Exhausted!

I won't be updating as frequently for the next little while. Things have begun to get busy, and my schedule is packed pretty tightly.

Today we learned about Scientific Notation. Tomorrow we will learn a little bit about Scientific Notation for small numbers and Negative and Zero Exponents. The homework I assigned for today does not need to be done until Monday. I will start checking again soon!!

Please kindly remind your parents about the Parent/Teacher night on the 5th. I'd love to meet them all.

Oh... as for extra help. The homework connection runs every Wednesday from 3:00 - 4:00 in the Credit Resource Centre (opposite to the library). I'll be there every Wednesday to help with homework from any subject. Other teachers will be there too... so you can get lots of help. Do remember I'm available to help you during my lunches and after school still. Make good use of the resources available to you.

Tomorrow is Terry Fox day, please remember to wear comfortable shoes and bring a jacket if you're going to be cold. You will be going with your period 3 class. Night night!!

The day before tomorrow

This is it! I've photocopied the tests. I've tallied the test up and it's 5 pages long and 94 marks!
Do-able right? right!! If you have studied hard, you should have no problems with the test. Remember, there's both the review packaged (2 pages double-sided) and the review sections of the textbook (p. 44 - 46 & p. 92 - 94) that you can work on.

If you think you know how to do most things, I still need you to practice doing the problem solving questions. I'll check the blog tonight at around 11 or so, before I go to bed for last minute questions.

Study hard and get lots of sleep!!

NO AFTERSCHOOL

People, I'm sorry, but I totally forgot that Monday is a shorten day when I said I would do afterschool help.

I have meetings until 2:45 or so on Monday, after the dismissal, so the only extra help I can give is during 2nd and 4th period.

How was the football game?

Did anyone stay for the end of the game? We were up ahead by so many points, and I had to open the classroom for people to get their bags that I didn't catch the final score. Does anyone know?

Tomorrow, we will be doing an activity that uses what we have learned in class in real life situations. The mark you get on this activity will be counted as your thinking inquiry and problem solving mark for this unit. And the mark will be derived from both your group's answers on the page, your peer evaluations and your self evaluations. So you need to work hard and well as a group to do well here.

Monday is a review day, and Tuesday will be a full period test. Please take the time this weekend to do review. If you are done the review package then go back and find questions in the sections we have done and work on those. The more practice you get the better it is for you. Even if you understand everything, practice makes perfect and working on your speed and form is really important as well.

If you need me for extra help, I'm available 2nd and 4th and afterschool tomorrow. I will definitely be giving extra help Monday afterschool so make the effort to come in even for a question or two.

See you early in the morning!

Applications of Percents

I hope we all learned how percents can be applied and used in the real world. We talked about everything from leaky faucets to money in banks and even garbage!! YUM!

The homework is page 82. - 83 # 1 - 55 every other one. Have fun with that and we'll take of the harder questions up if you want. Yes, you are to continue to work on the review package!

I'm hoping to do some group work with you next class.... now if only I can get it set up....
Good night, good night!

Extra Help Times

Second period: If I don't have to supply for another teacher, I will be in room 206 for the first 20 minutes of that period.

Fourth Period: If you need my assistance tell me a period ahead of time, and I'll make arrangements to meet you in room 208 for up to half of the period. Most likely I'll meet you near the end of the period.

Afterschool: I'll be in room 206 for at least 10 minutes, and I can stay for quite a while. If I'm not in 206, then find me in the math office and we can work in 206, after you get me!

Yay no math class!

I hope you enjoyed your day without math class. I'll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early.

Have you started your review yet? Are you done your homework?

Good night and see you tomorrow.

Grade 9 Orientation -> No math class tomorrow! ;D

I hope the homework was managable. You were assigned p. 73 every other questions and p. 77 # 1- 77 every other question. And of course, I gave you the review package as homework for tomorrow night. There are a lot of questions there and I will not specify which ones to do. Just do as many as you think is necessary for you to prepare for the test.

Today we talked about percents and how they are used in our daily lives. We will go into more specific details on Thursday.

When's the test again? YUP!! Tuesday, September the 26th. Remember to write that in your agenda if you haven't already. Do also remember that I'm available for extra help during periods 2, 4 and afterschool. Don't hesitate to come see me, even if it's only for 10 minutes.

Well ... I'm off to see Kevin for dinner... see you tomorrow.

Next Test! September 26

Wow.. I think I was more obnoxious today than you guys were. Hehe oops... Friday afternoons are like that for me I think. Anyhow... today we learned about rates and unit rates.

I also announced the test date to be Tuesday September 26. This test might take the whole period, although I don't know for sure cause I haven't really made it up yet.

I'm almost done calling everyone in your class. There's only about 5 people left on the list. I'll finish calling on Monday.
We will be doing percents on Monday! Bring your calculator.. you'll be needing it!

Have a good weekend.. buhbye!

Ratios!

I was very impressed with the concentration and the effort that was present in the classroom today. By working hard like this on a daily basis, you will all do much better!

Today we covered Ratios and Equivalent Ratios. Tomorrow we will cover Rates and Unit Pricing and most likely start Percents. Just to recap what your homework is... p. 54 - 55 # 1 - 5 (every other one), #7 (every other one), #9, #10 a, c, # 11, 12, 13 AND p. 63 # 1 - 29 (every other one), # 31, 32, 35, 36 and 38.

Well... I've started to call your parents... so I might be speaking to you shortly too... Bye for now!

Communication!

Have you told your parents your quiz marks yet? What do they think? Especially those of you who stayed and talked to me after class or expressed a concern.

Tomorrow we are starting ratios and percents. Now this section may be easier for some of you, and yes I'll allow the use of calculators. There is still time to turn your mark around.. Remember a quiz counts very little by the end of the year.

Don't give up hope... I'm trying as best I can to make math an enjoyable class for you. If there is anything I can do to make it better, please tell me.

Have a good night sleep, the nightmare is over!

Quiz 1

Hi all!
I'm sorry I didn't post anything yesterday. I was busy having dinner with a friend who is leaving the country to study in England. Anyhow, here I am again!

I hope you tried your very best with the quiz. I know it was hard, and long, and ahhhhhhhhh! Some of you did really well on the test (or what I have marked so far) and others of you had a bit of difficulty. Yes, I understand that you can all do better, but I do want to make sure that those who would be more successful in the Applied stream can start there as soon as possible. Like I said in class, if your math skills are weaker than they need to be, you'll have a lot of trouble this year, and you'll only end up not liking math in the end.

I will try my best to have the quiz marked for you tomorrow. Yes the mark will count towards your report card. I am guessing we will have about 10 quizzes and about 6 tests this term. Those will make up the majority of the 70% of your final mark.

Tomorrow, we will be starting Ratios and Percents. And if the quiz is marked, we will take it up too.

Enjoy your night without math homework! ;P

Week one: COMPLETED

I hope you have started to get a grip on the life of a high school student. Is everyone enjoying grade 9? Is there anything I can help you with?

My goal as your grade 9 math teacher is not only to teach you the math skill you will need in grade 10 and "cover the curriculum." That is my job and I MUST do that. What I would like to do, is to teach all of you the necessary skills to succeed through high school and life; how to communicate with classmates, how to fend for yourself, how to pay attention, how to learn, and most importantly how to be happy along the way.

We learnt today that there are 2 things in the textbook that are crucial for your learning. 1) the answer section and 2) the glossary. Don't forget there's the index and the table of contents. Not to mention, the technology section is very important too.... Take charge of your own learning, your teachers will not always be with you!

Like I announced early, we will be having a major quiz on Tuesday, September 12. It's going to be about 30 - 40 minutes long. And I guarentee that there will be challenges to it. However, you don't need to worry so much. On Monday, we will extend our knowledge/practice of expressions and integers (section 1.10) and then we will be doing a lot of review. If you look carefully in the book, you will find the review section and the chapter check (p. 44 - 47). A lot of that will be what the quiz is based on. The questions won't be the same, but it will be similar.

Anyhow... it's the weekend! Enjoy it while it lasts... concentrate on you homework, finish it quickly and have some fun! Next week is going to be even more jammed packed than this one..

Brace yourselves for a bumpy ride!!

Don't forget your textbook tomorrow

Oh poor children! Have I given you too much homework? Yes? No? NOOOO!! I understand that grade 9 is a big change for you, but at the same time, you have to get used to the lifestyle and the studying/homework habits. If you can handle the workload now, you will be much better off next year and for the rest of your high school career.

I am in the middle of assigning textbooks! Those of you who have it, please don't forget to bring it tomorrow. Once, the textbooks have been assigned, we will do less of the taking up homework on the daily basis. Why is that you ask? Well there are answers at the back of your textbook! Use your textbook well. Read the examples if you get confused, check the answers at the back of the textbook, BEFORE you ask me for help.

Okay... a summary of what we did today.
We started the class taking up the "Order of Operations" homework on Wednesday. We then took a note called "Algebraic Expressions, Variables and Exponents." A sheet was given for homework. The "collect like terms" side must be completed in full. On the other side, I want you to do all the questions, BUT, for questions 10 - 15, do only parts a, c, and e.

Tomorrow, we will be taking up the homework sheet and then doing some practice on exponents with partners. I will teach you a couple of exponent laws and then it's more seat work and practice for you, individually. You will need your textbooks EVERYDAY, so don't forget it tomorrow, if you have it already.

Good night, don't sleep too late tonight!

Can you read this?

Have you done your homework yet? YES, you do have to do both sides of the Order of Operations sheet. NO, you don't have to finish the Apply and Think sheet. I still highly suggest that you attempt and/or finish the Apply and Think because you will be seeing similar questions on your upcoming quiz!!

QUIZ? Yes!!! I'm scheduling your first MAJOR QUIZ on Tuesday, September the 12!! AHHH!! WRITE IT DOWN IN YOU AGENDAS!

Today we took-up the Grade 8 Review. We did a note on Order of Operations, and we worked on the Order of Operations homework.

Tomorrow, we will take up the Order of Operations homework and some of the apply and think questions. We will then write a note on Variables, Exponents and Expressions and be given TEXTBOOKS!!

Besure to bring a good backpack/bag so you can bring your beloved math textbook home with you tomorrow night.

Have a good night sleep, and see you tomorrow.

Day 2

We have had a wonderful start. I can't wait to see you all tomorrow morning.

I hope you had very little difficulty with the grade 8 math review. Those of you who did, we will take it up in class so you can have the correct answers. Please don't hesitate to ask me for help. That's what I'm here for. Until otherwise stated, I'll be available afterschool in room 206 for extra help. If no one shows up however, after 10 minutes I will make my way back to the math office. You can still find me there.

Please remember that I am expecting you to complete your homework on a daily basis. I want all of you to succeed in my course this semester. More over, I want you to do well on the EQAO!

Today, we will be working on Order of Operations. The Order of Operations handout (both sides) needs to be completed for Thursday!

Have fun and see you later!

Welcome to My Class!

Welcome grade 9s to the Woodlands,

Believe it or not, I'm just as anxious as you are to get started. I am new to this school and new to this particular math course! Scared yet!?

We are starting grade 9 academic math with a quick 1 week review of grade 8 math topics. Gear back into school mode, and show me what you've got!

See you tomorrow!