Ms. Bowman - 6^th Grade Mathematics

Parents and Families,

            Welcome to Lanier Middle School, and welcome to 6^th grade! I am very excited to have your student in my class, and I am looking forward to a productive and engaging school year. At Lanier we understand that many of our students and families have experienced losses after Hurricane Harvey. As a faculty we will work to ensure that your child feels safe and supported. If your child is experiencing extenuating circumstances that may affect their school performance, such as emotional distress, uncertain living situation, lack of power/internet, please feel free to reach out to me to let me know.

Please review the following policies with your child, sign stating that you understand the expectations, and have your child return the signed portion to me.

1.      Sign and return the last page of this syllabus.

2.      Send me an e-mail at robin.bowman@houstonisd.org with your child’s name, the period they have my class, your phone number, as well as your name. If you do not have access to email, please make a note on the portion of the syllabus that is returned to me; your student will not be penalized. If you have multiple children in my class, you only have to send one email, as long as it contains both students’ names.

Note: This syllabus contains policies and information specific to my class. For Cluster 6L’s policies on grading, conduct, planners, conferences, etc, please reference the Cluster 6L General Information handout that will be distributed at open house on September 18^th.

International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program Math Units

This year’s units of study will include but are not limited to:

First Semester:

• Problem-Solving Processes
• Rational numbers
• Multiplication and Division of Decimals
• Introduction to Integers
• Addition and Subtraction of Integers
• Multiplication and Division of Integers
• Features of Checking Accounts
• Debit and Credit Cards
• Multiplication and Division of Fractions
• Ratios, Rates, and their Representations

Second Semester:

• Algebraic Expressions
• Equations, Inequalities, and their Relationships
• Algebraic Relationships in Two Variables
• Angles, Triangles, and Equations
• Area of Two-Dimensional Figures
• Volume of Right Rectangular Prisms
• Description of Data
• Statistical Graphs
• Categorical Data
• Careers and their Salaries

Absences

If a student is absent from class, he or she is responsible for picking up missed assignments. On the day your child returns to school, they must check the classroom calendar and collect all missed work. This means that if you have my class on a purple day and return to school on a red day, you are responsible for stopping by my classroom at some point during the school day to pick up your work. Handouts for absent students will be in a labeled folder at the front of the room. Assignments will be posted every day on purplepups.org, and they can also refer to a classmate’s planner for assignments.

Classroom Rules

            In this classroom we will be…

                        Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Prepared

Homework

Students MUST do their homework every night to keep up in this class. Homework is NOT an option. Homework will be assigned every day with very few exceptions. Work must be shown on each and every homework assignment in order to receive credit. I highly recommend that students complete homework the night that it is assigned in order to keep up with the work load and have a chance to get help.

Tests

Students may re-take a test once for up to an 80. The maximum score a student can receive on a re-take is an 80. If the test has 10 questions, they must get all 10 right in order to receive the 80.

Extra Credit

Students must keep up with assignments as they are given to them. I rarely offer extra credit if at all, and students cannot rely on extra credit to save their grade if they have not taken care of business consistently throughout the year.

Khan Academy

Rather than assigning everything on paper, some assignments will be given through the online resource Khan Academy. Because your child is under 13, they cannot make their own account; you must make one for yourself and add them. I will be sending detailed instructions on how to do this in the first few weeks of school, please wait until then to make your account. If your child will not have regular internet access at home, please indicate as much on the signature form at the end of this syllabus.

Web Access

Assignments will be posted daily on my page of purplepups.org, Lanier’s website.

Supply Donation Requests (ABSOLUTELY NOT MANDATORY, just a request)

• Fine tip Expo markers
• Plastic sheet protectors
• Canon PG-240 Ink
• Colored printer paper

Conference Times

Red days: R2 (10:05-11:30), Purple Days: P4 (1:35-3:00)

R2 is cluster 6L’s conference period. If you have reason to speak to more than one of your student’s teachers, contact Mrs. Valero, our cluster leader, about setting up a conference.

Tutorials: Tuesdays, 3:35 – 4:15

While I may encourage or even require certain students to attend my tutorial based on their performance, all are welcome. Students may bring homework to complete; if they do not have any homework then I will give extra practice.

Your role as a parent is paramount. YOU are the most important person in your child’s life and your involvement is essential to your child’s success. You are valuable in helping our students succeed. When questions or concerns arise, please feel free to contact me by e-mailing me. I will respond to your e-mail within 24 hours.

Please make sure you have read this handout, signed on the next page, and given it to your child to return to me. Please list your e-mail and remember to send me an e-mail with your child’s name and your name. It may seem redundant but it ensures that we can communicate when necessary. I am so excited to work with your child this school year!

The best way to contact me is via e-mail:

robin.bowman@houstonisd.org

Phone: 713-942-1900

Robin Bowman

Lanier Middle School

Cluster 6L Math Teacher