Team United
Parent Guide
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Team United Parent Guide
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Last updated September 06, 2007
Parent Orientation Night, September 6, 2007
Team Office: 630.848.3962
Voice Mail for Madison is 420-6950 Team United Homework website: http://schoolnotes.com/60565/teamunited.html
Welcome to Team United… Each Madison student is part of a grade level team of students and teachers. This structure is designed to provide effective instruction in the context of a smaller learning community. Team spirit enhances motivation to learn and improves student attitudes toward school because of the closer, consistent care and supervision we can provide. Team United consists of five teachers and about 90 students. Teaming enables staff to respond more quickly and personally to the needs of each student. Teachers meet regularly to discuss student performance, to consult with other school personnel on behalf of our students, and to plan and implement curriculum. We strive to help students make connections among ideas in geography, mathematics, science, and language arts. Students can utilize Mrs. Forsythe, who is our team’s Academic Support teacher. She can provide them with organizational and time management help through her Lunch Bunch and one-on-one assistance
Dates to Remember: ¨ Performance Testing in Geography Classes……………………………………..….September 10-14th ¨ End of Magazine Drive…………………………………………………………..….….September 14th ¨ Mid Term Day……………………………………………………….. ……..….……....September 28th ¨ Half Day Institute (dismissal at 11:15 am)…………………………….. ……………....September 28th ¨ Fermi Lab (we need 3 volunteer parents per supervised study for this trip….…………… October 10th ¨ Parent Conferences (no school)…………………………………………………….October 18th & 19th ¨ End of 1st Trimester…………………………………………………………………… ...November 13th ¨ Institute Day & Thanksgiving Holiday……………………………….……………November 21st – 23rd ¨ Christmas Carol Field Trip …………………………………………..………….……….December 20th ¨ Open House……………………………………………………………… ………………..February 21st
The Mission of Team United Is To Produce A Graduate Who Is A:
Self-Directed Learner: ¨ Sets goals, makes a plan to achieve, and self-reflects ¨ Is always looking for new things to learn ¨ Manages time well ¨ Takes responsibility for choices ¨ Makes positive choices ¨ Has a positive outlook Skills: Independence, Accountability, Organization Collaborative Worker: ¨ Works within a group to achieve a common goal ¨ Monitors own role and behavior as a group member ¨ Demonstrates consideration and respect for self and others Skills: Teamwork Complex Thinker: ¨ Selects, applies, and reflects upon the processes to solve problems ¨ Cites information from primary resources ¨ Expresses knowledge through spoken, written, visual, and tactile language Skills: Critical Thinking Quality Producer: ¨ Creates authentic products ¨ Constructs products appropriate for audience and context ¨ Designs and develops products/presentations that reflect integrity, confidence, objectivity, and craftsmanship ¨ Uses relevant computer technology wisely and ethically Skills: Presentation, Technology Community Contributor: ¨ Explores individual and societal connections which impact communities (classroom, school, city) ¨ Develops respect for self and empathy for others ¨ Plans and takes action for creating community ¨ Exercises the rights and responsibilities of citizenship Skills: Global Awareness, Acceptance of self and others
Supervised Study Benefits: ¨ Supervised study provides an opportunity for peer-tutoring/coaching and for students to work together when that is appropriate to the task. ¨ In addition, students may make up labs, tests or quizzes that have been missed due to absences. ¨ Students may see another team teacher for help. ¨ Students will have access to class material from another classroom, especially if there are classroom sets on of a particular item. ¨ Supervised study offers a time for pleasure reading. ¨ Students who wish to visit the LRC or the computer may do so at this time, if space is available.
Reminder to parents and students: ¨ Some students do not have as much supervised study time due to band, orchestra, or chorus. Team teachers are available before or after school for additional help, by prior arrangement.
¨ Some students use supervised study as an excuse that all work is completed. Sometimes this is not the case! Check your child’s assignment notebook and ask to see all completed assignments if this is a concern.
¨ We will indicate how your child uses supervised study time on the Midterm report; please check that out when you receive the Midterms. Remember: Each of us has the right to learn; Each of us respects self and others; Each of us has daily responsibilities!
Language Arts
Contact LA teachers
Ms. Emily Law ejlaw@naperville203.org Voice Mail #7936 Mrs. Deb Lints dlints@naperville203.org Voice Mail #8659 Mrs. Lynn Cibils lcibils@naperville203.org Voice Mail #7659
Grades: Grades in Language Arts are determined by the accumulation of points earned by progress and growth in 4 curricular areas. Homework accounts for about one-third of the possible points. Reading: Students are expected to independently read at least 5 days a week for a minimum of twenty minutes totaling 100 minutes per week. Students and parents will respond on the monthly reading calendar. In addition to independent reading, we will read short stories together and several books. Literature circles made up of a small group of students all reading the same book will comprise the remainder of reading work. Spelling: We will cover 5 spelling lessons per trimester. Students are accountable for learning the target skill of the lesson and the meanings of the spelling words as well as the correct spellings. Vocabulary: All spelling units include a vocabulary component. All short stories and novels include enriching vocabulary. In addition, we plan to work with word roots and prefixes and suffixes. Though many of the words are difficult, parents can help by learning the words and using them in conversations with your child or helping your child understand connections between words. Writing: This year all Language Arts teachers at Madison will be teaching writing using the “6 Traits of Good Writing”. In the first trimester we will focus on extended response to literature and narrative writing. Grammar exercises and practice will be included in conjunction with written work. We shall also have persuasive essays and an expository writing project this year. Journal writing will be at least a weekly assignment. HOMEWORK: Students are expected to record homework assignments in their assignment notebook. If he/she is unsure of an assignment, it can be checked on our homework hotline at www.naperville203.org/madison. When a student is absent from school, consider asking a classmate to pick up worksheets or study guides for your child during the day. The school is open daily until about 8 p.m. Parents need to accompany their child into the school after 3:05 p.m. We expect students to take responsibility for their own learning and their own work. Supervised study, lunch time and after school, teachers will be available for students who require extra help or have questions about their work. Classroom Library: In addition to Madison’s wonderful library, students may borrow books from our classroom libraries. We have a great selection of award-winning books. Students may check out the books during class time, at supervised study, before school and after school. We ask that students return book promptly when they are finished with the book. Lost books will be assessed the replacement value of the book. Scholastic Book Clubs. We encourage all students to own books to read for pleasure or to use as reference books. Scholastic Book Clubs offer outstanding prices and a wide variety of popular books for students. Book Fair. The annual book fair will be in November. Rebecca Caudill Reading Program. From a list of 20 books, our Warhawk students who read at least 3 books will qualify to vote for the best book. Many of the books are available through Scholastic Book Clubs and most are available in the LRC or in classroom libraries. Those who complete the program usually receive a prize.
2008 Caudill Nominees Adam Canfield of
the Slash
by Michael Winerip
Happy Reading!
Team UnitedMath Classes
Instructors: Mr. Bakke and Ms. Law Parents and Students: Welcome to Team United…and 7th Grade Math! This year, 7th grade math students will focus on Geometry, Statistics and Probability, and Algebra. All other math concepts will be discussed through the use of these three focus areas. Team United Homework website: http://schoolnotes.com/60565/teamunited.html TextsWe will be using Math Thematics and three Connected Math math books. The Connected Math texts, Stretching and Shrinking, What Do You Expect and Filling and Wrapping are paperback books that are not to be written in. All students must keep an organized binder with four dividers and keep it up-to-date daily. HomeworkThere will be daily homework assignments given in class, but there may not be a lot of problems. The problems assigned may take some time to complete, though. We will focus on vocabulary and written responses during our in class investigations and labs, and with homework activities. Helping your childThere are many sections to the Math Thematics book, which can help you help your child with homework. The Key Concepts pages summarize what the student has learned in each section. The Student Resource pages appear throughout the book and give detailed guidance on various mathematics skills. The toolbox at the end of the book helps students review essential skills they need this year, but may have forgotten. Tutorial s and additional practice are available at www.classzone.com. Supplies are essential for success in math. There will be a student supply box available in class, but each students needs to bring to class his/her geometry template, pencils, binder, and books. This year should be fun and exciting. Students will be conducting ongoing investigations, working in cooperative groups and carrying on mathematically literate discussions (reading, talking and writing, using math terminology). We look forward to seeing the growth they experience through class. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email us.
World Geography Class Physical and Human Geography This class is a look at what the study of Geography involves; the different perspectives it can provide; and how geography helps to understand relationships between people and environments.
Regional Units We will attempt to cover the following units during our year. Each regional unit will cover the study of what makes that region unique from the rest of the world which usually means the regions: · Physical Geography · Its Culture (Language, Religion, Ethnicity) · and its Economics The United States and CanadaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeNorthern EurasiaNorth Africa and the Middle EastAfrica South of the SaharaSouth AsiaEast Asia and the Pacific World
1st Unit Overview Enduring understandings (the big picture): 1. Geography is the study of people and places and the relationships between them. 2. Systems allow people to organize and understand the world and its people. 3. Data (demographics) allows people to have information to compare and analyze different parts of the world and its people. 4. Geography is the greatest factor in the development of the world and its people.
What we will work on (connected to the understandings above): · How do people organize the study of geography? (1) · How does geography help to better understand the relationship between people and places? (1) · What tools are used in geography to understand relationships between people, places, and environments? (1) · What physical systems affect the Earth? (2) · How do physical systems affect the Earth? (2) · What are human systems? (2) · Why are human systems essential? (2) · How do physical systems and human systems create culture? (2) · What data do geographers use? (3) · In what ways can data be presented? (3) · How do geographers use this data to analyze cultures and regions? (3) · How are countries classified?
1st Unit Objectives Students will be able to… Recognize the six essential elements of geography and how they relate to the five themes. Recognize, read, use and interpret a variety of maps, charts, graphs and other statistical data. Demonstrate an understanding of geographic terms from above. Identify and understand the elements that influence climate and weather. Identify a variety of physical features around the World. Identify, locate and label the 7 continents and 4 oceans. Identify, locate and label the 8 regions of the world and their sub-regions. The following information was given to and explained to all students:
Grades All assignments and tests will be graded on a percentage system. You will be given credit for the percentage of correct out of those possible. Tests will be entered in the grade book as the equivalent of three times the weight of a regular homework assignment, Quizzes as two times the weight. You should always keep accurate records of your grade on the grade sheet that I provide. Doing this when you get the work back insures accurate, up-to-date records. The percentage grading scale is as follows: 90 to 100 = A 80 to 89 = B 70 to 79 = C 60 to 69 = D 59 and below = F
Absences If you are absent from class you will one day for every day you were absent to make up an assignment. Absences of 4 days or more require you to make a plan with me for make-up work. Any student who is absent from class for a school function or appointment (doctor, etc.) must take care of the assignment on schedule (non-team field trip, counselor appointment, etc...). You are responsible for that day's assignment and homework. It is very important to come to class at some point before the absence to find out what is due and what was missed. This information can be found using the Daily Log Book and the Daily Agenda Overhead. Band/Orchestra/Chorus Lessons If you have band, orchestra, or chorus lessons during a class, you must report to class FIRST, record your Homework into your assignment book. (This information can be found using the Daily Log Book and the Daily Agenda Overhead). Turn in your homework due that day, AND sign out in the Sign-Out Book. Your are not excused from homework for that day or the following day! Failure to do these will result in a warning first, then detentions. Late Work Late work will be graded one grade lower (10%) than its final corrected grade, for each day it is late. Chronic late work will NOT be accepted, you will receive a ZERO.
Your Folder Please keep your folder neat, and in order. Keep your homework in the right side, both to turn in and completed. Keep all your unit handouts, class info, and grade sheet in the left side. All students must keep an up to date grade sheet, these are your records of your grades. Your Spiral Your spiral is very important in Geography. You will receive 3-100% grades for your Trimester Spiral Grade. We will use this nearly everyday for notes and entries. If you keep it up to date, accurate, and neatly organized, you will not lose any points on this Spiral Grade. Lost Books If a book is lost you have 24 hours to find it.
If it is not found in that time, you need to bring a check for the cost of the
book. If it is found, your check will be returned to you.
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