Dear Parents & Guardians,

Welcome to the 2019-20 school year. Learning mathematics is a challenge.  Meeting this challenge requires concentration, perseverance, and active participation inside, as well as, outside the classroom.  It is also important to have a positive and respectful attitude towards oneself, classmates, and teachers. There will be times throughout the year you will need extra help outside of the regular class time.  Let me know when this applies to you and we can make arrangements for extra assistance. If you have any questions concerning your child’s progress or anything at all, please give me a call at school or email me.  Below, you will find information about the class and the classroom expectations.  

Topics in 8th Grade Mathematics

The Number System

• Know that there are numbers that are not rational, and approximate them by rational numbers
• Reason quantitatively and use appropriate units to solve problems

Expressions and Equations

• Work with radical and integer exponents
• Understand the connections between proportional relationships, lines and linear equations
• Analyze and solve linear equations 
• Represent and solve equations and inequalities graphically
• Understand and apply scientific notation

Functions

• Define, evaluate, and compare functions
• Use functions to model relationships between quantities
• Interpret functions that arise in an application in terms of the context

Geometry

• Understand congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software
• Understand and apply the Pythagorean Theorem
• Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving volume of cylinders, cones and spheres
• Experiment with rigid and non-rigid transformations in the plane

Statistics and Probability

• Investigate patterns of association in bivariate data
• Summarize categorical data in two-way frequency tables

GRADING

Latework/Zeros 

Students have five days to complete missed assignments. Each day, after the initial due date, a student will receive a 10% deduction from the grade for each day the work is late. In cases of absences, students will be allotted the same amount of time that they were absent to complete the assignments.  It is the student’s responsibility to check the labeled folder in the classroom for any missed papers on the day they were absent. 

Example for a 10 point assignment:

Day 1 late assignment the overall grade cannot be higher than a 9

Day 2 late assignment overall grade cannot be higher than an  8

Students will be given two opportunities to turn in an assignment. The first opportunity will always be the original due date of the assignment. The second opportunity will be determined based off of communication between the teacher and parents/legal guardians as well as the needs and availability of the student. This includes but is not limited to Office Hours, Working Lunches, and other opportunities that will be made available to students. If the assignment is not completed after the second attempt- the student will be referred to the office for an academic referral. Note that any and all requests for additional help must be arranged in advance via phone call or email.

 This does not pertain to students who are absent or who have special accommodations.

Weights:

Letter Grade Score Range

A 100 - 90

B 89 - 80

C 79 - 70

D 69 - 60

F Below 60

HOMEWORK

Homework will be assigned almost every class period.  The student is expected to complete the homework before they enter the school on the due date. It is the student’s responsibility to complete his/her homework each night!  

STUDENT CONDUCT

5 Classroom Rules

1. Follow Directions Quickly.  
2. Raise Hand for Permission to Speak.
3. Raise Hand for Permission to Leave Seat.
4. Make Smart Choices. 
5. Keep Your Teacher Happy! (We are happy when our students are learning!)

CONTACT ME

Email: ckovach@currituck.k12.nc.us