Content:
This course will develop critical thinking skills, concrete understanding, and technology is used to enhance student learning. It includes the study of Number & Operations, Measurement, Geometry, Data Analysis, Probability, and Algebra.

Materials required:
You must bring your agenda book, a pencil, 3-ring binder, and you will need plenty of loose-leaf paper, we will take notes daily, which will have plenty of examples that will help with homework. A math book will be sent home with the students at the beginning of the school year. The students will leave their math book at home and will use a classroom set of books while at school. Only items necessary for this class may be on your desktop. I will confiscate any items distracting you from your study of math.

Attendance:
Regular attendance and consistent study are two factors that contribute greatly to success in school. Attendance is expected. However, if you must miss a class, you are required to make up all missed work.
It is the student's responsibility to come to me to get their make-up work. Homework will be posted daily on the website. I allow 5 days from the date you return to school to turn in all make-up work or to take test.

Assignments and Projects:
Assignments will be checked for completion every day. Homework will be due at the beginning of class unless otherwise stated. I will be assigning week-by-week essentials on the first day of every week and they will be due on Friday mornings. This assignment is over and above regular homework assignments.
THERE WILL BE HOMEWORK ALMOST EVERY NIGHT, and occasionally on Fridays. Please check to see that your child has completed their assignments. Students must write the problems down unless it is a word problem and show their work in order to receive credit for the assignment. Group and individual projects will be assigned throughout the year. Specifics will be provided when the project is assigned.

Accelerated Math:
Accelerated math is a very important resource that I use in my class. I am sure that it will be a new and challenging experience for some students. It will aid in improving your Child's EOG scores. Students will be required to master a certain number of accelerated math objectives every couple of weeks. The number of objectives will be based on the amount of material taught. We will be working on these objectives during class as well as at home.

Communication:
Ninth grade is a challenging year for most students and parents. They are no longer little children and they are not quite adults. Sometimes the students and the parents have a difficult time adjusting to the expectations of 9th grade.

Please check your child's agenda book daily. I will be requiring a notebook to help with organizational skills that will include their notes, class work, homework and accelerated math. It will be a test grade and will be graded at least every 3 weeks.

ASK TO SEE YOUR CHILD'S GRADED PAPERS. With quizzes given often and test given every couple of weeks, you should be seeing lots of papers with grades on them. Keeping up with these grades will eliminate any surprises when you see a progress report. In addition 5 points is given for test papers that are signed and returned the following day.

ABOVE ALL, CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. I send progress reports out about 4 and 1/2 weeks into the 9 weeks. Many parents wait until the end of the 9 weeks grading period and then ask, "What can we do to get my child's grade up to passing?" At this point, it's a bit too late.

Within the first couple of weeks of Math class, you will know whether or not this course is going to be difficult for your child. If the grades you are seeing are not acceptable, then contact me and we can discuss what needs to be done. I prefer you contact me by e-mail if you can only because I check it several times during the day. It is usually a quicker response time. You can call me and leave a message on my voice mail, but sometimes I don't get to check it but once a day. When you e-mail me please put your child's first and last name in the subject area so I will know who you are writing about. I will also be sending notes to you in the agenda book and you can do the same. We use the agenda books as one of our main sources of communication with parents.


Plagiarism/Cheating:
Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. This includes but is not limited to the following:

1. Allowing other students to copy work.
2. Having a parent complete an assignment.
3. Copying another student’s work.
4. Working on an assignment with other students when the assignment has not been designated as a group project.
5. Cheating of any kind.
6. Copying material from any resource including the Internet without properly citing the source.

Grading:
Grade is based on weighted assignments.

Weighted Percentages

Homework 20%
Class work 25%
Quiz 20%
Test 35%
Grade 100%

Extra Credit: I do not give extra credit. If you complete the given assignments you will not need extra credit.