September 7, 2010  

Dear Parents,          

Welcome back to a new and exciting school year! I am thrilled to have your child in my class for the 2010-2011 school year. I would like to take this opportunity to explain my classroom expectations and to provide you with contact information.          

Algebra will be 1st hour each day from 8:00 to 8:50 am. We will be covering chapters 7 - 13 in our textbook. We will have a supplemental textbook to use throughout the year to support the algebra curriculum for the state of Michigan.          

Students are required to come to class each day with the following:

  1. paper
  2. pencil
  3. textbook
  4. calculator
  5. folder/3-ring notebook  

There will be some graphing calculators provided in the classroom. These calculators CANNOT be taken out of the classroom for any reason! I highly suggest that students purchase a TI-83 or TI-84 graphing calculator for 8th grade Algebra. Your child will be using it all throughout high school. If a graphing calculator is not in the family budget, a scientific calculator will be acceptable. Why the folder/3-ring notebook? No papers are to be stuffed into the textbooks. Students will use this folder to keep papers as a study guide for future tests/quizzes.          

All homework must be turned in before class on the day it is assigned or that assignment will be a zero. Also, failure to turn in an assignment on time will result in your child receiving extra assistance from the RTC monitor. This is not a punishment! It is designed to help students with their organizational skills and scheduling. Every middle school student will have a “study skills(hall)” class each day. If needed, students will use this time to meet and\or finish the requirements in the RTC room for future success. If your child continues to struggle with completing assignments and turning them in on time, you will be contacted for assistance. Due to extenuating circumstances, I realize that completing assignments may be impossible. If that is the case, and a student wants to earn full credit, I ask that a parent write me a note or email me asking for an extension the day the assignment is due.                           

           EXAMPLE of note or email:

                                         Please give “Jimmy Bob” an extension.  

Parents do not have to explain the reason for the request. I will grant a 24-hour extension on that assignment. Of course, that means two assignments will have to be turned in the following day. I expect my students to take the responsibility for the work they have been assigned. A note from a parent will never be questioned but I strongly encourage all students to do their best to keep up with all assignments on a regular basis.  

        Students will be assigned homework Monday through Friday. We will have a Drill and Practice handout 3 to 5 times a week along with each assignment. The Drill and Practice handouts will not exceed 10 problems. Some assignments will be from the textbook. Some assignments will be handouts.  

At the beginning of each class, students will receive a 5-Minute Math drill. This will be a small paper with 5 to 8 review problems. When the bell rings, the 5 minutes will start. Students are welcome to come into class early (there is a 4 minute passing time between classes) and begin. At exactly 5 minutes after the bell rings for the beginning of class, students will have 5 minutes to complete the handout. We will grade and discuss handout every day.  

The best way to contact me is by email. My email address is as follows:  

mwarman@manistee.org

Please visit my web page. Students will be given an agenda for their homework assignments on Mondays. I will be posting all homework assignments weekly on my web page for parents to view.           

Grades will be posted daily on Power School. Please contact the office for your child’s password to view his/her grades. Students will be graded on the following:          

 

40% Homework  

40% Tests/Quizzes  

20% Work Ethic

 

Work Ethic scores are very important. Students will be given 10 points at the beginning of each week. If a student does not turn in an assignment (no parent note), then that student will loose 2 points. If a student turns in an assignment and it is incomplete, that student will loose 1 point. If a student does not come with all the required items for class, than that student will loose 1 point. As long as students come prepared for class and turn in all assignments (completed) than he/she will earn a perfect score.  

I am looking forward to a great year. My prep time is 9:48 - 10:38 each day. If you would like to schedule a conference at any time, I am available. Thank you for this opportunity to work with your child.          

                                                        Sincerely,            

                                                        Michele Warman

                                                        Onekama Middle School

                                                        Math and Science

 

Mrs. Warman's Main Page for 2010-2011   // Main MS Page for 2010-2011

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