Syllabus
Ola Middle School 8th Grade Remote Learning Mathematics Course Syllabus
OMS Phone Number: 770-288-2108 OMS Website: https://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/oms
Course Description:
For a detailed list of standards to be taught this year please go to www.georgiastandards.org.
First Semester Overview
Unit 1: Exponents/Scientific Notation (4 weeks) Students will learn how to work with radicals and integer exponents, analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of simultaneous linear equations, and compute using scientific notation. Standards Addressed: GSE8.EE.1 – GSE8.EE.4 / GSE8.EE.7 / GSE8.NS.1 – GSE8.NS.2
Unit 2: Transformations, Congruency, and Similarity (5 weeks) Students will focus on understanding congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, and geometry software. Standards Addressed: GSE8.G.1 – GSE8.G.5
Unit 3: Geometric Applications of Exponents (5 weeks) Students will further their understanding of radicals and integer exponents as well as understand and apply the Pythagorean Theorem and solve real-world mathematical problems involving volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres.
Standards Addressed: GSE8.G.6 – GSE8.G.9 / GSE8.EE.2
Second Semester Overview
Unit 4: Functions (2 weeks) Students will define, evaluate, and compare functions. Standards Addressed: GSE8.F.1 – GSE8.F.2
Unit 5 and Unit 6: Linear Functions/ Linear Models and Tables (8 weeks) Students will understand the connections between proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations. Students will also continue defining, evaluating, and comparing functions.
Standards Addressed: GSE8.EE.5 – GSE8.EE6 / GSE8.F.3 /GSE8.F.4 – GSE8.F.5 / GSE8.SP.1 – GSE8.SP.4
Unit 6: Linear Models and Tables (5 weeks) Students will use functions to model relationships between quantities. Students will also investigate patterns of association in bivariate data. Standards Addressed: GSE8.F.4 – GSE8.F.5 / GSE8.SP.1 – GSE8.SP.4
Unit 7: Solving Systems of Equations (3 weeks) Students will analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of simultaneous linear equations.
Standards Addressed: GSE8.EE.8
Materials expected in class every day:
- Paper
- Pencil or erasable pens
- Spiral Notebook with pockets or 3 ring binder
- Earbuds
- Optional: Calculator- TI-36x pro ( We will also use Desmos online)
- Recommend: Stylus for Chromebook for easy/neat writing on screen for certain online assignments.
GOOGLE CLASSROOM We will be utilizing Google Classroom as our online learning platform. Its purpose is to simplify creating and distributing learning materials in a paperless way. Students should check their class page daily to stay up to date on current resources, assignments, and other important information. Due dates will be provided on Google Classroom but grades are not recorded on the platform. Please use the Infinite Campus portal to see current grade, missing assignments, and other important notes related to assignments.
VIRTUAL CLASS MEETINGS Each day, we will conduct a live meeting using Google Meet. The students will access the session using the link on their Google Classroom page. Parents are encouraged to monitor their child’s attendance but may not attend these meetings.
- Students are required to be there for the entire period. There is a break between each period for restroom, snacks, water etc. You should avoid leaving during class period. If you must leave, notify the teacher immediately and wait for approval.
- Your camera should remain on for the entire period and your microphone should remain muted unless the teacher has asked you to unmute. To ask for permission to speak, raise your hand and wait to be called on. Patience is key!
- Choose a location to set up your work area/desk that is free from distractions. Have all supplies ready including a workspace such as table or desk, paper, pencil, computer, earbuds, and calculator.
- Take notes, be attentive, ask questions, complete assignments daily and turn them in when asked.
- Dress appropriately.
ATTENDANCE Students are expected to attend the scheduled class sessions for their class just as if they were attending in-person classes. During class sessions the teacher will be providing daily live instruction, assignments and assistance to those that need it. If the student is unable to attend due to illness or other unexpected event, a parent/doctor’s note should be provided to the subject teacher and attendance secretary. Remember, obtaining missing instructional materials and assignments is the responsibility of the student and/or parent. The teacher may choose to assign pre-recorded videos and/or other online resources to assist students in understanding the concepts that were missed.
Students will be responsible for checking in to class each period every day. Here are the instructions the school has provided to do this: 1. Log into your device and log into the launch pad: https://launchpad.classlink.com/home#myapps
- Through the launch pad, log into Infinite Campus Student Portal 3. Inside of the Infinite Campus Portal go to, “Check-in” to have attendance taken for your class 4. Ensure you complete the “Check-in” for each of your classes every day. For Monday-Thursday - check in 4 classes and for
Friday - check-in 7 classes
INFINITE CAMPUS The Henry County School System provides parents and students access to grades via the Internet through Infinite Campus. Parents can access their code and Infinite Campus by going to the Self-Help Access link on the School’s website. Students and Parents can get their access code by accessing Infinite Campus through the school’s website. Current grades, missing assignments, and other important material is recorded using the portal. Teachers also utilize the portal to communicate with parents via Campus Messenger. Please check Infinite Campus at a minimum of 2-3 times a week so that you are able to stay current on your child’s progress.
GRADING POLICY The grading policy is consistent throughout Ola Middle School and was established according to the guidelines set forth in the county handbook. The breakdown is as follows:
- Practice Work (40% of the overall grade) - includes class work, homework, formative assessments, diagnostic tests, written reflections. May be graded for accuracy or completion.
- Assessment Tasks (40% of the overall grade) - includes constructed response assessments, selected response assessments, reflective assessments, summative unit assessments, culminating performance tasks, projects that are graded for mastery
- Semester summative assessments (20% of the overall grade)- Assesses the totality of standards for the course such as the final exam.
The letter equivalents for numerical grades are as follows: 90 - 100 = A 80 - 89 = B 74 - 79 = C 70 - 73 = D Below 70 = F
ACADEMIC PROGRESS Daily Assignments
- Homework and classwork will be assigned to assess students' level of understanding as material is taught, and may be taken as a grade. It is crucial that students do their very best to ensure success on the assigned work so that an accurate picture of the child’s strengths and weaknesses can be gained.
Assessments
- Summative assessments are assigned to students to assess the students progress on current and previously taught standards. Assessments will be assigned and completed during scheduled class time and will be monitored by the teacher through the GoGuardian Live Proctor function as well as Google Meet. Students should ensure that cameras are on and microphones are muted during this time. Academic dishonesty will result in a grade of 0% .
- Formative assessment retakes are available up to two weeks after the date of returning the feedback (scores) to the students. Completing a retake will require completing additional remediation assignments and/or tutoring with the teacher and are open to any student that completed the original assessment. The requirements and dates for retaking an assessment will be provided upon request by the student.
- At the teachers’ discretion, in lieu of re-assessments, the standard score within a unit test may be used to replace previous formative assessment scores for the same standard.
- The retake for any formative assessment may be in a different format, but will assess the same standards. For all retakes, the best score will count.
- Students may not retake final/end of the semester exams and any performance based task assessments. Missing Work
- In the event an assignment is not completed and submitted on time, a grade of Missing will be recorded allowing the student time to turn the assignment in late.
- Missing work may be submitted up to 2 weeks after the date in which the work was originally assigned. At the end of the two week period, if the work has not been submitted, a grade of 0% will be recorded and the work will no longer be accepted for grading.
- If work is missed due to an absence, it is the student’s and parent’s responsibility, to make arrangements for make-up work. Assessments may not be made up during class time and will be scheduled based on the teachers’ availability before or after school. The student must work with the teacher to make up the missed assessment within 2 weeks of the original assessment date.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The HCS Remote Learning Agreement for Parents/Students contains the following relevant information. A copy of this agreement and the student handbook may be found on the county website or using the links contained in this document..
“Unless specifically waived by the Board of Education, Superintendent, or other legal authority, many school, student, and parent obligations contained in the district’s 2020-2021 K-12 Student & Parent Handbook may continue to exist in a Remote Learning environment including but not limited to Absences, Accidents/Medical Services, Child Abuse, Hospitalizations, Student Learning Devices, Video or Audio Recorders, Academic Honesty, and compliance with Federal Laws and Guidelines.”
Behavior Expectations: “Misconduct during remote instruction will be addressed as necessary in alignment with the Code of Conduct.”
Academic Honesty: “Plagiarizing from the Internet, or any other source, violates the Academic Honesty provision as referenced in the Student & Parent Handbook. In addition, if a student submits the work of a parent, another student, sibling, or friend, this too is a violation of this provision. If a student is caught plagiarizing or submitting another’s work, disciplinary action may be taken. Further, credit for completion may not be given and/or an alternate assignment may be issued for credit to be given.”
**The teacher reserves the right to revise this syllabus to better meet the needs of all students taking this course.
Now that you have read and discussed this information with your student(s), please use the link below to ensure that your child’s teacher has the most current contact information so that all communication is successfully received by you.
Due to the number of students I teach, the preferred method of contact for general communication will be email. As you complete the email address portion of the form, please enter the parent email address that is most frequently used and review all information for accuracy before submitting the form. If updates are needed at a later time, you may access this form from my teacher website. For more personal communications that relate to your child, email or phone calls may be used.
Thank you,
Mr. Pace
8th Grade Math / ESE Case Manager