Welcome parents to Ms. Hardy’s Pre-Calculus class!
To facilitate a productive learning environment I focus on three important areas – structure, support and communication.
STRUCTURE
Lessons usually begin with a warm up as attendance is taken and homework is checked. After going over the warm up & homework a new topic is introduced. This can be done with small group exploration or class led exploration. Notes to support the new topics are taken in student’s interactive notebooks (ISNs) and then individual/small group practice takes place to solidify understanding.
ASSIGNMENTS – these are explained on powergrade as well (in category notes).
Homework - Assigned every class - graded for completion only, not correctness. Students need to try every problem and show work that they have tried. Problems should not be left blank. Students check their answers in the back of the book or with answer keys I post on my website. These keys are to help with learning and are not to be used to copy the answers for the homework.
Quizzes – Short quizzes are given frequently as checkpoints of concept understanding. They will not always be announced ahead of time. Therefore as part of nightly homework students should look over their notes to be sure they understand what we are doing in class. It’s not a bad idea to work through practice problems again if they had any difficulty in class.
Study Guide - Study Guides are given for each unit. They assist in preparation for unit tests. Study Guides are corrected for completeness. Study Guides are due on the day of the test and will not be accepted for late credit.
Tests - Unit tests are a cumulative assessment of material learned in any given unit. They cover a substantial amount of material. Students are urged to prepare thoroughly for unit tests. In addition there will be a midterm exam and a final exam – comprehensive study outlines will be provided for each.
Performance Tasks – Each term we have a performance task that applies skills learned in a real life scenario. Students can use their class notes and get limited help from the teacher.Besides understanding of concepts the PTs assess a student’s ability to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them also to explain their reasoning and justify results.
SUPPORT – I am available for help on a regular basis. I am in school every morning at 7:00 for drop-in help on homework or quick study questions. After school help times vary – but generally there is help every Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday after school. (Tuesday & Thursday are extended days with math tutoring 2:20 to 4:20 pm in the school library) I sometimes have duty blocks during the day when I can give help – students should see me about available times when needed.
COMMUNICATION – There are four main ways I keep lines of communication open with both parents and students.
My Website – This can be found on the high school website by going to the side bar of Academics and clicking on school staff. My website is chock full of great information – from class details, fun learning websites, SAT tips, daily assignments (on my calendar) and electronic copies of documents used in class and answer keys (documents etc). Please check it out!
Powerschool/Powergrade – I strive to correct assignments quickly and input them onto powerschool quickly. Often future assignments are listed there as well. Please contact me if you have any questions about what you see in your child’s grade.
Email - The quickest way to reach me is via email. All students have emailed me this year and thus I have distribution lists set up for each class. I can quickly send out materials to students via these lists. Also I send email blasts to parents regarding information about my classes and upcoming assignments. If I need to contact a parent and it isn’t urgent I will sometimes first use email and then if needed follow-up with a phone call. Please be sure your email address is up-to-date with the school.
Remind.com – This is a great service that lets me send out text reminders to my classes about assignments, updates and clarification. I can also send individual or small group messages. This is all done via the computer, I do not have assess to your child’s cell phone number.
Phone – You can reach me by phone at (203) 239-1641 ext. 2304. You will most likely have to leave a message and I will get back to within 24 hours. Please indicate what times are best to reach you.
PARENT CONFERENCES – These take place on two dates this fall. Please look out for the conference sign-up sheet from your child a few weeks ahead of time. This year’s conference times are Wednesday November 9th from 5-8 PM and Monday November 14th from 4-7 PM.
Absences: During the school year students miss class for various reasons from illness to family obligations to religious reasons to field trips. Missing class due to absence can be overwhelming! We cover a lot of material in 90 minutes and usually cover something new every day. Students are responsible for the work covered in class and for the homework assigned – they need to check my website, contact a classmate or see me as soon as possible after an absence. Students are expected to communicate beforehand with me if it is a planned absence. Important note about field trips - students are expected to get their work before the next class if they miss class for a field trip. Also any work due on the day of the field trip MUST be turned in that day for full credit (or the day before).