Welcome to 7th Grade Math!
Dear Parents,
It will be my privilege to serve as your child’s math teacher in the 2025 – 2026 school year. It is my hope that we can partner together to create a meaningful educational experience for your child.
This newsletter will inform you of my expectations regarding student behavior and performance, classroom procedures, and contact information.
COMMUNICATION
I believe that communication between teachers and parents is vital in forming a positive educational environment. The school phone number is 910-350-2142 and my extension is 76121. My school email address is sarah.lauffenburger@nhcs.net. I check my emails throughout the day and try to respond quickly. I will send home weekly emails letting you know what is happening in the classroom.
I have a website where I post daily assignments along with helpful videos and links. You can access my website by visiting the Trask web page and looking under faculty and 7th grade.
BEHAVIOR
Good behavior is a must for my classroom! I do a lot of hands-on activities that the students will find interesting. Unacceptable behavior impedes the learning process. To deal with those situations when problems do arise, I have derived the following consequences for rule infractions during a class period:
· 1st offense – warning
· 2nd offense – parent contact
· 3rd offense – lunch detention and parent contact
· 4th offense - office referral
I will reserve the right to make office referrals for major disruptions or incidents of disrespect.
GRADING
Classroom assignments and assessments will all be taken as a point system. Assessments will be worth more points than classroom assignments. It is imperative that I see all supporting work on assignments and assessments because students can earn partial credit. Grades will be broken up into two categories; Summative (tests/quizzes) will be worth 60% and Formative (homework/classroom assignments) will be worth 40%.
EXPECTATIONS
1. Talking – Students will need to raise their hand in order to speak during direct instruction. During group work I welcome collaborative discussions and conversations.
2. Pencil Borrowing – I understand that occasionally students forget supplies. For that reason, students may borrow one of my pencils if needed.
3. Arrive Prepared for class – Students must arrive to class with ALL the materials they need for class.
4. Bathroom breaks – Students are expected to use the restroom at the start of class. I do understand emergencies occur.
5. Homework– will be made weekly and must be completed to experience success. Homework will be due by Friday each week. To help students grow, I must see all supporting work accompanying each problem; otherwise, only partial credit will be given.
6. When a student is absent – Students who are absent can find the work they are missing on my website under the heading “weekly agenda”. When they return to school it is their responsibility to check the “Absent” board (located in the classroom) to get paper copies of any assignments or graphic organizers they missed. Students will be given the amount of days they were absent to make up assignments. Remember that all assignments are posted on my website. Please call or e-mail me if you know your child will be out ahead of time.
7. Testing – I conduct numerous assessments during the course of instruction. I firmly believe that these assessments should be a part of the learning process. I will allow any student to retake a quiz/test one time. It will be the student’s responsibility to correct the original quiz and to study before retaking the quiz. The student must attend a tutoring session or smart lunch to retake the test. The better of the two grades will be used.
8. Late work – I do accept late work with NO additional points deducted as long as it is turned in prior to the end of the current unit.
9. Supplies– Students will need a composition notebook and a 3 prong plastic folder (with 2 pockets) that will need to be brought to class each day. Being organized can really help a student be successful in my math class. These will serve as an interactive notebook as well as a place to complete bellwork.
CURRICULUM
It is my goal to broaden students’ thinking about the math world around us. I believe that students benefit from being able to participate in real-life experiences that will prepare them for successful futures. This year students will be using the Amplify Desmos resources. Work books will be given to students however they are to remain in the classroom. Students and Parents are encouraged to use the online resources to assist with the Amplify Desmos curriculum.
I am sure this will be a great year for your child.
Sincerely,
Sarah Lauffenburger