Geometry+Disclosure

=Geometry 2011-2012= Mrs. Nicholson Room # 103, snicholson@graniteschools.org, 385-646-8081 http://nicholson-math.wikispaces.com
 * Students are responsible for their own learning in this class. The teacher and textbook are merely facilitators to help with the learning process. **

Required Materials: Bring the following to class daily

 * * iPod touch **
 * * scientific calculator ** - you may use a calculator App on your iPod touch, borrow a calculator **during class only** or get your own. You may NOT use a cell phone. If you can afford it, I recommend investing in a TI-83+ graphing calculator, which will be good to have for intermediate Algebra next year.
 * * ** **textbook** (loaned by the school)
 * * pencil ** for assignments & tests
 * * pen ** for correcting
 * * ** lined paper, graph paper & notebook
 * * Protractor ** (for measuring angles, may be purchased from me for 25 cents.)
 * * Optional: ** compass, colored pencils, ruler, scissors

Grading Criterion:

 * Self-Starter/ Participation (10% of grade) ** There will be a daily self-starter activity to be completed during the first few minutes of class-- may not be made-up if student is absent or late. Occasionally other in-class items may count toward the participation grade.


 * Assignments, notes, and projects (30% of grade) **
 * Daily Assignments ** – Assignments will be due one class after they are assigned. Practicing the math we learn and staying caught up are essential for success in this class. **A****ll work must be shown or points may be lost.** Assignments may be turned in **through the day of the unit test**, but will lose 10% for each class day that they are late, but no lower than 50%. Assignments that are late due to an excused absence can receive full credit if accompanied by an excuse note (or if absence has been excused on the computer) and turned in within a week of the absence. Other activities and projects may be assigned throughout the year. **Notes** should be taken daily on things discussed in class. It is up to the student to decide how much or how little they need to write down to remember what we have done. If a student is absent and misses notes taken in class, he/she is responsible to get them from a peer and/or the book. The notebook will be graded the day of each test. **Students should keep their notes and tests from the entire year as part of a portfolio that will be due in May, 2012.**


 * Quizzes (10% of grade) ** Unannounced open-note quizzes will occur approximately once a week during the quarter. Two quizzes from each quarter might be dropped; quizzes may not be made up or retaken.


 * Tests (50% of grade) Tests may not be made up* or re-taken **, so the lowest test score for each quarter will be dropped. If the student knows he/she will miss class the day of the test, arrangements should be made to take the test ahead of time, if possible. (*If more than one test is missed during a quarter due to extenuating circumstances, arrangements may be made for a make-up if the teacher is made aware of the absence by a parent note or phone call PRIOR to the test.) Students will have the opportunity to correct problems missed on tests after it has been corrected and handed back. There will also be a quarter final toward the end of each quarter, and a CRT given at the end of the year. The final will count as an additional test, may be made up if missed, and will not be dropped. Students not taking the CRT will automatically fail the class the last quarter.

Grading Scale:

 * 93 to 100% A || 79 to 82% B- || 66 to 68% D+ ||
 * 89 to 93% A- || 76 to 78% C+ || 63 to 65% D ||
 * 86 to 88% B+ || 73 to 75% C || 55 to 62% D- ||
 * 83 to 85% B || 69 to 72% C- || 0 to 54% F ||

Extra Credit: Occasional extra credit “assignments” will be announced. Other options include…

 * Problems on the board: ** Students may explain homework questions on the board for the class.
 * Projects: ** All assignments for the quarter must be turned in for a project to receive extra credit. Students are expected to come up with their own extra credit projects based on the following suggestions: a poster, website, PowerPoint, video, or class presentation that further explores a concept we have learned in class, shows an application problem that the student solved, or helps the rest of the class review for a test (such as a review game or presentation). It will be graded for accuracy, creativity, and effort.
 * Other: ** Helping gather assignments or materials, submitting appropriate school or math related jokes or comics.

Citizenship:
All students are required to abide by all school policies as well as be honest, responsible and respectful. I expect that students will help to make our class a safe place where all students may participate and learn. **Students must have an admit from the tardy office to enter the class late**. Tardies and absences will affect Citizenship grades according to school policy. I reserve the right to adjust any citizenship grade if behavior warrants it. __Please know that 2 sluffs (unexcused absences) will drop your citizenship grade to 0.__

Expectations
Student speech, dress, and behavior should reflect striving for success. Students are expected to follow the school dress code and will be asked to comply if necessary. Headphones and cell phones and other electronic devices will be taken by the teacher or sent to the administration if they are brought to class. School-issued iPods may only be used at appropriate times and only for educational purposes. **It is inappropriate to record images or conversations of staff members without their permission.**

Hall Pass Use
Students will be allowed the hall pass 4 times per quarter to use when necessary and appropriate. Students gone with the hall pass for more than five minutes will be marked tardy, and for more than twenty minutes will be marked as a sluff. (Hall passes should **not** be used to go to the vending machines and **NOT** during class instruction, so please plan ahead!) Before using the hall pass, a class hall pass list must be filled out with the date and time. Failure to follow these rules will result in loss of hall pass privileges. If no hall passes are used, the students will get bonus points worth one assignment.

Extra Help / Parent communication
I am available for individual help after school nearly every day **until about 3 p.m. or by e-mail**. The best way for parents to communicate with me is via e-mail, ** snicholson@graniteschools.org ** **.**

Parent Permission to view PG videos
Parts of DVDs (applicable to class content) may be shown during class as part of the lessons. They include (but are not limited to) “Stand and Deliver”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “The Wizard of Oz”, and “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”. If you are concerned about any of them, please feel free to email your concerns and I will explain what parts of the show or movie we will be watching and why. If you do not wish them to view any parts of the videos for any reason, they will be asked to move to another classroom for the duration of the video and will be given something to work on that pertains to the class.

Sign below after you have read Mrs. Nicholson’s policies to indicate that you have read them.

Also, check one option below:


 * I give permission for my student to watch videos that are shown in class as part of the curriculum.
 * Rather than watching the videos, I would like my student to complete an alternative assignment.
 * Please email or call me and obtain permission for individual video clips before showing them to my student.

Email and/or phone _______________________________________________________

__________________________________ _________________________________ (Student) Date (Parent or guardian) Date

Please print student name here if signature is not legible_____________________________________

Class period_________

Sign below after you have read Mrs. Nicholson’s policies to indicate that you have read them.

Also, check one option below:


 * I give permission for my student to watch videos that are shown in class as part of the curriculum.
 * Rather than watching the videos, I would like my student to complete an alternative assignment.
 * Please email or call me and obtain permission for individual video clips before showing them to my student.

Email and/or phone _______________________________________________________

__________________________________ _________________________________ (Student) Date (Parent or guardian) Date

Please print student name here if signature is not legible_____________________________________

Class period_________