2012 -2013
Howdy, and welcome to White Oak Middle School! I hope you had a great summer. Welcome to my Blog. I will be using this web page to keep you updated on daily lessons, projects, upcoming tests, and changes that take place each week. My daily assignments will be updated each week and can be found by clicking on your class under the CATEGORY tab on the side of the home page. If you would like to receive email reminders to notify you when I update my page, please enter your email address into the blank to the right and click ‘subscribe.’ If you subscribe you will automatically receive an email as soon as I update or post something new to the blog or homework calendar.

Standard guidelines for my class:
I arrive at school everyday by 7:40 for ‘before school tutoring’. Tutoring ends at 7:55. Students can come to tutoring to make corrections, finish homework, or to just get help. If a student fails for a 3-weeks or 6-weeks, then they will be required to come to tutoring on Mondays and Wednesdays. I am very happy to help those students who show me that they want to succeed.

Daily Work
Expect an assignment everyday except on test days. They will be given time to work on it in class. I do not take the work up on the same day I assign it, so that you can look over it before they turn it in.

Late Work
Every student has a chance to turn their work in late (the day after it is due) for a maximum of a 70. If the assignment is not turned in within 24 hours of the due date, then it will be a zero. After 3 late assignments, they will receive a detention.

Corrections
I accept corrections on all daily work with a failing grade for a 70, exactly one day after they get it back.

Please be aware that the posting of your child(s) grades will vary according to the subject area ranging from three (3) days to two (2) weeks determined by the complexity of the assignments. Minor assignments:  1-3 days; Major assignments:  3-5 days; Major writing assignments, major projects:   10 days.  Please check your child’s teacher website for additional information.

Course Description:
(1)  Within a well-balanced mathematics curriculum, the primary focal points at Grade 6 are using ratios to describe direct proportional relationships involving number, geometry, measurement, probability, and adding and subtracting decimals and fractions.(2)  Throughout mathematics in Grades 6-8, students build a foundation of basic understandings in number, operation, and quantitative reasoning; patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking; geometry and spatial reasoning; measurement; and probability and statistics. Students use concepts, algorithms, and properties of rational numbers to explore mathematical relationships and to describe increasingly complex situations. Students use algebraic thinking to describe how a change in one quantity in a relationship results in a change in the other; and they connect verbal, numeric, graphic, and symbolic representations of relationships. Students use geometric properties and relationships, as well as spatial reasoning, to model and analyze situations and solve problems. Students communicate information about geometric figures or situations by quantifying attributes, generalize procedures from measurement experiences, and use the procedures to solve problems. Students use appropriate statistics, representations of data, reasoning, and concepts of probability to draw conclusions, evaluate arguments, and make recommendations.
(3)  Problem solving in meaningful contexts, language and communication, connections within and outside mathematics, and formal and informal reasoning underlie all content areas in mathematics. Throughout mathematics in Grades 6-8, students use these processes together with graphing technology and other mathematical tools such as manipulative materials to develop conceptual understanding and solve problems as they do mathematics.