Week 17 - End of Semester 1

 This week marks the end of the third grading period as well as the semester.  6th grade students have a project due on Friday  and Pre-Algebra students have a unit test and math journal check on Thursday.  These assignments could have a large impact on final grades.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework
This week we will be working on our scale model projects.  On Monday, we will do an example in class where we will measure the dimensions of a miniature cereal box, sketch it, apply a conversion factor, and sketch the model.  Students will need to bring in their own object on Tuesday to repeat the same activity.  Students will have time in class on Tuesday - Thursday to complete their individual projects.  On Friday, we will have a gallery walk for students to see each others work.  Over the winter break, students can earn extra credit by building an actual scale model of their object.

Monday (12/13): Scale Model W.S.; bring in project object
Tuesday (12/14): Scale Model Project (measurements and sketch)
Wednesday (12/15): Scale Model Project (calculations and sketch)
Thursday (12/16): Scale Model Project (complete poster)
Friday (12/17): Optional Extra Credit - Build your scale model

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

This week we will be working on rate problems (person-day problems and distance problems).  On Wednesday, we will be reviewing for the test.  On Thursday we will take the test.  Students will receive the results of their tests on Friday.

Monday (12/13): Work Rate Problems
Tuesday (12/14): Distance Rate Time W.S.
Wednesday (12/15): Review W.S.
Thursday (12/16): No HW (Test and Math Journal Check today)
Friday (12/17): No HW

Week 16 - Two More Weeks Until Break!

On Saturday, nearly the entire math department (Ms. Helguera, Ms. Vickery, Ms. Langner, Mrs. Young, Mr. Butler, Mr. Runkle, Mr. Mintz, and I) met at John Muir at 5:45am to drive down to the Asilomar math conference.  I attended three sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon and came back with many great ideas that I will work into the classroom.  Even though we had to get up very early in the morning and return after dark, it was a Saturday well spent and we are hoping to improve our instruction.


This week, we are getting back to normal.  It's a normal 5-day week with no substitutes or assemblies and both the 6th graders and Pre-Algebra students have a quiz on Friday.


6th Grade Announcements & Homework

This week we will be continuing our study of proportions.  We will begin by writing proportions from word problems.  Next, we will be looking at similar figures and writing proportions from the drawings.  The quiz on Friday will cover writing and solving proportions.

Monday (12/6): Writing Proportions W.S.
Tuesday (12/7): Problem Solving W.S.
Wednesday (12/8): Similar Figures W.S.
Thursday (12/9): Quiz 8 Practice Problems
Friday (12/10): No HW (Quiz today)

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework
This week we will be continuing our study of percents.  We will see how they are used in calculating commission, sales tax, profit, and simple interest.  The quiz on Friday will cover those topics.

Monday (12/6): WB 6-6 #1 (5%), 2 (8.5%), 3, 4, 5, 7
Tuesday (12/7): TB Pg. 308 #4-7, #11-14
Wednesday (12/8): WB 6-7 odds
Thursday (12/9): Review WS
Friday (12/10): No HW (Quiz today)

Week 15 - 6th Grade Results

Mrs. Myers on Thursday 
Good news - this is the final training day!  Students will be working on a review worksheet. 


New Workbook Format 
Instead of giving the workbook pages, I'm listing the chapter/lesson.  The workbook is in order of chapter/lesson, so it should still be easy to find.  The reason for the change is that the workbook pages online don't line up with the ones in the actual workbook, so hopefully this will lessen any confusion. 


On Friday, the 6th grade students took their Unit 3 Test on Fractions.  Fractions are a difficult concept and the overall scores are the lowest of the three tests.  Our Big Goal was for each student to demonstrate at least 80% mastery of the objectives.  There were several outstanding performances from students that I would like to recognize.

There were no perfect scores.

There were 2 students who were near perfect, answering 24 out of 25 questions correctly: Mako Goldston and Anny Tran.

And the following 25 students also achieved the Big Goal of 80% mastery, answering at least 20 questions correctly: Kristin Madruga, Aidan Corral, Cierra Rucker, Danny Martinez, Catherline Salazar, Karly Brooks, Balsharan Dhillon, Chelsi Dimick, Pauline Nguyen, Angela Kurysh, Diana Rendler, and Nhu Nguyen.

Congratulations to all of our hard-working students!

Below are some brief statistics by class period.

Period	# Students  who earned at least 80%	# Total  students	Average  score
1	5	24	61%
2	5	22	69%
6	4	29	58%

Students have received their tests back and are able to re-work the problems that they got wrong (as practice and review) and will be able to re-take the test (for full credit).  Students needing assistance can get help in the homework center and math lab.  The re-take will take place in the Math Lab on Wednesdays or by appointment.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework
We are beginning a new unit on ratios, rates, and proportions.

Monday (11/29): WB 5-1 all
Tuesday (11/30): WB 5-2 evens
Wednesday (12/1): WB 5-3 evens
Thursday (12/2): Review W.S.
Friday (12/3): WB 5-4 #4-6, 19-23

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework
This week we  will be continuing shifting our focus to percents.  We will be using proportions to solve the percent problems:

Monday (11/29): TB Pg. 292 #16-25
Tuesday (11/30): WB 6-5 #1-10
Wednesday (12/1): WB 6-5 #11-20
Thursday (12/2): Review W.S.
Friday (12/3): No HW (Quiz today)

Week 14 - Thanksgiving

It's a short week.  I hope everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving holiday with loved ones!
6th Grade Announcements & Homework
This Tuesday is our third unit test.  Answers to the study guide are available here.

Monday (11/22): Unit 3 Study Guide
Tuesday (11/23): No HW (Test today)
Wednesday (11/24): Test corrections (optional)
Thursday (11/25): Happy Thanksgiving!

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework
This week we  will be continuing our study of proportions in the form of similar figures and indirect measurement. Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (11/22): WB 6-1 #1-10
Tuesday (11/23): WB 6-2 #11-20
Wednesday (11/24): No HW
Thursday (11/25): Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 13 - Big Can Challenge

Mrs. Myers on Tuesday and Friday
Mrs. Myers is returning to substitute on Tuesday, November 16 and Friday, November 19.  She gave an excellent behavior report and is eager to work with the students again.

Canned Food / Big Can Game
This week, we are continuing to collect canned food for the Second Harvest Food Shelter.  Giving out of your surplus and sacrifice are very much appreciated.  Also, the staff from John Muir will be playing a softball game against the staff of Willow Glen on Thursday afternoon at Willow Glen High School's baseball field starting at 3:30pm.  Please come out and cheer us on.  For the third year in a row, I will be playing on the field, probably second base.  I hope to see you there!

6th Grade Announcements & Homework
We are rapidly approaching the end of our third unit, fractions.  Unit Test 3 will be administered next Tuesday.  We have already covered adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and mixed numbers.  This week, we will be comparing fractions and mixed numbers with their decimal counterparts and solving word problems using fractions.  On Friday, the students will take and grade a practice test in class.  Their homework for the weekend will be to correct the problems they got wrong on a sheet of binder paper.  Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (11/15): WB 3-5 #8-17
Tuesday (11/16): Unit 3 Review W.S.
Wednesday (11/17): WB 3-6 #1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 15
Thursday (11/18): Word Problems W.S.
Friday (11/19): Unit 3 Practice Test Corrections

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework
This week we  will be continuing our study of proportions in the form of similar figures and indirect measurement. Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (11/15): WB Pg. 39 all
Tuesday (11/16): WS 5-5 Practice C and WS 5-5 Puzzle
Wednesday (11/17): WB Pg. 40 all
Thursday (11/18): WB Pg. 41 odd numbers
Friday (11/19): No Homework (Quiz today)

Week 12 - Veteran's Day

Great Behavior
Mrs. Myers reported back that all of the classes had excellent behavior, with the exception of a few students in 4th period.  Great job!  Mrs. Myers will be substitute teaching again on Tuesday, November 16 (next week) as well as Thursday, December 2, the final two days of my mandatory training.

Homework Concern
I have noticed a decline in homework turn-in from all periods except for 3rd period.  There is math homework every day and sometimes on weekends (usually on weekends when there wasn't a Friday quiz).  In the next few weeks, we have shortened weeks due to Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and my training days.  Because of the loss of instructional time, there will be fewer quizzes, but more homework to ensure practice and mastery.  Please make sure your child is doing their homework each night.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework
In the unit so far, we have multiplied and divided fractions, whole numbers, and mixed numbers.  We have also added and subtracted fractions.  This week, we will be adding and subtracting mixed numbers and using all of our skills to solve one-step equations containing fractions and mixed numbers.  Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (11/8): WB 4-3 #4-6, 9, 13-15
Tuesday (11/9): WB 4-6 #1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16
Wednesday (11/10): WB 4-6 #2, 3, 8, 11, 14, 15
Thursday (11/1): No School (Veteran's Day)
Friday (11/2): No School (In-Service)

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework
This week we  will be continuing our study of proportions in the form of word problems (e.g. how many peaches can you buy with $5 if 3 peaches cost $4?) and dimensional analysis (e.g. how many inches in 3 yards?). Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (11/8): TB Pg. 235 #8-14, 16
Tuesday (11/9): WB Pg. 38 #1-6
Wednesday (11/10): Dimensional Analysis Project
Thursday (11/1): No School (Veteran's Day)
Friday (11/2): No School (In-Service)

Week 11 - New Grading Period

Substitute on Tuesday
This Tuesday, November 2, there is a mandatory textbook training for 6th grade and Pre-Algebra at the District Office.  I will not be on campus and there will be a substitute teacher.  This is the third of a 5 day series.  Students will be working on a worksheet during class.  Homework assigned on Monday will be due on Wednesday.  I expect all students to respect the teacher and work quietly.  The substitute teacher will be Mrs. Carol Myers, a former math teacher.

Grades
Friday was the end of the second grading period. All regular assignments have been graded and entered into the gradebook, but I received quite a bit of re-work on Friday and will do my best to get it all in the gradebook by Monday evening as the upload occurs on Tuesday morning.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework
Last week, we simplified fractions and multiplied and divided fractions. This week, we will be learning how to find the least common multiple of two or more numbers in order to set us up to be able to add and subtract fractions with like and unlike denominators. The quiz this week will cover material from last week and this week, since there was no quiz last week. Warning: it is a difficult quiz. I would recommend going to homework center or math lab to rework homework, if students don't get 100%.  Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (11/1): WB 3-3 #4-12, 24
Tuesday (11/2): W.S. Multiplying Fractions, W.S. Dividing Fractions
Wednesday (11/3): WB 4-2#7-14
Thursday (11/4): Quiz 7 Practice Problems
Friday (11/5): No HW (Quiz today)

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework
This week we are beginning a new unit on ratios, rates, proportions, and percents. We will begin by writing ratios in three different ways (e.g. 2/3, 2 to 3, 2:3), unit rates (e.g. $3 for 5 pencils, how much is does 1 pencil cost?), and writing and solving proportions. Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (11/1): WB Pg. 35 #2-20 even
Tuesday (11/2): Review Worksheet
Wednesday (11/3): WB Pg. 36 odd problems
Thursday (11/4): WB Pg. 37 even problems
Friday (11/5): No HW (Quiz today)

Week 10 - Benchmark Week

Last Thursday, the Pre-Algebra students took their Unit 2 Test on Equations and Inequalities.  There were several outstanding performances from students that I would like to recognize.

There were 6 students with perfect scores: Kyra Jensen, Carla Juarez, Fabian Ortiz Hernandez, Tracy Phan, Emily Summers, and Alex Tehada.

There were 6 students who were near perfect, answering 24 out of 25 questions correctly: Abi Irick, Mackenzie Meyer, Matthew Morazan, Aaron Nguyen, Darnell Pascua, and Ashlynne Yap.

And the following 6th grade students achieved the Big Goal of 90% mastery, answering at least 23 questions correctly: Madi Bell, Sean Rooney, and Dylan Tao.

And the following 7th grade students also achieved the Big Goal of 80% mastery, answering at least 20 questions correctly: Grant Cooperman, Lindsay Cutler, Katie Lawson-Gill, Sara Mills, and Vy Truong.

Congratulations to all of our hard-working students!

Below are some brief statistics by class period.

Period	# Students  who met the Big Goal	# Total  students	Class Average
3	15	29	90%
4	6	30	61%

I will be returning the tests on Friday and students will have a chance to re-work the problems that they got wrong (as practice and review) and will be able to re-take the test (for full credit).  Students needing assistance can get help in the homework center and math lab.  The re-take will take place in the Math Lab on Wednesdays or by appointment.

Next week is Benchmark week.  Monday, Thursday, and Friday will be a normal schedule.  On Tuesday, students will go to periods 1, 3, and 5 (with a morning break and lunch).  On Wednesday, students will go to periods 2, 4, and 6 (with a morning break and lunch).  Start and dismissal times for the school day will be the same.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework
We will be continuing our study of fractions by converting between mixed numbers and improper fractions, simplifying fractions, and multiplying and dividing fractions.  Since we are losing instructional time due to the benchmarks, there will be no quiz this week.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (10/25): W.S. Equivalent Fractions

Thursday (10/28): WB 4-4 #4-12, 19

Friday (10/29): WB 4-5 #4-12, 19

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework
This week we will be building on our skills of equations and inequalities through working through word problems.  We will start some in class and the students will need to finish them for homework.  On Thursday and Friday, we will be looking at data and analyze it through box-and-whisker and stem-and-leaf plots.

Homework for the week is as follows: 
Monday (10/25): Two-Step Equations Word Problems W.S.
Thursday (10/28): WB Pg. 81 #1-6
Friday (10/29): WB Pg.  79 #1-5

Week 9 - Pre-Algebra Unit Test

On Friday, the 6th grade students took their Unit 2 Test on Integers.  Our Big Goal was for each student to demonstrate at least 80% mastery of the objectives.  There were several outstanding performances from students that I would like to recognize.

There were 2 students with perfect scores: Emily Egermeier and Anny Tran.


There were 2 students who were near perfect, answering 24 out of 25 questions correctly: Aidan Corral, Adrianna Ng, Pauline Nguyen, and Roman Sanchez.

And the following 25 students also achieved the Big Goal of 80% mastery, answering at least 20 questions correctly: Daisy Adin, Karly Brooks, Gisselle Calderon Munoz, Matthew Canepa, Ray Carerra-Marquez, Ryan Clark, Angel Cruz, Jazmine Cruz Brizuela, Braden Dalit, Malachi DeLeon Lopez, Zobedia Delgadillo, Rafael Diaz, Eliel Garcia Gonzalez, Mako Goldston, Isaiah Guzman, Angela Kurysh, David Maldonado, Anthony Martin, Danny Martinez Buenrostros, Nate McCauley, Alex Moreno, Aleyda Recio Rivera, Gabe Reyes, Adrian Rom, Cierra Rucker, Adin Sabanovich, Catherine Salazar, Pedro Tellez, and Alex Valencia.

Congratulations to all of our hard-working students!

Below are some brief statistics by class period.

Period	# Students  who earned at least 80%	# Total  students	Average  score
1	10	24	76%
2	13	21	78%
6	13	29	70%

I will be returning the tests on Monday and students will have a chance to re-work the problems that they got wrong (as practice and review) and will be able to re-take the test (for full credit).  Students needing assistance can get help in the homework center and math lab.  The re-take will take place in the Math Lab on Wednesdays or by appointment.

This Friday is Fun Freaky Friday.  Classes will be shortened and be completed before lunch.  After lunch, there will be two periods where students may choose which activity to attend.  If your child would like priority (some classes such as Slaughter Ball fill up quickly), they must gather donations. 

6th Grade Announcements & Homework
Our next unit will be on fractions. We will begin by doing prime factorization and simplifying fractions.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Monday (10/18): Test corrections
Tuesday (10/19): WB 3-1 #1-4, 17-22
Wednesday (10/20): WB 3-2 #1-10
Thursday (10/21): Quiz 6 Practice Problems
Friday (10/22): No HW (Quiz today)

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework
This week we will be reviewing and practicing for the Unit 2 Test on Multi-Step Equations and Inequalities.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Monday (10/18): WB Pg. 25 #1, 3, 7, 8, 9
Tuesday (10/19): Practice Test Corrections
Wednesday (10/20): Unit 2 Study Guide
Thursday (10/21): No HW (Test today)
Friday (10/22): Test Corrections

Week 8 - 6th grade Unit Test

Substitute on Thursday
This Thursday, October 14, there is a mandatory textbook training for 6th grade and Pre-Algebra at the District Office.  I will not be on campus and there will be a substitute teacher.  This is the second of a 5 day series.  Students will be working on a worksheet during class.  Homework assigned on Wednesday and Thursday will be due on Friday.  I expect all students to respect the teacher and work quietly.  The substitute teacher will be Mr. Lou Ayala, a former John Muir teacher.  Mr. A taught for 39 years and is a solid teacher and dear friend.

Homework Center and Math Lab
Homework Center and Math Lab are great resources for students to get help after school at school.  Homework Center is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for 2 hours in the Library and there are math teachers that work there.  Math Lab is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays for 1 hour in room 802.  Both are free and students can come and leave at any time.  The late bus departs at 4pm for students wishing to stay, but take the bus home.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework
This week, we will be reviewing our integer skills through word problems.  We are sharpening our integer operations though the daily mastery challenges.  We are preparing for the Unit 2 Test, which will be on Friday.  Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (10/11): Integer Word Problems #7-14

Tuesday (10/12): Integer Project (A, B, or C)
Wednesday (10/13): Unit 2 Study Guide #1-11
Thursday (10/14): Unit 2 Study Guide #12-25
Friday (10/15): No HW (Unit 2 Test today)


Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework
This week, we will be delving into more complex problems involving the distributive property.  This is in preparation for solving multi-step equations containing the distributive property.  We will also begin looking at multi-step equations that have variables on both sides, where the students will have to combine like terms on both sides of the equation.
Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (10/11): W.S. "What do you call a car that can go up cliffs?"
Tuesday (10/12): W.S. Distributive Property Matching
Wednesday (10/13): WB Pg. 21 #2-16 even
Thursday (10/14): W.S. Variables on Both Sides
Friday (10/15): No HW (Quiz today)

Week 7 - Furlough is next week

Substitute on Tuesday

This Tuesday, September 28, there is a mandatory textbook training for 6th grade and Pre-Algebra at the District Office.  I will not be on campus and there will be a substitute teacher.  Students will be working on a worksheet during class.  Homework assigned on Monday and Tuesday will be due on Wednesday.  I expect all students to respect the teacher and work quietly.

Email Registration

It has come to my attention that some of you have been trying to email me, but I have not received them.  In the past, if I sent an email out, you would be able to respond and get through the firewall, but it seems that this is not always the case.  I'm quite responsive on email and if you don't receive a reply within 24 hours, please call me at 535-2681 x 504 or send a note through your child.  And if you haven't done so already, please register your email by completing this form.

Textbook Resource: Video Tutorials

Did you know that our textbook as video tutorials of every single lesson in the book?  The instructor won teacher of the year and is pretty animated.  Below are instructions on how to find the video tutorials.

• Navigate to the textbook website:  http://my.hrw.com
• Sign in:
• User: 6math16 for 6th grade and prealgebra79 for Pre-Algebra
• Password: johnmuir (for both)
• Click on the link that says Go to the Online Textbook.
• Click on the tab at the top that says Videos and Activities.
• From the drop-down menu at the top, choose the chapter and lesson you want to see and click Go.
• A list of lesson examples should load and you can watch the videos.

Furlough

I will be unavailable during furlough week.  Emails and voicemails left during the week will be returned on Oct. 11.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be completing our study of integers with multiplying and dividing positive and negative integers. As you know, next week is furlough, so there will be no instruction.  When we return from furlough, the next unit test will be given on Friday.  I am not planning to give the study guide out until after we return, but I will be giving an optional (but highly recommended) project that should prepare the students for the test.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (9/27): WB 2-4 #9-27 odd

Tuesday (9/28): WB 2-4 #10-28 even

Wednesday (9/29): WB 2-5 16 #13-23

Thursday (9/30): Quiz 5 Practice Problems

Friday (10/1): Making Faces Project (Quiz 5 today)

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be focusing our study of multi-step equations.  We will be studying the distributive property with variables and combining like terms.  Most of the problems this week will be just integers (few, if any, fractions and decimals).  I want to make sure the students understand the concepts before throwing in another level of complexity.  I will be putting together an extra credit review packet for students to optionally complete over the furlough.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (9/27): Properties W.S.

Tuesday (9/28): Facing Math Worksheet (Two-Step Equations)

Wednesday (9/29): WB Pg. 19 #8-17

Thursday (9/30): WB Pg. 20 #1-10

Friday (10/1): Unit 2 Furlough Packet (Unit 2 Quiz 2)

Week 6 - New Grading Period

Last Friday, the Pre-Algebra students took their first Unit Test on Integers and Rational Numbers.  There were several outstanding performances from students that I would like to recognize.

There were 4 students who answered all 25 questions correctly: Grant Cooperman, Carla Juarez, Maddie MacDonald, and Karim Richani.

There were 6 students who were near perfect, answering 24 out of 25 questions correctly: Emerald Doan, Colton Jack, Darnell Pascua, Sean Rooney, Emily Summers, and Ashlynne Yap.

In addition to those mentioned above, the following 6th grade students met their Big Goal of achieving 90% mastery, answering 23 out of 25 questions correctly: Hope Laborin, Alden Martinez, Mackenzie Meyer, Matthew Morazan, and Aaron Nguyen.

In addition to those mentioned above, the following 7th grade students met their Big Goal of achieving 80% mastery, answering 23 out of 25 questions correctly: Ana Cano Garcia, Katie Lawson-Gill, Melissa Murphy, Danny Perina, Dalton Roseman, and Vy Truong.

Congratulations to all of our hard-working students!

Below are some brief statistics by class period.

Period	# Students  who met the Big Goal	# Total  students	Average  score
3	12	30	87%
4	10	31	62%

I will be returning the tests on Monday and students will have a chance to re-work the problems that they got wrong (as practice and review) and will be able to re-take the test (for full credit).  Students needing assistance can get help in the homework center and math lab.  The re-take will take place in the Math Lab on Wednesdays or by appointment.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework

This week, we will continue our study of integers (positive and negative whole numbers).  I had an overwhelming number of students make it into the 100 Club.  Subtraction usually seems to be an area of struggle, so we'll be breaking it down into 3 different types: Borrowing Money (e.g. 5 - 8 = -3), Scuba Diving (-5 - 8 = -13), and Neighbor Negative (5 - - 8 = 13).

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (9/20): Subtraction Worksheet Part 1

Tuesday (9/21): Subtraction Worksheet Part 2

Wednesday (9/22): WB 2-3 #3-21 odd

Thursday (9/23): Quiz 4 Practice Problems

Friday (9/24): No HW (Quiz 4 today)

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

This week, we will begin a new unit of study: Multi-Step Equations and Inequalities.  Since we have covered one-step equations, we'll build on that with one-step inequalities.  We'll progress to two-step equations and close the week with properties (commutative, associative, and identity).

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (9/20): WB Pg. 23 #11-15, WB Pg. 24 #4-8

Tuesday (9/21): WB Pg. 17 #3-12

Wednesday (9/22): TB Pg. 102 #6-10, 18-22

Thursday (9/23): WB Pg. 18 #1-6

Friday (9/24): No HW (Quiz 4 today)

Week 5 - End of Grading Period 1

This Friday, September 17, marks the end of the first grading period.  Work completed by this Friday will be included on the first grade report.

Last Friday, the 6th grade students took their first Unit Test on Equations and Expressions.  Our Big Goal was for each student to demonstrate at least 80% mastery of the objectives.  There were several outstanding performances from students that I would like to recognize.

There were 5 students who answered all 25 questions correctly: Karly Brooks, Angel Cruz, Briana Evangelista, Kristin Madruga, and Adrianna Ng.

There were 11 students who were near perfect, answering 24 out of 25 questions correctly: Aidan Corral, Rafael Diaz, Emily Egermeier, Mako Goldston, Emily Jackson, Angela Kurysh, Daniel Martinez Buenrostro, Alex Moreno, Karen Pulido, Adin Sabanovic, and Catherine Salazar.

And the following students also achieved the Big Goal of 80% mastery, answering at least 20 questions correctly: Ivon Maribel Aguilera, Gisselle Calderon Munoz, Matthew Canepa, Ray Carrera-Marquez, Valeria Cerros, Ryan Clark, Samantha Cortez Cuellar, Ernesto Cruz Rosendo, Braden Dalit, Melissa Davalos, Zobeida Delgadillo Valenzuel, Balsharan Dhillon, Mindy Dinh, Eliel Garcia Gonzalez, Isaiah Guzman, Chelsea Lara, Jose Lazaro, Jairus Lewis, Taylor Lovell, Nate McCauley, Ayranny Medina, Pauline Nguyen, Aleyda Recio Rivera, Diana Rendler, Lucero Rios, Adrian Rom, Cierra Rucker, Roman Sanchez, Pedro Tellez Miranda, Ariel Telly, Anny Tran, Alex Valencia, and Alexis Vaughn.

Congratulations to all of our hard-working students!

Below are some brief statistics by class period.

Period	# Students  who earned at least 80%	# Total  students	Average  score
1	17	24	79%
2	16	21	84%
6	16	28	77%

I will be returning the tests on Monday and students will have a chance to re-work the problems that they got wrong (as practice and review) and will be able to re-take the test (for full credit).  Students needing assistance can get help in the homework center and math lab.  The re-take will take place in the Math Lab on Wednesdays or by appointment.

New Grading Policy

I've noticed that an increasing number of students have not been completing or even attempting their homework, perhaps due to my policy of accepting late work.  Additionally, we are losing instructional time during class due to the transition between the warm-up and grading the homework.  Homework, math journals, and warm-up worksheets should be on the desk before the bell rings, but many students choose to socialize instead of prepare for class.  Because of these two trends, I've decided to give "effort" points.  During the warm-up, if students have their homework on their desk I will give them 5 effort points.  Even if all of the answers are wrong, if they made an attempt on the assignment the night it was due and it's on their desk at the beginning of class, they will earn all 5 points.  It's that easy.  Hopefully, this will encourage students to try their homework when it's due and begin class prepared to maximize our class time.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be beginning a new unit on integers.  We will be adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing positive and negative whole numbers and using them in real-world situations / word problems.  If you want to mark your calendars, the second unit test will be on Friday, October 15, 2010 (the first Friday we return from furlough week).  The 6th grade math team is trying something a little bit different this week.  We will have notes, practice, and homework Monday - Wednesday and have our quiz on Thursday (instead of the usual Friday).  The reason for doing this is because on Friday, we will be switching students.  We will be reviewing the results of Friday's test and re-grouping the students for a special re-teaching lesson.  That way, students who struggled with the same concepts, regardless of who their teacher was, will be grouped together.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (9/13): WB 2-1 # 1-10

Tuesday (9/14): Adding Integers WS

Wednesday (9/15): Quiz 3 Practice Problems

Thursday (9/16): No HW (Quiz 3 today)

Friday (9/17): Unit Test 1 Re-work

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be  finishing our unit on Integers and Rational Numbers.  We will be adding and subtracting fractions (and mixed numbers) with like and unlike denominators and completing one-step equations with fractions and decimals.  Our first Unit Test will be on this Friday.  

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (9/13): WB Pg. 12 #2-18 even

Tuesday (9/14): TB Pg. 90 #18-22,30,32-34

Wednesday (9/15): WB Pg. 16 #1-17 odd

Thursday (9/16): Unit 1 Study Guide

Friday (9/17): No HW (Unit 1 Test today)

Week 4 - Unit Test (6th grade)

Thank you to all of the parents and families that came to Back to School night.  I believe I have contacted everyone who requested follow-up meetings.  Now that you have access to the Parent Internet Viewer, I have a feeling that more would like to meet or communicate, so please do so by calling me at (408) 535-2681 x504 or sending me an email at Amy_Li@sjusd.org.

The biggest resource I wanted to tout at Back to School night was the textbook website.  Remember, you can use this website to view and download textbook (TB) and workbook (WB) pages as well as other practice worksheets and play interactive quiz games.  The textbook information is here again:

Site: http://my.hrw.com
Username: 6math16 (6th grade)
Username: prealgebra79 (Pre-Algebra)
Password: johnmuir (both)

Also, quiz retakes can be done this Wednesday after school in the Math Lab (Room 802) from 2:15pm - 3:15pm.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be finishing up our first unit of study and taking our first unit test.  Our Big Goal is for every student to demonstrate at least 80% mastery on the test.  This means that out of 25 questions, they can only miss 5 questions.  On Wednesday, we will take a practice test where students may use their math journals (but not each other).  On Thursday, we will review the the answers and work in teams to correct them.  The unit test will be on Friday.  

Homework for the week is as follows:

Tuesday (9/7): Unit 1 Study Guide Problems #1-10

Wednesday (9/8): Unit 1 Study Guide Problems #11-20

Thursday (9/9): Unit 1 Study Guide Problems #21-24

Friday (9/10): No HW (Unit Test 1 today)

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be delving deeper into rational numbers (i.e. numbers that can be expressed as a quotient of two numbers).  Quiz 3 will be on this Friday.  Next Friday will be our first unit test.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Tuesday (9/7): TB Pg. 68 #30-48 even

Wednesday (9/8): TB Pg. 80 #14-18, 20-24

Thursday (9/9): Worksheet Chapter 1 Review

Friday (9/10): No HW (Quiz 3 today)

Week 3 - Clubs Start

This is our third week of school and we are starting to fall into routine.  Not only will we be following the regular schedule all week, but clubs begin meeting!  All after school activities including Homework Center, Math Lab, Hiking Club, Technology Club, and Ballroom Dance Club will be meeting this week.

Club	Location	Days	Time
Homework Center	Library	Mondays Wednesdays Thursdays	2:15pm - 4:15pm
Math Lab	Room 802	Wednesdays* Thursdays	2:15pm - 3:15pm

*I work in the Math Lab on Wednesdays

Homework Center is for all subjects and is staffed by teachers from all disciplines.

Math Lab is just for math and is staffed by math teachers.

Another reminder: Back to School night is Wednesday evening from 6pm - 8pm.  You will be following your child's schedule throughout the night to meet their teachers.  Children and families are all welcome to attend.  I hope to see you there!

6th Grade Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be studying expressions, exponents, and order of operations.  We try to avoid using the acronym PEMDAS because it leads students to believe incorrectly that multiplication always comes before division and addition always comes before subtractions.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (8/30): WB 1-2 #1-19 odd

Tuesday (8/31): WB 1-3 left column problems (#1,4,7,10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 26)

Wednesday (9/1): WB 1-5 #5-19 odd

Thursday (9/2): Quiz 2 Practice Problems

Friday (9/3): No HW (Quiz 2: Exponents, Expressions, & Order of Operations today)

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be completing our review of integers by multiplying and dividing positive and negative integers and solving one-step equations with positive and negative integers.  We will have a quiz on Thursday that covers all of chapter 1.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (8/30): TB Pg. 28 #26-38 even, TB Pg. 29 #46-49

Tuesday (8/31): TB Pg. 39 #33-42

Wednesday (9/1): Quiz 2 Practice Problems

Thursday (9/2): Quiz 1 Re-work

Friday (3/3): WB Pg. 6 #25-34

Benchmark Week

This week, all students will be taking district-mandated benchmarks.  Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Math will each be administering a test.  Electives, PE, and intervention classes (math lab, writing lab, etc.) will be having regular class.  The benchmark that the students will be taking in math class is a cumulative exam covering material that has not been taught yet.  It will be the exact same benchmark that the students will take in the spring to see how much growth the students have made from the beginning of the year and is an indicator of success on the CST (California Standards Test).  I will not be including the results of this benchmark in the student grade, but students should try to do their best.

This Wednesday (8/25) is Picture Day.
Next Wednesday (9/1) is Back to School Night.  Hope to see you there!

Because of the benchmarks, we will be having block scheduling on Tuesday and Thursday this week.  The schedule is below.

Tuesday:

7:35 - 9:30	Period 1
9:30 - 9:42	Break
9:47 - 11:42	Period 3
11:42-12:12	Lunch
12:17-2:12	Period 5

Thursday:

7:35 - 9:30	Period 2
9:30 - 9:42	Break
9:47 - 11:42	Period 4
11:42-12:12	Lunch
12:17-2:12	Period 6

Homework assigned on Monday will be graded on Wednesday and homework assigned on Wednesday will be graded on Friday.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be continuing our study of one-step equations.  We will be solving them by adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.  Textbooks (TB) and Workbooks (WB) will be distributed on Monday.  Homework will mostly be out of the WB or worksheets.  

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (8/23): WB 1-8 #1-7 odd, WB 1-9 #1-7 odd, WB 1-10 #10-16 even

Tuesday (8/24): No HW (Benchmark)

Wednesday (8/25): WB 1-11 #10-20 even, Quiz 1 Practice Problems

Thursday (8/26): No HW (Benchmark)

Friday (8/27): No HW (Quiz 1: One-Step Equations today)

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be adding and subtracting integers.  

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (8/23): WB Pg. 4 #10-20 even

Tuesday (8/24): No HW (Benchmark)

Wednesday (8/25): TB Pg. 24 #22-31 (required), Quiz 1 Practice Problems (extra credit)

Thursday (8/26): No HW (Benchmark)

Friday (8/27): No HW (Quiz 1 today)

Welcome, everyone!

Welcome to the official website of Ms. Li's Room 504 Mathletes!  I am very excited to teach 6th grade math and Pre-Algebra this year.

I want to make sure that people that support my students (parents, older siblings, guardians, etc.) are kept up to date and have a place to see archived information regarding the classes.  On this website, I will be posting announcements, the topics being covered in class for the week, as well as homework for the week.  This year, I'm also trying something new: dropbox.  I'm planning to post worksheets and other important documents online so that you can have access to it to reprint if something gets lost.

Other important websites to bookmark:

John Muir School Website - http://www.sjusd.org/school/john_muir

This website has school-wide announcements and information

Parent Internet Viewer - https://sjusd.gradebook.net/Pinnacle/PIV

This website allows you to check grades for each class, missing assignments, tardies, and absences.  You will need a user name and password, which should be distributed in the next two weeks.  If you lose that information, you can request it by coming to the Main Office at school.

Textbook Website: http://my.hrw.com

This website has all of the textbook and workbook pages available as pdf downloads.  There are also extra quizzes and other helpful tools.  You need a username and password.  

6th Grade Username: 6math16

Pre-Algebra Username: prealgebra79

Password (for both): johnmuir

Textbooks (TB) and workbooks (WB) will be distributed this week.  Homework will be assigned from these two sources.  

Below is my current schedule for the 2010-2011 school year:

1st period: 6th Grade Math
2nd period: 6th Grade Math
3rd period: Pre-Algebra
4th period: Pre-Algebra (7th grade)
5th period: Prep
6th period: 6th Grade Math

Thank you to all of the 6th graders who attended the Summer Bridges program and took the math placement test.  There are still about 25 students who need to take the test and may need to change math classes following the results of the test.  If your child scored Advanced on the 5th grade math CST and you feel like they should be in the advanced 6th grade math section, please contact our Assistant Principal of Instruction Jen Long Bauer by calling (408) 535-2681 x263 to add them to the list of 6th graders who will be taking the placement test on Wednesday (8/18/10).

For the 6th graders in my Pre-Algebra section (period 3), please ignore the announcements I make to 6th Grade Math and reference the Pre-Algebra notes instead.

6th Grade Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be going over necessary materials, classroom procedures, classroom expectations, and setting our goals for the year.  We will also be learning the divisibility rules, which help us determine whether or not a number is divisible by 2, 5, and 10.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (8/16): Syllabus Signature

Tuesday (8/17): Student Interest Survey

Wednesday (8/18): Big Goals, WB 1-7 #1-23 odd

Thursday (8/19): Quiz 0 Practice Problems

Friday (8/20): No HW (Quiz 0 today)

There will be assemblies during class on Friday, so those classes attending the assembly during math class will have a take-home quiz instead, which will be due on Monday.

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be going over necessary materials, classroom procedures, classroom expectations, and setting our goals for the year.  We will also be reviewing how to evaluate expressions and exponents, write and translate algebraic expressions, and practice integer operations and absolute value.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (8/16): Syllabus Signature

Tuesday (8/17): Student Interest Survey

Wednesday (8/18): WB Pg. 2 #1-13 odd

Thursday (8/19): Translating Expressions Worksheet #1-12

Friday (8/20): Integer Worksheet odd numbers only

Week of 5/24/10

Two Weeks Notice!

I can't believe the end is so close.  It seems like the school year has really flown by.  The Algebra 1 students are pretty much done.  They have completed their final exam and exit exam.  There is virtually no more homework for the Algebra students.  Grades are finalized.  However, there are two things that I need:

• Textbooks
• Superlative nominations

Textbooks must be returned by this Wednesday (5/26).  I will be sending home notices and bills on Thursday for students who do not return their textbooks.

Superlative nominations must also be submitted by Wednesday.  I will be giving out awards on Thursday, so if you want your vote counted, please return the worksheet.

Exit Exam Results / Options
Of the approximately 350 students who took the Algebra 1 exit exam, John Muir had 6 students pass.  Congratulations to Brendan Nguyen for passing!  However, for the students who did not pass the exit exam, please understand that failing this test does NOT mean much.  In fact, last year there were 136 students who scored Proficient or Advanced on the Algebra 1 CST and of those students, only 50 passed the exit exam.  That's only 37%!  Even though you may not have passed the school district exit exam, you may still be considered Proficient or Advanced in Algebra 1 by the state of California.

For my 8th graders moving on to high school, you do have an option.  You can still move up to Geometry if you want.  The only problem is that you will NOT receive high school credit for Algebra 1 and will still have to take 3 years of math in high school.  The choice is yours.  If you want an easy math class next year, go ahead and retake Algebra 1.  You will be a rock star in your class.  If you feel like you will be bored re-learning the same material and want to push forward, take Geometry.

6th grade students have their final exam on Wednesday and Thursday this week.  This test counts twice as much as a normal test and should be taken seriously.  It is Benchmark 4 (a two-day test).  This Friday is the 6th grade field trip to the beach, which I will be chaperoning.

Because of the testing and field trip, I have pushed back the due date of the Survey Project to next Tuesday, June 1.  We will be doing presentations of the survey project on Tuesday (6/1) and giving out superlative awards on Wednesday (6/2).

Below are the important dates for the 6th graders:

Wednesday (5/26) - Textbooks Due! Superlative Nominations Due!  Part 1 of the Final Exam!
Thursday (5/27) - Part 2 of the Final Exam
Friday (5/28) - Field Trip to Seabright Beach
Monday (5/31) - Memorial Day (no school)
Tuesday (6/1) - Survey Project Due (presentations in class)
Wednesday (6/2) - Awards Day in class
Thursday (6/3) - Last Day of School (early release)

Week of 5/17/10

This week, Algebra 1 students will have their last test of the year.  However, it is the most important test, as it will determine which math class they will take next year.  On Wednesday and Thursday this week (5/19 and 5/20), all Algebra 1 students will take the Exit Exam.  The number of questions has not been released yet, but students must answer at least 70% correctly in order to move on to Geometry and Algebra 2.  Students who score below 70% will repeat Algebra 1 next year.  We have been reviewing for this test and the final two topics for review will be polynomials (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing) and systems of equations.

6th grade students will continue reviewing for their two-day final exam, which will be held on Wednesday and Thursday of next week (5/26 and 5/27).  We will also continue working on our survey project.

A few notes and reminders:

• Students can begin bringing back their textbooks.
• Students should return their superlatives nominations.
• Field trip forms are due!  $40 for 8th graders is due tomorrow and $10 for 6th graders is due on Friday.
• 8th Grade field trip to Great America is on Wednesday, June 2.
• 6th Grade field trip to Seabright Beach is on Friday, May 28.
• This Friday is College/Career day, so we will have a modified schedule with shortened periods.
• Next Monday is Math Collaboration day, so all math teachers will be off-campus working together to create curriculum.

Homework for the week is as follows:

6th Grade HW
Mon (5/17) - Area/Volume Worksheet
Tue (5/18) - Survey Project Parts 5
Wed (5/19) - Expressions Worksheet
Thu (5/20) - Survey Project Parts 6

Fri (5/21) - Survey Project due (all)


8th Grade HW
Mon (5/17) - Exit Exam Practice Problems #14, 21, 26-28, 37, 39, 41, 42, 57
Tue (5/18) - Exit Exam Practice Problems #10, 22, 30, 36, 44, 59, 60, 64, 65
Wed (5/19) - No HW (Exit Exam today)
Thu (5/20) - No HW (Exit Exam today)
Fri (5/21) - No HW