Dear Students and Parents,

           Welcome to the 2008 - 2009 school year.  I have the pleasure of being your child's math teacher at Beaver Lake Middle School.  One hundred and fifty students arrived in my classes today with warm smiles, energetic eyes, and a desire to learn.  I am determined to see the same smiles in June accompanied by a passion for learning.  

            This is a page of information concerning the educational goals, curriculum, evaluation procedures, and discipline for Mr. Coté’s math classes. 

 GOALS

             A child's education should be a continuous process that takes place at home, in the community, and at school.  It is my responsibility to provide each student the opportunity to develop to her/his fullest potential.  My goals for each student:

CURRICULUM

            My program encourages student use of problem solving skills, appropriate technology (calculators, computers, etc.), individual and group activities, manipulatives, and simulations to learn mathematics concepts and applications.  We will explore number theory, algebra, geometry, statistics, probability, and measurement. 

            Great emphasis will be placed on classroom assignments which actively involve students and which promote reasoning and critical thinking.  I intend to foster an environment which encourages students to explore, develop, discuss, test, and apply ideas.  My students must feel comfortable taking a risk before learning can take place.

            The College Prep Math textbooks will be used for class assignments and homework.  The CPM curriculum is effective because of its unique emphasis of both basic skills and problem solving strategies. Where other mathematics programs emphasize only the mechanics of mathematics, the CPM materials develop the basics while encouraging students to understand ideas, see relationships between them, and apply mathematical principles to complex problems.  Emphasis will be placed on accuracy, reasoning, and persistence.  This program will encourage students to make connections between math in the classroom and the outside world.  For more information about CPM, please see the link listed under "LINKS" on my homepage.

            Students will work on a variety of assignments, activities, and projects throughout the year.  Appropriate enrichment and remediation will be planned for each student so that each is able to experience success and reach their maximum potential.  Students will be encouraged to utilize their individual learning and thinking styles to solve problems.  Algebra and Geometry are challenging classes.  It is not uncommon for my students to work very hard to earn the grades that may have come easily in previous years.   I'm sure that you will take great pride in your accomplishments as you strive for success.       

EVALUATION

            The main goal of evaluation is to communicate about academic progress.  Students will use this information to set goals and change behavior to enhance learning.  Samples of student work will be collected every week and evaluated for several purposes:  to analyze the effectiveness of instruction, to communicate with students, and to gather data for trimester progress reports.  Students will be involved in goal setting and self-evaluation as well.

            Grades will be determined by student achievement on individual and group activities, long-term projects, homework, chapter tests, trimester final exams, quizzes, class participation, challenge assignments, and any extra credit work completed.

            Points or percentages will be assigned to projects, homework, tests, etc.  Grades will be determined as a percentage over the trimester.  The grading scale will be as follows:

93 - 100                     A

90 - 92                        A-

87 - 89                        B+

83 - 86                        B

80 - 82                        B-

77 - 79                        C+

73 - 76                        C

70 - 72                        C-

67 - 69                        D+

60 - 66                        D

59                                 F

            Students are encouraged to ask for assistance outside of class when needed.  I am willing to meet to discuss assignments, grades, or any other school related matter.  It is my intention to offer an educational environment where opportunities for learning abound.

            I reserve the right to consider a wide variety of variables when determining the student’s final grade.  These include academic achievement, punctuality, class participation, attitude and behavior. 

            Teachers may keep track of 1200 to 1500 individual grades during the trimester.  Mistakes can occur, so students should keep all of their graded work until the final trimester grade is reported.  In the event of a discrepancy, grade books will be considered indisputable unless the student can produce the graded assignment to warrant a change.  Unless an activity is directly specified as "group" work, all  assignments, quizzes, tests, and projects must be the student's own original accomplishment.          

            Grades in my classes have the following weights:

DISCIPLINE

            In order to guarantee your child and all the students in my classroom the excellent learning climate they deserve, I use the following discipline plan.  I believe that all students can behave in a safe, polite, and responsible manner in the classroom.  We will treat each other with mutual respect.  I will tolerate no student stopping me from teaching and/or any student from learning.  Consequences for inappropriate behavior include loss of privileges, notification of parents, and removal from the classroom, if necessary.  The school discipline policy will be followed regarding major incidents and 101 slips (see student/parent handbook).  I intend to notify parents if any student’s behavior is classified as a major incident or results in removal from the classroom for the full instructional period. 

            It is my hope that our first contact will be to notify you of your child's success in class.

MATH CLASS MATERIALS

            In addition to a 3 ring binder with dividers, ruled paper, pens, and pencils, each student will need the following: 

1)  1 scientific calculator

2)  1 protractor

3)  1 glue stick

4)  1 ruler (inches and centimeters)

5)  20 sheets of graph paper (4 squares per inch)

6)  1 highlighter pen

7)  1 set of sharpened color pencils (8 pencils)

Please keep the following in your locker:

1)  15 extra sheets of lined, white, 3-holed binder paper

2)  15 extra sheets of graph paper (4 squares per inch)

3)  5 sharpened pencils with erasers

Calculators are used in my math classes, although we do focus on computation without them as well.  Please purchase an inexpensive scientific calculator to bring to class.  In addition to the standard operations, the calculator should be able to perform the following functions:  square root, exponents, and scientific notation.  I recommend the TI –34 ll.  Please become familiar with the operation of the calculator that you decide to purchase.  If you already own a graphing calculator, please keep it at home and use it there.  

TARDINESS

            It is critical that all students arrive to class on time to minimize disruptions.  Tardiness will result in a loss of 101 points.  Please be seated and on task at the designated time!   

HOMEWORK AND CLASS WORK

            Learning outside of the classroom is vital to success in middle school and high school.  You have a great opportunity to help your child establish excellent study habits for the future.    Out of class activities will be carefully selected to be worthwhile and rich in learning value.  Your son or daughter will have a variety of assignments and projects to work on outside of class throughout the year.  Parent support is critical for student success in this area.  Please follow these guidelines with regard to homework:

1.  Expect at least 30-40 minutes of quiet study daily (Mon.-Thurs., weekends excluded) for math classes.  Students must complete work as it is assigned. There will always be a project or assignment that can be worked on, a test that can be prepared for, or materials from class that can be read or re-worked.  If you hear, "We don't have any homework,"  please check my website and give me a call. 

2.  Please ask to see your child's work and expect them to come home prepared with assignments.  Discuss the assignment/project together.  This is a wonderful way for your child to reinforce what has been learned.

3.  It is the student's responsibility to make up any missed class assignments or tests following an absence.  Your child has as many days as the length of the absence to complete the work.   Make-up assignments will only be provided following an absence.  If your child has a long-term illness, please call and we'll work out a plan.

4.  Common homework questions will be answered in class on a daily basis.  Students will be asked to present homework problems to the class.  I will conduct a random check for homework completion during the week.  These checks will be unannounced, so pay attention to the due dates.  Be ready!  Homework points are earned as follows:

5.   Homework and class work assignments MUST be completed on time.  NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED.   I will notify you when a pattern of not completing assignments occurs.  At this point, we will arrange out-of-class time at school for extra help with assignments if necessary. Late projects lose 20% of the final grade.  If your family is planning an extended vacation when major projects are due, or when final examinations occur, your child should plan to complete all work prior to departure to avoid the 20% penalty.  

6.  Please check my website (What did I miss?) to learn what happened in class on the day you were absent.

TESTS and QUIZZES

            I believe that proper math instruction is more than constant testing, but test taking is a large part of your child’s academic future.  I have limited major tests to 2-3 per trimester.  Here are some helpful points:

            Weekly quizzes will be given.  They may, or may not be announced.  Quizzes will cover homework problems, class work, and a computational review.   Calculators may not be used on quizzes. 

EXTRA CREDIT

            Many opportunities for grade improvement will be given.  Students may raise their grade by 1% extra credit during a given trimester.  An extra credit project worth half of one percentage point will be available each trimester to those students who have completed all projects and who have missed only one homework check.  Other extra credit activities worth .5% of the overall grade will be offered.   Credit may be earned for reworking a failed project.  Students who take full advantage of these opportunities are able to earn the grade they desire.

COMMUNICATION PLAN       

            Parents and teachers are a teaching team and must have good lines of communication.  The following are ways to inform you of classroom activities and your child’s success in those activities:

            I am happy to have you visit the classroom (just let me know when).  Please feel free to contact me regarding any classroom-related concern. 

INVOLVEMENT

            The classes would love to have you as a guest speaker.  Please consider sharing your career, special talent, or hobby.  If you would like to volunteer to help set up some projects for the students, I would greatly appreciate it.

            Your child's education is a very big job.  I will do my best to teach your child, but I will need your child's and your cooperation and support.   I am looking forward to a very good year.

Sincerely,

          Mark N. Coté

Please click here to view and print the response form acknowledging the above policies.

Revised 8/28/08