Math & Pre Algebra

Mr. Levesque

paul.levesque@eastlongmeadowma.gov

After school help night: Thursdays 2:10 pm-2:50 pm

Materials required every day for class: Paper, pencils, math binder (or folder), calculator.

Welcome to Math!

Sapphire Students and Families,

Welcome to the Math section of our site! Here you will find information about the following topics: grading, curriculum, and i-Ready. There is also a section with Frequently Asked Questions.

This presentation was shown at Open House, and gives a quick snapshot of what and how we'll be learning this year.

I look forward to working with you during school year 2023 - 2024!

-Mr. Levesque

Open House 2023 for Website

Course Descriptions for Math and Prealgebra

Descriptions of both Math and Prealgebra courses are available in these slides. Click on them to see the larger version. (If an even larger version is required, click on the three dots on the bottom left of the slide and select Enter Full Screen.)

Math Course Description

PA Course Description

i-Ready Mastery Checks

A Mastery Check is a digital assessment that provides immediate insight into student understanding, progress, and needs in specific skill areas. They typically consist of five questions that are similar in style to MCAS, and take an average 15 to 20 minutes to complete. These assessments measure all aspects of a specific skill, and they can be challenging!

Although we assess weekly with "Super Secret Pop Quizzes", Mastery Checks provide one more measure of student understanding. This year we plan to complete one every four to six weeks, after students have had time to practice applying the skills they’ve learned.

Mastery Check Retakes:

Retakes may be offered based on the results of a particular mastery check. In order to participate in a retake, students must complete an additional practice assignment and stay-after school on the designated makeup day. During the after school session we will review the practice assignment, and provide additional support as necessary. Students will then complete a different version of the Mastery Check that is focused on the same skills. The higher score (between the original and the retake) will be reflected in PowerSchool.

Grading: i-Ready reports results not only as a percent, but also as a level of mastery for a specific skill. Our goal is to have students perform within the range of scores considered proficient. "Green is good!" 😀

Calculators

We will be using calculators in class a lot this year. Students get to use on on the second day of MCAS testing in 7th grade as well! I recommend the TI30XIIS, which will be useful into 8th grade and high school. Note that there are quite a few TI30 models! The TI30XIIS looks like the image shown right, and can be found for $12-$14 on Amazon or in most stores.

Please write your name in permanent marker on the calculator and case! Students sometimes leave calculators behind when we change classes, and we want to make sure they get returned!

What we will be learning this year!

This year we will be working on developing understanding and skills in the following areas. By the end of the year, seventh graders should be able to:

1: Compute unit rate with ratios and fractions

2: Recognize and represent proportional relationships

3: Solve multi-step ratio and percent problems

4: Add, subtract, multiply and divide integers

5: Solve rational number problems involving all operations

6: Apply property of operations to expand and factor linear equations

7: Construct and solve equations and inequalities in real-world mathematical problems

8: Calculate perimeter and area for 2-D figures and surface area and volume for 3-D figures

9: Use random sampling to draw inferences about a population

10: Develop, use, and evaluate probability

A more in-depth description of what we will be learning all year is available in the Grade 7 Math Standards Google Doc. These pages are excerpts from the Massachusetts Mathematical Curriculum Framework.

Grade 7 Math Standards

i-Ready

Students completed a Diagnostic Assessment in September. i-Ready then created a lesson pathway for each Sapphire student based on their individual needs.

Our goal this year is to focus on passing one i-Ready lesson per week! Completing a lesson means you have answered all questions, but passing means you have proven your understanding at the 70% or higher level.

It should be easy to earn a 100% score each week. Here's how:

You will be given 30 minutes each Monday to work on i-Ready. Most lessons take between 20-30 minutes to complete. Some require a little more time, and some a little less, but the average is about 28 minutes. If you pass a lesson with a score of 70% correct or higher, you earn 100% for the week!

If you don't finish during Monday i-Ready time, you can complete the lesson after school! Your i-Ready work is due by 5:00 p.m. each Friday, so you will have four nights to work on it.

If you don't pass the lesson, you can try again! If you pass it the second time, your weekly score will be 100%. (For example, if you scored a 65% on the lesson the first time, but tried again and passed with an 80%, you would earn 100% for the week!)

If you are really stuck on a lesson, you can come over to my classroom during i-Ready time on Monday or Wednesday, or you can see me after school on Thursday. I will be glad to help you!

Frequently Asked Questions!

How are i-Ready lessons assigned?

In September and then again in December, students will complete i-Ready Diagnostic Assessments. These assessments are adaptive, so as students accurately answer questions, the level of difficulty increases. If they answer incorrectly, the program adjusted to simpler content. i-Ready uses these results to establish a baseline level of understanding in four domains: Number and Operations, Algebra and Algebraic Thinking, Measurement and Data, and Geometry. The lessons assigned are targeted so each individual student can work on topics and skills that will increase their math proficiency!

How are grades calculated?

This year we are returning to standard percentage grades, just like all other courses here at BPMS. Students will be able to see percentages in PowerSchool, and a letter grade will appear on the report card. Grades in math will be calculated using the following weighting: Class work 40%, Assessments 40%, Homework 10%, and i-Ready 10%.

Office Hours

Mr. Levesque Office Hours

Math extra help will be Thursday from

2:10 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.

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"The Best Middle School in all of the Americas!"

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