Monday, October 26, 2009

Week 6 10/26

IMP 100
We've been covering distribution and took a quiz last Thursday. Many students did not finish this quiz and will finish today. I have assigned up to HW 15 at this point.

IMP 200
We are preparing for a quiz on the quadratic formula and the vertex form. There have been two assignments on the vertex form and a review handed out today to some students who were done.

Advising
We are going gleaning this Friday and have been working on our hunger/homeless information. Some students are working on posters others on papers. And still others are planning a hunger banquet with our buddies class for around thanksgiving.

Geometry
We finished chapter 1 and had a test. There was a worksheet handed out last class on inductive and deductive reasoning. Tomorrow's HW will be in chapter 2.3, finding the nth term, which will be very much like algebra, some kids will struggle because of that.

Statistics
We had a test on chapter 2 last week about half the class choose the take home option. Today we will be in chapter 3 focusing on variance and standard deviation.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Week 5 10/12

IMP 100
We last did a quick intro to graphing and have been focused on solving and setting up equations. They've had HW 9 and 11 last assigned. Today we will be doing HW 12. On Wednesday there will be a HW makeup day.

IMP 200
Today we have a quiz on Factoring, Distribution and Graphing. Thursday there was a review assignment and before that there was a worksheet called quadratic graphing.

Geometry
We are midway through chapter 1 and it's a long chapter. At the end of each unit I assign a few or a lot of questions. Here are the most resent: p 42 1-25 p51 1-31 odd p 56 1-4, 12-26 even

Statistics
We'll finish chapter 2 today hopefully, it's focus was on various types of graphs. The last 2 assignments were p69 39 and 44, and "getting to know the class." I'm debating whether or not to have a quiz on graphing, currently I think having a few good examples in their portfolio would do. So then maybe expect an e-pearl assignment to get those guys up there.

Advising
We were suppose to get our e-pearl accounts up last week but I was sick and that slipped by the wayside. This week I hope to begin one on one conferences with students. They've filled out a reflection on their progress and state of being that we'll use to start us off.

Wednesday Testing

Hello. Here's some important information for this Wednesday.

Trillium will be administering the PSAT to all 11th grade students on Wednesday the 14th in the morning. It is important that on the 14th everyone taking the test is prepared to do so. They should have eaten breakfast, come prepared with a calculator or arranged to borrow one, have sharpened number 2 pencils and have arrived to school on time at 8:30am. Students arriving late will not be tested. All eleventh graders are expected to take the exam, unless they have a written note from their parents excusing them. Any 9, 10, 12th grade students who would like to take the exam should arrange with Jess and come with the $13 fee on the test day.

On the morning of the 14th teachers will be supporting a quiet testing environment. To better ensure this we have arranged LATE ARRIVAL for anyone not taking the exam. Students NOT taking the exam should come to school on time for Block A3 at 12:15. (School lunch is available at the regular time and students are welcome to come to the Multipurpose Room to eat between 11:30-12:10.) Because all High School Advisors will either be proctoring the exam or teaching a class there is no space or supervision in the morning for non-testing students.

Thank you for supporting a successful day for both testing and non-testing students. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

If you have an question regarding the exam please go to this website: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Week 4

IMP 200
I just handed out a list of missing assignments to students. Many had 50% or more missing at this point. Tomorrow we will be studying for a quiz on factoring and distribution and student will have time to make up missing work. I handed out a worksheet today called Quadratic Graphing.

IMP 100
They've also been given a list of missing assignments today, please ask to see that list.
Today we practice online with some algebra games to get at missing skills. Many students are still struggling with the order of operations and substitution. Very few students showed mastery on the last quiz. So we'll be stopped here for a while. The next topic's graphing so maybe it will be gotten a bit more then.

Geometry
They also have a list of missing assignments. I would recommend that they use more in class time to finish these assignments otherwise I will feel compelled to keep moving ahead. Today I assigned p 42, 1-25 and page 51, 1-31 odd.

Statistics
I haven't seen these guys this week because I was out with a cold on Monday. The sub did an activity called "getting to know the class" which I will collect.

Chemistry
Please go to jessrocks@wikispaces.com

Advising Report

We had an amazing retreat last week thank you all for making it happen. Tomorrow is national walk and bike day so please consider doing so if possible.

This weekend starting on Friday is Trillium in Bloom. It is a great time to get connected to this amazing community, learn new skills or simply be entertained by our amazing kids. Please see Trillium's website for more information.

This Friday is also an in-service day so, I'll be working but the kids have the day off. We will be in session for Columbus Day.

In advising we have been focusing on the theme of hunger. This up-coming Friday the 16th will be our first visit to the North Portland Rescue Mission. Our class had expressed an interest in gleaning and I've maybe found an interested farmer on Sauvie's. It will mean a lot of busing and walking unless we can get parent volunteers to drive. So be looking for that on a future Friday.