PCA Math Syllabus
Ms. Hall
2024-2025 Year
Rules
The students will follow all school rules as outlined in the student handbook. The students are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly manner and not be disruptive to the learning process of the other students. They are expected to be responsible and respectful. Procedures and expectations are discussed in class. If you have questions about a procedure, you can ask your child or contact me. There is one important rule in the Ms. Hall’s classroom: Our classroom is a place where teaching and learning takes place. Feel free to do anything that does not endanger another student and does not interrupt my teaching or any student’s learning, including your own.
Expectations
v Do your best
v Respect yourself and others
v Come to school on time
v Come to school prepared with your work and supplies
v Do your work and turn it in on time
v Participate in class and ask questions
v Check Powerschool regularly
v Accept personal responsibility for your learning, and this includes asking questions and seeking out help if needed
Your phone will be turned off and either turned in to the classroom teacher per period
or will be stored and remain in your backpack. It should not be on your person at any
time throughout the day. In addition, earbuds will not be allowed and should not be
used during the school day.
Resolving Conflicts
If students are having a conflict with one another, we will begin with a conference within the classroom. If the conflict cannot be resolved, they will be referred to the office for further intervention. Students should always report bulling or other inappropriate behavior to the teacher on duty as soon as it happens.
Consequences
For students who do not follow the rules, consequences vary in severity depending on the offense. For minor offenses, students will be given a warning and will conference with the teacher. If the behavior continues, students may be moved to a different area of the room or be given a minor infraction ticket. Loss of privileges within the classroom may also occur. If the problem continues beyond this point, or for more sever behavior students will be issued a major behavior infraction write-up and will be referred to the office at the time for further consequences.
Contact, Communication, and General Information
If you would like to contact me, you can do so by phone or email. I am available during plan times by appointment. The school’s phone number is 719-467-6333. If you call, leave a message, and I will try to get back to you by the end of the day. If you call after school is dismissed or late in the day, I will try to get back to you by the end of the next day. I can answer emails more expediently and will often get back to you in a few hours. Email is the best form of communication. My email address is jhall@psas.ws. When I need to contact parents, I will use phone calls, email, and school messenger. Parents can also check my website for information about what is happening in class. If you have a concern about something, please contact me so that we can work it out. A strong partnership between the parents, teachers, and the school is vital for the success of the students.
Grading
Any assignment entered in the gradebook may be graded for either credit or completion. All work done for credit will be scored using a traditional grading scale:
A = 90%-100% B = 80%-89% C = 70%-79% D = 60%-69% F = 0-59%
All graded assignments will be assigned a point value. The assignments are entered into the grade book as points. The points will add up to a total number of points in a quarter. The total number of points will be averaged, and that average will result in a percentage that corresponds to a letter grade. The students’ grades will be based on classwork, homework, projects, participation in class, and assessments. Homework, classwork, and participation account for approximately 50% of the student’s grade and projects and assessments account for the other half. Parents should check grades frequently on Powerschool. Grades are usually updated weekly but sometimes several times per week depending on assignments and other events going on. Report Cards go home at the end of each quarter.
Classwork and Homework
Most of the work that students are given should be completed during class. If work is not completed during class, it will be sent home for homework. Homework should be minimal but may occur. When homework is assigned, it is for one of the following reasons: to help students practice and review important skills, to complete work they are unable to complete during class (due to needing extra time or due to absences), to complete elements of a larger project, and to help build virtuous students. Below is an outline of the 6th through 12th student work policy for math.
- All work that will be turned in for credit (classwork, unfinished classwork, and homework) will be logged on the planner page of the website and should be logged in student planners when it is assigned.
- It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of their assignments either in a folder, planner, or other method. I will remind the students of the deadlines, but it is their responsibility to complete the work and turn it in, on time. Building organizational skills is a life lesson that will benefit our students greatly. It is also their responsibility to track missing work and get the work completed. Most assignments will be available on the website or in the math workbooks. There may be copies available in the classroom as well. If students complete a missing assignment digitally (IXL for example), they must notify me when it is complete so that I can give them credit for it.
- To receive full credit students must turn their work in at the start of class on the day that it was due or must let me know before class that they struggled and need additional help.
- If an assignment is not turned in the day and time it is due, students may not receive full credit. (Note this applies only to forgotten work and missing work, not work missing due to absences or emergencies).
- When students are habitually failing class or missing work, I will notify parents and students via email. Students have one week to make up the missing work for partial credit.
- Students who are missing work frequently will receive behavior infraction forms. If there is an excessive amount of missing work, it may result in a student missing a field trip or activity. Parents will be notified if this occurs prior to the activity.
- You can support your child by logging in to Powerschool regularly to check your child's grades.
- If your child is struggling with work at home, please have them email me that evening to let me know, and we can work through it the next day. Math work should not be more than 20-30 minutes per night in most situations.
Attendance and Make-up Work
Please refer to the parent and student handbooks for the policy regarding absences, tardies, and make-up work for students. Generally speaking, handouts are set aside for students when they return, but students should ask if they have not been given the assignment when they return to class. Students are given the same number of days to make up the work as the number of days they were absent. (For example, if a student is absent Monday, they will be given the work Tuesday and will have until Wednesday to turn that work in.) Extra time can be given if arrangements are made and in circumstances when it is needed. It is extremely important for your child not to miss school unless necessary and to get their make-up work quickly when they return to school. Handouts will be placed in a folder for each grade level that students can access if they are absent. If your child will be out for several days, you can call and leave a message in the morning and the work will be ready by the end of the day and waiting at the front office. If the work is not requested, it is the student’s responsibility to talk to their teachers and get the missing assignments upon returning. Students can find the day’s assignments listed on the website. When your child returns to class, it is their responsibility to see their teachers to find out what work they missed and what needs to be done to make up the work. Unless a student has been absent for the three days prior to an exam or a quiz, the exam or quiz will be taken on the day that it was given.
Assessments
Assessments are given at the end of a unit. Students will also take school wide assessments—MAPS and state testing—at the end of the year.
Classroom Celebrations
Because the middle school and high school curriculum is rigorous, we do not celebrate birthday parties. Please do not send treats to school on your child’s birthday. Classroom celebrations may occur for various holidays or events, and parents will be notified prior to the celebration.
Parent Volunteers
Parent volunteers will be needed for various projects and trips throughout the yar. Prior to an event, we will notify parents if we are requesting volunteers. If a parent would like to come to class to volunteer, we ask that they set an appointment so that things can be ready when the parent arrives.
Standards Addressed
The mathematics standards in middle school build on students' understanding of number and quantity. Students apply more formal statistics, probability, and algebra to model phenomena in the world around them. Students gain a deeper understanding of geometry and its application. Students also persevere in solving problems as they use strategies to apply their new tools and techniques. Please see the Colorado state standards for more information.
The mathematics standards in the high school grades build on the strong foundation of number, algebra, statistics, and geometry developed during elementary and middle school. The study of geometry shifts to include more reasoning and proving mathematical ideas. This thinking is extended to all parts of mathematics as students construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Students learn to apply different kinds of non-linear functions to describe quantities that change in the world around them. They confront problems and persevere in solving them as they strategically apply mathematical tools and techniques.