September
2008
Dear
Parents and Guardians,
Welcome
to Algebra I! I am
honored to have your child in my class and I know that we will have a
successful, exciting, and productive year in math. I have high academic and behavior
expectations for my students. I expect EVERY
student will learn to the best of his or her ability and achieve more in one
year than they ever thought possible.
To aid in
this achievement, please note that I require each student to have:
·
Dividers to create 4 sections in a 3-ring binder(or
a math section in a larger 3-ring binder)
(1. Notes,
2. Clswk, 3. Hmwk, 4. Quizzes/Tests)
·
Plenty of pencils (all assignments must be
completed in pencil!),small pencil sharpener
·
College lined notebook paper, graph paper
·
Colored pencils, glue sticks
·
1st
period students should bring a box of tissues!
Because
you are an integral part of your child’s education, I feel home/school communication
is of vital importance. I would like to
extend an invitation for you to contact me at any time.
I can
be reached through the main office at school (898-0360), on my
cell phone (876-4567) or via
email (cdziurzynski@ycsd.york.va.us). If you
would like to talk in person, I am available to schedule appointments after
school or during the school day (please contact the guidance department for a
conference during school hours at 898-0410). Please contact me if you have any questions
or concerns. Also, students should feel free to call for homework help or
parents may call for homework help on their child’s behalf. I only
ask that if you choose to call my cell phone, please do so before 9:00pm at night.
There
are several ways you can help your child succeed in my math class.
- Emphasize the importance of homework, studying, and hard work. Please monitor (using your child’s
agenda) if your child is completing homework. Students should also study the day’s
lesson and practice (re-work with pencil & paper) examples from the
lesson each night in addition to normal homework assignments. If your child’s grade begins to slip,
have them practice everything we do in class again at home and complete odd
numbered problems in the textbook (answers to the odd problems are in the
back of the textbook for you to check).
- Encourage your child to ask questions in class. Students needing extra help will be
asked to come to my room during 5th period once a week when
needed. I will inform these
students at least a day in advance of the tutoring session.
- Visit
(bookmark) our class website: http://www.quia.com/pages/yorkmiddlealgebra.html Students should visit this site for extra practice &
games (YMS library computers are usually available after school if students
notify the librarian a day in advance).
- Also, praise
them for doing well . . . they deserve it!
Please
see the back of this letter for additional tidbits of class information. Thank you so much for your time and support. I look forward to working with you and your child
this school year!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Cindy Dziurzynski (pronounced Jer-Zen-Ski)
(You can find a copy of this
handout on our class website!)
Class
Tidbits
·
Grading:
50% Tests, 25% Quizzes, 15% Classwork, 10% Homework
·
Algebra has semester grades (there are 2
semesters in the school year):
For example: 1st 9weeks
=40%, 2nd 9weeks=40%, Semester exam=20%
·
Student Placement:
Students struggling with tests/assignments or not maintaining an A or B will
be moved into the math class of their grade level.
·
Homework:
o
Students may
bring missing homework assignments in the next class period for 50%
credit. Students are responsible for
giving the assignment to the teacher at the beginning of that next class.
·
Breaks:
Students must use designated time between classes for restroom/water/locker
breaks.
·
Sustained Silent Reading: Students will read each Monday for 20
minutes. This is a graded assignment and
students must actively read during this time.
Students should bring books/magazines that they enjoy reading.
·
Behavior:
Behavior concerns will be handled using warnings, reflective behavior
assignments, and parent contact.
Infractions will be used as a last resort.
·
School Policy on Tardies: 1st:Verbal Warning to student, 2nd:Parent
contact (a letter or call home) 3rd:Infraction. Tardies clear when 2nd semester
begins.
·
Entering and Exiting Class: Students should sit in their assigned seats
once they enter the classroom and wait for teacher instructions. Homework should be out on top of each
student’s desk when class begins, homework must be completed before
class begins to receive full credit. At
the end of class, students will remain seated until dismissed by the teacher.
