Burton:
Core 1: Math 6A:
When are negative numbers used in the real world? This should be a question your student can give you an answer to! Over the course of this past month, students have worked on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers as well as both positive and negative fractions and decimals. We explored how to use chipboards, number lines, and real-world examples to deepen our thinking about these 6th and 7th grade number systems concepts. Some students even had an opportunity to dive into 8th grade number systems skills as they showed they were ready to learn about classifying numbers, square roots, cube roots, and converting repeating decimals to fractions.
As we begin November, students will be getting into the expressions and equations strand of mathematics. They will be pre-assessed after fall break and will then begin learning about order of operations and simplifying expressions by using the distributive property and combining like terms.
At this point of the year, your student should be at about 100 topics completed on their 7th grade ALEKS pie if their goal is to finish 7th grade learning targets by the end of the year. If your student has a goal to learn 8th grade learning targets as well, they should aim to have about 200 topics done by the end of October. Please check For All Rubrics (FAR) on a regular basis to see the evidence of homework completion - simply look for green checks vs red checks; green means done and checked in, red means missing not checked in. Summative assessments can also be found on FAR. If a student did not show proficiency, they then are expected to meet with me during a connect/FLEX to re-learn and re-take a proficiency check.
Core 2/4: Math 6:
We are off to a great start this year with Math 6! The kids have adjusted very quickly to life as a middle schooler at STEM; as well as, learning the routines of math class. We have just wrapped up our first unit on Number Systems: focus on decimal division and fraction division. Please check For All Rubrics (FAR) to see the evidence of those assessments. If a student did not show proficiency, they then are expected to meet with me during a connect/FLEX to re-learn and re-take a proficiency check. FAR is also the place to look to see if your 6th grader is completing their daily work. Simply look for green checks vs red checks; green means done and checked in, red means missing not checked in. Our new unit, Ratios and Proportions, has just begun!
All the 6th graders also have a paid account of ALEKS, an on-line tool to weave in with our class instruction. They should be completing a minimum of 12 topics each week! This would be about 30-45 minutes of time, which can be done during connect, FLEX, or at home. Please monitor this regularly! Over school breaks/vacations, I offer a cash for math bonus for each topic finished, so this long weekend is an opportunity for them to earn a lot of money for their account. Speaking of cash for math, we are approaching our first math auctions in the beginning of December, at which time I will be reaching out for donations of what I call “Dollar Store” type items. Any few things to eat, drink, or play with are gladly accepted. Thanks in advance for your generosity, and I will send home an email along with my daily tweets as we get closer. Sign up to follow me on Twitter where I only tweet daily homework, at Twitter.com, @BurtonSTEM
Grosskopf
Core 1: Math 8/8A: This class is co-taught with Mr. Wray and Ms. Grosskopf. This class just finished working on their Math 8 Transversals and Math 8 Equations units. Please check your student’s FAR account to see their proficiencies. We are currently working on Math 8 Number Systems. They’re classifying numbers as rational and irrational, ordering real numbers on a number line, and approximating square roots without a calculator, much to their dismay :) Our next unit will involve the Pythagorean Theorem and working with equations and square/cube roots. As always, your student should be working on their Aleks pie. Since we have students in different grade level pies, we can’t give a specific number of topics completed by this time of year, but they should be at no less than 30%. If your student started the year at a higher percent, they should be growing each week by at least 1-3%, which is roughly 10 topics a week.
Core 2: Math 7: Our class has finished the second unit of the year and now moving into the 3rd unit, which is Math 7 Number Systems Part 2 Multiplying and Dividing Rational Numbers. We’ve been working in the world of negatives! We’ve been talking about sea level, bank accounts and temperature to get kids to understand the relationship between positive and negative numbers. Your student should have two assessments in FAR: Probability Summative Assessment and Number Systems Part 1 Adding/Subtracting Rational Numbers Summative Assessment. If there is no grade, that is because your student did not take it yet, or correctly reflect in FAR, most likely the first option. This is a great point of conversation of how they’re using their class time, advocating for themselves, and using independent work time outside of class (Connect/FLEX, time at home, etc.).
Core 4: Algebra 1: We just finished our scatter plot unit of looking at restaurants and ranking them as “Fit or Fat” based on the relationship of calories from fat, and calories not from fat. So next time you’re looking to go out to dinner, ask your student which restaurant would be the healthiest choice! The scores for this project are in For All Rubrics. We also just finished Chapter 2 which focused on solving equations; this was a good review of what your student retained from the last three years. Those scores are also in For All Rubrics. Our current unit is working on inequalities and understanding the language of “at least” and “no more than.” The assessment for this unit will be coming up during the week of November 4th. We’ve been trying to coach the kids on how to use their Connect/FLEX time with us to ask questions and attend review sessions. We also strongly encourage the students to study for assessments outside of school. All students should be at 147 topics MINIMUM in their Algebra 1 pie. If students are in their Math 8 pie, they should get into their Algebra 1 pie before Thanksgiving. They should be completing at least 16 topics a week to stay on pace. Please continue to check your student’s FAR account to see if they’re keeping up with their daily work.
Hemphill:
Core 1: Math 6A/7A
When are negative numbers used in the real world? This should be a question your student can give you an answer to! Over the course of this past month, students have worked on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers as well as both positive and negative fractions and decimals. We explored how to use chipboards, number lines, and real-world examples to deepen our thinking about these 6th and 7th grade number systems concepts. Some students even had an opportunity to dive into 8th grade number systems skills as they showed they were ready to learn about classifying numbers, square roots, cube roots, and converting repeating decimals to fractions.
As we begin November, students will be getting into the expressions and equations strand of mathematics. They will be pre-assessed after fall break and will then begin learning about order of operations and simplifying expressions by using the distributive property and combining like terms.
At this point of the year, your student should be at about 100 topics completed on their 7th grade ALEKS pie if their goal is to finish 7th grade learning targets by the end of the year. If your student has a goal to learn 8th grade learning targets as well, they should aim to have about 200 topics done by the end of October. Please check For All Rubrics (FAR) on a regular basis to see the evidence of homework completion - simply look for green checks vs red checks; green means done and checked in, red means missing not checked in. Summative assessments can also be found on FAR. If a student did not show proficiency, they then are expected to meet with me during a connect/FLEX to re-learn and re-take a proficiency check.
Core 2 - 7th Grade Math:
When are negative numbers used in the real world? This should be a question your student can give you an answer to! Over the course of this past month, students have worked on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers as well as both positive and negative fractions and decimals. We explored how to use chipboards, number lines, and real-world examples to deepen our thinking about these 6th and 7th grade number systems concepts. Some students even had an opportunity to dive into 8th grade number systems skills as they showed they were ready to learn about classifying numbers, square roots, cube roots, and converting repeating decimals to fractions.
As we begin November, students will be getting into the expressions and equations strand of mathematics. They will be pre-assessed after fall break and will then begin learning about order of operations and simplifying expressions by using the distributive property and combining like terms.
At this point of the year, your student should be at about 100 topics completed on their 7th grade ALEKS pie. If your child is still on their 6th grade ALEKS pie or if you have not seen your child working on ALEKS, please have them pull up their pies and show you their progress. In addition, be sure to check out FAR (For All Rubrics) for updated homework check-ins and assessment scores. If you see any red checkmarks, then your child should be working on tasks at home and coming in to Connect/Flex to get them checked in. Summative assessments can also be found on FAR. If a student did not show proficiency, they then are expected to meet with me during a connect/FLEX to re-learn and re-take a proficiency check.
Core 4 - Algebra I
We just finished our scatter plot unit of looking at restaurants and ranking them as “Fit or Fat” based on the relationship of calories from fat, and calories not from fat. So next time you’re looking to go out to dinner, ask your student which restaurant would be the healthiest choice! The scores for this project are in For All Rubrics. We also just finished Chapter 2 which focused on solving equations; this was a good review of what your student retained from the last three years. Those scores are also in For All Rubrics. Our current unit is working on inequalities and understanding the language of “at least” and “no more than.” The assessment for this unit will be coming up during the week of November 4th. We’ve been trying to coach the kids on how to use their Connect/FLEX time with us to ask questions and attend review sessions. We also strongly encourage the students to study for assessments outside of school. All students should be at 147 topics MINIMUM in their Algebra 1 pie. If students are in their Math 8 pie, they should get into their Algebra 1 pie before Thanksgiving. They should be completing at least 16 topics a week to stay on pace. Please continue to check your student’s FAR account to see if they’re keeping up with their daily work.
Wray:
Core 1: Math 8/8A:
This class is co-taught with Mr. Wray and Ms. Grosskopf. This class just finished working on their Math 8 Transversals and Math 8 Equations units. Please check your student’s For All Rubrics account to see their proficiencies. We are currently working on Math 8 Number Systems. They’re classifying numbers as rational and irrational, ordering real numbers on a number line, and approximating square roots without a calculator, much to their dismay :) Our next unit will involve the Pythagorean Theorem and working with equations that require square roots and cube roots. As always, your student should be working on their Aleks pie. Since we have students in different grade level pies, we can’t give a specific number of topics completed by this time of year, but they should be at no less than 30%. If your student started the year at a higher percent, they should be growing each week by at least 1-3%, which is roughly 10 topics a week.
Core 2: Math 8:
Core 2, Math 8 is the same course and content as Core 1, but without a co-teacher. Just like Core 1, we just finished working on their Math 8 Transversals and Math 8 Equations units. Please check your student’s For All Rubrics account to see their proficiencies. We are currently working on Math 8 Number Systems. They’re classifying numbers as rational and irrational, ordering real numbers on a number line, and approximating square roots without a calculator, much to their dismay :) Our next unit will involve the Pythagorean Theorem and working with equations that require square roots and cube roots. Some students, however, due to our personalized model, have been working on other assignments. If you have any questions about your student’s progress, just reach out and ask. As always, your student should be working on their Aleks pie. Since we have students in different grade level pies, we can’t give a specific number of topics completed by this time of year, but they should be at no less than 30%. If your student started the year at a higher percent, they should be growing each week by at least 1-3%, which is roughly 10 topics a week.
Core 4: Pre-Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus (Core 4):
Students in Geometry and Beyond have each selected their personalized learning path for the year. Some students are working on a combination of Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 to hopefully earn high school credit in Algebra 1 this year, some students are completing Geometry one unit at a time, while others are building their proficiency through Aleks and will be showcasing their skills through summative projects. Some students even started Geometry last year or over the summer, and other students will be using Blackboard or eAchieve (Waukesha’s online school) to complete Algebra 2 or Pre-Calculus. It’s truly amazing to see students take ownership of their learning and progress through these high school math classes at their own pace. If you’re not sure what path your student has chosen, just ask them; if you have any questions about their path or expectations, just let Mr. Wray know. Students in the Chapter-by-Chapter Geometry group have already learned the first four chapters of Geometry, including formal Proofs. If you want to see what your student did for the first three chapters, then you can see their assignments and assessments on For All Rubrics. Students in the Independent Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Calc group have set personalized goals on Google Classroom as well as For All Rubrics. Each month, students who are working independently will reflect on their progress and set new goals for the next month with guidance and support from Mr. Wray. Check For All Rubrics to see how your student is doing with meeting the goals and expectations set personally for them. Regardless of which path students choose, one constant in our personalized learning model across the whole school is Aleks. Some students may have a higher Aleks expectation than others, based on their personalized path, but most students should be completing at least 10 new topics each week.
Core 1: Math 6A:
When are negative numbers used in the real world? This should be a question your student can give you an answer to! Over the course of this past month, students have worked on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers as well as both positive and negative fractions and decimals. We explored how to use chipboards, number lines, and real-world examples to deepen our thinking about these 6th and 7th grade number systems concepts. Some students even had an opportunity to dive into 8th grade number systems skills as they showed they were ready to learn about classifying numbers, square roots, cube roots, and converting repeating decimals to fractions.
As we begin November, students will be getting into the expressions and equations strand of mathematics. They will be pre-assessed after fall break and will then begin learning about order of operations and simplifying expressions by using the distributive property and combining like terms.
At this point of the year, your student should be at about 100 topics completed on their 7th grade ALEKS pie if their goal is to finish 7th grade learning targets by the end of the year. If your student has a goal to learn 8th grade learning targets as well, they should aim to have about 200 topics done by the end of October. Please check For All Rubrics (FAR) on a regular basis to see the evidence of homework completion - simply look for green checks vs red checks; green means done and checked in, red means missing not checked in. Summative assessments can also be found on FAR. If a student did not show proficiency, they then are expected to meet with me during a connect/FLEX to re-learn and re-take a proficiency check.
Core 2/4: Math 6:
We are off to a great start this year with Math 6! The kids have adjusted very quickly to life as a middle schooler at STEM; as well as, learning the routines of math class. We have just wrapped up our first unit on Number Systems: focus on decimal division and fraction division. Please check For All Rubrics (FAR) to see the evidence of those assessments. If a student did not show proficiency, they then are expected to meet with me during a connect/FLEX to re-learn and re-take a proficiency check. FAR is also the place to look to see if your 6th grader is completing their daily work. Simply look for green checks vs red checks; green means done and checked in, red means missing not checked in. Our new unit, Ratios and Proportions, has just begun!
All the 6th graders also have a paid account of ALEKS, an on-line tool to weave in with our class instruction. They should be completing a minimum of 12 topics each week! This would be about 30-45 minutes of time, which can be done during connect, FLEX, or at home. Please monitor this regularly! Over school breaks/vacations, I offer a cash for math bonus for each topic finished, so this long weekend is an opportunity for them to earn a lot of money for their account. Speaking of cash for math, we are approaching our first math auctions in the beginning of December, at which time I will be reaching out for donations of what I call “Dollar Store” type items. Any few things to eat, drink, or play with are gladly accepted. Thanks in advance for your generosity, and I will send home an email along with my daily tweets as we get closer. Sign up to follow me on Twitter where I only tweet daily homework, at Twitter.com, @BurtonSTEM
Grosskopf
Core 1: Math 8/8A: This class is co-taught with Mr. Wray and Ms. Grosskopf. This class just finished working on their Math 8 Transversals and Math 8 Equations units. Please check your student’s FAR account to see their proficiencies. We are currently working on Math 8 Number Systems. They’re classifying numbers as rational and irrational, ordering real numbers on a number line, and approximating square roots without a calculator, much to their dismay :) Our next unit will involve the Pythagorean Theorem and working with equations and square/cube roots. As always, your student should be working on their Aleks pie. Since we have students in different grade level pies, we can’t give a specific number of topics completed by this time of year, but they should be at no less than 30%. If your student started the year at a higher percent, they should be growing each week by at least 1-3%, which is roughly 10 topics a week.
Core 2: Math 7: Our class has finished the second unit of the year and now moving into the 3rd unit, which is Math 7 Number Systems Part 2 Multiplying and Dividing Rational Numbers. We’ve been working in the world of negatives! We’ve been talking about sea level, bank accounts and temperature to get kids to understand the relationship between positive and negative numbers. Your student should have two assessments in FAR: Probability Summative Assessment and Number Systems Part 1 Adding/Subtracting Rational Numbers Summative Assessment. If there is no grade, that is because your student did not take it yet, or correctly reflect in FAR, most likely the first option. This is a great point of conversation of how they’re using their class time, advocating for themselves, and using independent work time outside of class (Connect/FLEX, time at home, etc.).
Core 4: Algebra 1: We just finished our scatter plot unit of looking at restaurants and ranking them as “Fit or Fat” based on the relationship of calories from fat, and calories not from fat. So next time you’re looking to go out to dinner, ask your student which restaurant would be the healthiest choice! The scores for this project are in For All Rubrics. We also just finished Chapter 2 which focused on solving equations; this was a good review of what your student retained from the last three years. Those scores are also in For All Rubrics. Our current unit is working on inequalities and understanding the language of “at least” and “no more than.” The assessment for this unit will be coming up during the week of November 4th. We’ve been trying to coach the kids on how to use their Connect/FLEX time with us to ask questions and attend review sessions. We also strongly encourage the students to study for assessments outside of school. All students should be at 147 topics MINIMUM in their Algebra 1 pie. If students are in their Math 8 pie, they should get into their Algebra 1 pie before Thanksgiving. They should be completing at least 16 topics a week to stay on pace. Please continue to check your student’s FAR account to see if they’re keeping up with their daily work.
Hemphill:
Core 1: Math 6A/7A
When are negative numbers used in the real world? This should be a question your student can give you an answer to! Over the course of this past month, students have worked on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers as well as both positive and negative fractions and decimals. We explored how to use chipboards, number lines, and real-world examples to deepen our thinking about these 6th and 7th grade number systems concepts. Some students even had an opportunity to dive into 8th grade number systems skills as they showed they were ready to learn about classifying numbers, square roots, cube roots, and converting repeating decimals to fractions.
As we begin November, students will be getting into the expressions and equations strand of mathematics. They will be pre-assessed after fall break and will then begin learning about order of operations and simplifying expressions by using the distributive property and combining like terms.
At this point of the year, your student should be at about 100 topics completed on their 7th grade ALEKS pie if their goal is to finish 7th grade learning targets by the end of the year. If your student has a goal to learn 8th grade learning targets as well, they should aim to have about 200 topics done by the end of October. Please check For All Rubrics (FAR) on a regular basis to see the evidence of homework completion - simply look for green checks vs red checks; green means done and checked in, red means missing not checked in. Summative assessments can also be found on FAR. If a student did not show proficiency, they then are expected to meet with me during a connect/FLEX to re-learn and re-take a proficiency check.
Core 2 - 7th Grade Math:
When are negative numbers used in the real world? This should be a question your student can give you an answer to! Over the course of this past month, students have worked on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers as well as both positive and negative fractions and decimals. We explored how to use chipboards, number lines, and real-world examples to deepen our thinking about these 6th and 7th grade number systems concepts. Some students even had an opportunity to dive into 8th grade number systems skills as they showed they were ready to learn about classifying numbers, square roots, cube roots, and converting repeating decimals to fractions.
As we begin November, students will be getting into the expressions and equations strand of mathematics. They will be pre-assessed after fall break and will then begin learning about order of operations and simplifying expressions by using the distributive property and combining like terms.
At this point of the year, your student should be at about 100 topics completed on their 7th grade ALEKS pie. If your child is still on their 6th grade ALEKS pie or if you have not seen your child working on ALEKS, please have them pull up their pies and show you their progress. In addition, be sure to check out FAR (For All Rubrics) for updated homework check-ins and assessment scores. If you see any red checkmarks, then your child should be working on tasks at home and coming in to Connect/Flex to get them checked in. Summative assessments can also be found on FAR. If a student did not show proficiency, they then are expected to meet with me during a connect/FLEX to re-learn and re-take a proficiency check.
Core 4 - Algebra I
We just finished our scatter plot unit of looking at restaurants and ranking them as “Fit or Fat” based on the relationship of calories from fat, and calories not from fat. So next time you’re looking to go out to dinner, ask your student which restaurant would be the healthiest choice! The scores for this project are in For All Rubrics. We also just finished Chapter 2 which focused on solving equations; this was a good review of what your student retained from the last three years. Those scores are also in For All Rubrics. Our current unit is working on inequalities and understanding the language of “at least” and “no more than.” The assessment for this unit will be coming up during the week of November 4th. We’ve been trying to coach the kids on how to use their Connect/FLEX time with us to ask questions and attend review sessions. We also strongly encourage the students to study for assessments outside of school. All students should be at 147 topics MINIMUM in their Algebra 1 pie. If students are in their Math 8 pie, they should get into their Algebra 1 pie before Thanksgiving. They should be completing at least 16 topics a week to stay on pace. Please continue to check your student’s FAR account to see if they’re keeping up with their daily work.
Wray:
Core 1: Math 8/8A:
This class is co-taught with Mr. Wray and Ms. Grosskopf. This class just finished working on their Math 8 Transversals and Math 8 Equations units. Please check your student’s For All Rubrics account to see their proficiencies. We are currently working on Math 8 Number Systems. They’re classifying numbers as rational and irrational, ordering real numbers on a number line, and approximating square roots without a calculator, much to their dismay :) Our next unit will involve the Pythagorean Theorem and working with equations that require square roots and cube roots. As always, your student should be working on their Aleks pie. Since we have students in different grade level pies, we can’t give a specific number of topics completed by this time of year, but they should be at no less than 30%. If your student started the year at a higher percent, they should be growing each week by at least 1-3%, which is roughly 10 topics a week.
Core 2: Math 8:
Core 2, Math 8 is the same course and content as Core 1, but without a co-teacher. Just like Core 1, we just finished working on their Math 8 Transversals and Math 8 Equations units. Please check your student’s For All Rubrics account to see their proficiencies. We are currently working on Math 8 Number Systems. They’re classifying numbers as rational and irrational, ordering real numbers on a number line, and approximating square roots without a calculator, much to their dismay :) Our next unit will involve the Pythagorean Theorem and working with equations that require square roots and cube roots. Some students, however, due to our personalized model, have been working on other assignments. If you have any questions about your student’s progress, just reach out and ask. As always, your student should be working on their Aleks pie. Since we have students in different grade level pies, we can’t give a specific number of topics completed by this time of year, but they should be at no less than 30%. If your student started the year at a higher percent, they should be growing each week by at least 1-3%, which is roughly 10 topics a week.
Core 4: Pre-Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus (Core 4):
Students in Geometry and Beyond have each selected their personalized learning path for the year. Some students are working on a combination of Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 to hopefully earn high school credit in Algebra 1 this year, some students are completing Geometry one unit at a time, while others are building their proficiency through Aleks and will be showcasing their skills through summative projects. Some students even started Geometry last year or over the summer, and other students will be using Blackboard or eAchieve (Waukesha’s online school) to complete Algebra 2 or Pre-Calculus. It’s truly amazing to see students take ownership of their learning and progress through these high school math classes at their own pace. If you’re not sure what path your student has chosen, just ask them; if you have any questions about their path or expectations, just let Mr. Wray know. Students in the Chapter-by-Chapter Geometry group have already learned the first four chapters of Geometry, including formal Proofs. If you want to see what your student did for the first three chapters, then you can see their assignments and assessments on For All Rubrics. Students in the Independent Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Calc group have set personalized goals on Google Classroom as well as For All Rubrics. Each month, students who are working independently will reflect on their progress and set new goals for the next month with guidance and support from Mr. Wray. Check For All Rubrics to see how your student is doing with meeting the goals and expectations set personally for them. Regardless of which path students choose, one constant in our personalized learning model across the whole school is Aleks. Some students may have a higher Aleks expectation than others, based on their personalized path, but most students should be completing at least 10 new topics each week.