available for each class period.
TEXTBOOK ONLINE: Throughout this book you will find links to the Prentice Hall Web site. Use the Web Code provided to gain direct access to online material
Here's how to TAKE IT TO THE NET:
Go to www.PHSchool.com
Click on MATH then enter Username & password: peterfeso
Assignments cannot be completed via internet, but it may be used for extra check and review.
When absent, students will be expected to check my personal website for homework. Also, students will be expected to check online, when absent for extra help and tutorials to learn the lessons missed.
STUDY HABITS: To do her/his best, a student will need to follow good study habits. A favorite slogan of mine is, "Mathematics is not a spectator sport!" Success will result from such activities as: note taking, seeking help when needed (from friends and from their teacher), class participation, and effective use of the review questions, doing redo assignments, as well as attending the extra review sessions offered before tests.
To prepare for tests,
students should use the chapter's Summary, Vocabulary, corrected Chapter Quizzes,
Corrected Assignments, Chapter Review, and online resources(
www.PHSchool.com.)
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HOMEWORK: Homework will be assigned daily. If your child is experiencing difficulty with an assignment, be
sure that he/she is in fact carefully reading and taking notes. Because homework questions
have different purposes, each assignment is intended to be, in addition to practice, an
opportunity for students to apply and extend their learning as they work through the
questions. Students should not skip even a single question unless told by the teacher to
do so. They should show the work of how they tried to find an answer. If your child has difficulty with a question, she/he should place a "?"
next to that question and be sure to get clarification before class or ask the question in
class during question time. (But remember, there may not be time to answer all questions
during the beginning of class so Study Hall time is extremely important!)
ANSWERS:
Answers to some questions are found in the back of the textbook as well as
online. These are provided so
that students are able to monitor their progress as they work problems. Encourage your
child not to use those answers as an excuse not to work, and to
show work on the homework
paper. My experience has shown that students who copy answers are less likely to perform
well on quizzes and tests.
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CALCULATORS:
Calculators are essential for everyday use in class and out.
Today in the workplace and in everyday life they are used regularly. I
encourage the use of paper and pencil whenever appropriate and/or
whenever mandatory (because a process is being assessed). Studies have repeatedly shown
that the use of technology has resulted in no loss of those paper-and-pencil skills that
are still taught, and it frees up time in the curriculum to study other topics that lead
to better overall performance by students.
EXTRA HELP: In the event that your child experiences frustration, extra help should be sought. Help may be available from a variety of sources, so the student should check with me for direction. You can assist by monitoring your child's work habits in regard to reading the textbook, note taking, showing complete solutions, preparing for tests, attending class regularly, and attending study sessions held at lunch time. Many students also find it beneficial to complete homework and study for quizzes and tests with a classmate.
GRADING:
Grades will be determined on the basis of
daily homework,
class participation, activities,
quizzes, and
tests(retests). Click on the colored
words or scroll down to find out about grading. Click
here to go back to the top of the page.
DAILY WORK-- worth 40% of math grade.
*Redo the problems marked wrong on the assignment (Redo papers are accepted up to the day of the test-but preferably before the next quiz) with wrong answers changed to correct answers. (Please learn from your mistakes). It should be turned into the hand-in basket clearly labeled as REDO ASSIGNMENT and stapled to the front of the old corrected assignment. You can earn 1/2 point back for every correctly corrected problem.
*LATE assignments are worth 70%(C-) as long as it is turned in before the day of the chapter test (or preferably before the next quiz).
Chapter Vocabulary:
Lesson vocabulary is given daily. Students are to keep
these vocabulary words with definitions handy during the whole
chapter. On the day of the test, all vocabulary will be turned
in for a Chapter Vocabulary grade. No redo on this.
TESTS/Quiz-- worth 60% of the math grade.
*Usually 3 chapters are covered during a quarter.
*Usually there are 2 quizzes per chapter.
*Students
will be allowed to use notes on the quizzes only.
*NO REDOS ON QUIZZES.
*Extra study session to review for the test, will be offered on the day before the test, after school from 2:30-3:30pm. Also, I am available before school (by appointment), before or after class, during study hall every day, and after school (by appointment) or on any Wednesday Study Day from 2:30-3:30 in my room, to go over any questions.
*There will always be a review in class the day before the test as well as a review assignment (where answers will be in the back of the book-to be self corrected).
*The student needing to retest will 1) need to notify me and set a retest date for after school within a week after receiving the corrected test. 2)They will also need to set up an after school date to meet with me and go over their mistakes before taking the test. 3)They will then need to complete the "TICKET" to retest (an additional review assignment). NO EXCEPTIONS!!!
*The student will retest after school on the chosen retest day (preferably a Wednesday). If the ticket is not completed, at the time of the retest, they will NOT be allowed to retest that particular chapter.
*If absent on the designated retest day, the student will take the retest after school on the day they return (or reschedule with me).
*The
retest score will replace the score recorded in the grade book thus eliminating the
"I just want to see if I can get better." If a student is concerned with their
score after a retest, they need to conference with me.
*Be sure to always
redo assignments, when needed.
*WEEKLY CHALLENGES-
At the student's request: At the beginning of the week, weekly challenges are out on the display. It
will be the students' responsibility to get it. It will always be due on the
Monday of the next week or no credit is given. All work (and name on it) must be shown, or NO CREDIT. The
correct answer is the goal, but not necessary for the extra credit. What is important to
me is the process taken to solve the problem. (Write it out in words if needed). For every Weekly Challenge completed and accepted,
5 points will be added to their
assignment grade. (9 weeks per quarter could mean 45 free assignment points!)
Grading Scale
|
100%-94% |
A |
| 93%-90% | A- |
| 89%-87% | B+ |
| 86%-83% | B |
| 82%-80% | B- |
| 79%-77% | C+ |
| 76%-73% | C |
| 72%-70% | C- |
| 69%-67% | D+ |
| 66%-63% | D |
| 62%-60% | D- |
| 59%&below | F |
100%-94% |
A |
| 93%-90% | A- |
| 89%-87% | B+ |
| 86%-84% | B |
| 83%-80% | B- |
| 79%-77% | C+ |
| 76%-74% | C |
| 73%-70% | C- |
| 69%-67% | D+ |
| 66%-64% | D |
| 63%-60% | D- |
| 59%&below | F |