Week 3 - Clubs Start & Back to School

Clubs

Clubs start this week!  I coach the Ballroom Dance Club, which meets on Thursdays in the cafeteria from 2:15pm to 4:00pm.  If you would like to join, but didn't get a chance to sign up, you can do so on Thursday after school.

Back to School

Back to School night is this Wednesday from 6pm - 8pm.  Please begin in the cafeteria with a special message from our principal, Ms. Marchant.  The bells will then ring to signal you to move from class to class, following your child's schedule.  Feel free to bring the family.  I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible!

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be covering the topics of one-step equations, defining, identifying, and converting forms of rational numbers (i.e. between fractions and decimals), and multiplying rational numbers.  Since the students received their textbooks on Friday, this week's homework will be from the textbook (TB) and should be completed on binder paper; Thursday's homework is a worksheet.  The Unit 1 Quiz 2 will be on Friday.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (8/29): TB pg. 39 #33, 36, 37, 38, 42

Tuesday (8/30): TB pg. 68 #30, 33, 37, 43, 44

Wednesday (8/31): TB pg. 80 #14, 15, 18, 20, 25

Thursday (9/1): Unit 1 Quiz 2 Practice Problems

Friday (9/2): Problem of the Week #2

Week 2 - The real work begins

This week, most schedules should be settled and we can really dive into the material!

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be covering the topics of absolute value and adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers.  Homework will be from the workbook (to be distributed on Monday).  The way the the workbook is organized is that it has the Chapter and Lesson number at the top.  For example, 1-3 means Chapter 1, Lesson 3.  That is how the homework corresponds with the workbook.  The reason that I don't use the page numbers is because the page numbers in the workbook are different from the ones that are online, but the Chapter/Lesson numbers are the same.  The Unit 1 Quiz 1 will be on Friday.  (Thursday night's homework will be a worksheet of practice problems that will resemble the quiz).

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (8/22): WB 1-3 #5-13 odd

Tuesday (8/23): WB 1-4 #3-9 odd

Wednesday (8/24): WB 1-5 #5, 7, 12, 15, 17

Thursday (8/25): Unit 1 Quiz 1 Practice Problems

Friday (8/26): Problem of the Week #1

Algebra / Readiness Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be reviewing our goals for the year.  Additionally, we are finishing our first workbook!  Our first quiz will be during the first hour of Wednesday.  During the second hour, we will start the next workbook.  Below is a list of workbook pages that need to be completed each day.  If it is not completed during class, it becomes homework.

Monday (8/22): SP 11-13 (green workbook)

Tuesday (8/23): SP 18-21 (green workbook)

Wednesday (8/24): SP 1-3 (blue workbook)

Thursday (8/25): SP 5-12 (blue workbook)

Friday (8/26): Knowledge Check (blue workbook)

Week 1 - Welcome!

Welcome to the official website of Ms. Li's Room 504 Mathletes!  I am very excited to teach Pre-Algebra and Algebra Readiness / Algebra 1 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

Infinite Campus- https://ic.sjusd.org/campus/portal/sanjose.jsp

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.  

Pre-Algebra Username: prealgebra79

Algebra 1 Username: algebra460

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 2011-2012 school year:

1st period: Pre-Algebra
2nd period: Prep
3rd period: Algebra Readiness (1st semester) / Algebra 1 (2nd semester)
4th period: Algebra Readiness (1st semester) / Algebra 1 (2nd semester)
5th period: Pre-Algebra
6th period: Pre-Algebra

Please have all materials necessary for class every day.  The syllabus that was given on the first day (and is available online below) lists the items that are needed.

Pre-Algebra Announcements & Homework

Pre-Algebra is a 7th grade course, but the three sections that I teach are for 6th grade students only.  Students must score Advanced or Proficient on the 5th grade CST and pass the Pre-Algebra readiness test.  Students who are my Pre-Algebra class now scored Advanced on the 5th grade CST.  If your child attended Bridges and passed the test, nothing should change and there is no action needed.  All Proficient or Advanced 6th graders who did not attend Bridges will be pulled out to be tested and may have schedule changes as a result of the test.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (8/15): Syllabus Signature

Tuesday (8/16): Student Interest Survey

Wednesday (8/17): TBD

Thursday (8/18): Chapter 1 Review WS

Friday (8/19): Quiz 0 

There will be assemblies during class on Friday, so 1st Period has a take-home quiz while Periods 5 and 6 will take the quiz in class.

Algebra / Readiness Announcements & Homework

This week, we will be going over necessary materials, classroom procedures, classroom expectations, and setting our goals for the year.  Students who are in this class have scored either Far Below Basic or Below Basic for at least 2 consecutive years.  As we have just received the CST scores, some schedules may change based on those results.  During first semester, we will be completing the UCLA intervention program for Algebra readiness in the double period (3 and 4).  During second semester, we will be completing the entire Algebra 1 curriculum in preparation for the CST and exit exam.  We will also be taking a diagnostic test on Tuesday.  Homework will be determined daily, depending on how much is covered during class.