Cumulative Math Schedule for June

GRADE 6 & 7
Friday, June 19, 2009 – Mathematics – periods 8, 9

GRADE 8
Monday, June 8, 2009 – Mathematics – periods 1, 2

Exam Class Site

MPR All of VanDyk’s classes
234 O’Malley’s period 2 class
221 O’Malley’s period 4 class
222 O’Malley’s period 7 class
216 O’Malley’s period 9 class
210 Murcko’s period 2 class
208 Murcko’s period 4 class
112 Snee’s class
119 Lally’s class
126 Noetzel’s class
213 Amoroso’s class

Parents Using Technology Workshop featuring GarageBand

I am pleased to invite you to attend our next Parents Using Technology Workshop, featuring GarageBand. The class will be held on Thursday, April 23rd, from 10:30 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. There are a limited number of seats due to the size of the computer lab, so early registration is recommended. The workshop will consist of lecture and hands on activities. I will be leading the workshop, and we will focus on how to create a multimedia math podcast using GarageBand. For those of you that might not be familiar with what a podcast might look like, I have included below a link to some of my former students’ work:
http://mathmrsnee.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2008-01-24T11_57_12-08_00
http://mathmrsnee.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2008-09-03T12_18_13-07_00

Our goal is to have you create a basic math podcast that could be uploaded into iTunes and published on the web like the student work above. If you have any questions regarding this offering, please reply to this blog posting. The morning will be a great way for you to learn more about a very powerful piece of technology as well as potentially publish something on the internet.

If you would like to register for this class, please send an email to me at tsnee@franklinlakes.k12.nj.us.

Have a good day and a great week.

Sláinte,
Mr. Snee
Math Coordinator Grades 5-8
tsnee@franklinlakes.k12.nj.us

ASMA Math Contest

FAMS will compete in the ASMA Math Contest in 2008 – 2009

During this school year, students from FAMS will be participating in several different math competitions sponsored by other schools and organizations. The first competition that we will take part in is called the American Scholastic Mathematics Association (ASMA) Annual Mathematics Contest for Intermediate Schools.

Please click on the ASMA link to learn more contest details and click on ASMA Rules to understand the rules. If you have any questions or want to register for a particular test, please contact Mr. Snee. Please note that registration for the October 13th test will close on Monday morning at 9:00 am.

QSQ Plan for 2008-2009 School Year

Schedule for the Quarterly Skills Quiz (QSQ)

1. 1st Quarter – Tuesday October 7th
2. 2nd Quarter – Friday December 19th
3. 3rd Quarter – Monday March 16th

Dear Parents,

This year we will be delivering a new and improved version of the Quarterly Skills Quiz, QSQ. These assessments will be given in all three grades at FAMS on the same day. The QSQ will be written and delivered by the FAMS Faculty and each quiz will be specific to the delivered grade. Each quiz will consist of the following two types of questions:

GRADE 6 QSQ Plan

QSQ #1 – Grade 5 Computational Concepts and Skills on the Grade 6 QSQ

• Multiplication:
  • Accurate computation without decimals
  • Multiplication Facts (0-12)

• Division:
  • Accurate computation without decimals
  • Division Facts (0-144)

• Addition & Subtraction
  • Accurate computation with or without decimals or with fractions

• Basic knowledge of fractions – Comparison, Change Form, Improper
• Divisibility Rules
• Basic problem solving concepts and skills for Rounding and Place Value
• Develop, understand, and use formulas to find the area of rectangles and related triangles

PLEASE NOTE: Calculators will not be permitted on this assessment.

————————————————————————————

GRADE 6 QSQ

Grade 5 Computational Concepts and Skills on the Grade 6 QSQ

====================================================================

GRADE 7 QSQ Plan

QSQ #1 – Grade 6 Computational Concepts and Skills on the Grade 7 QSQ

• Rounding of whole numbers, fractions and decimals
  
• Ordering of whole numbers, fractions and decimals
• Conversions between Percent, Decimal, and Fraction forms
• Fractions and Decimals
  • Subtraction and Addition
  • Multiplication and Division

————————————————————————————

QSQ #2 – Grade 6 Computational Concepts and Skills on the Grade 7 QSQ

• Order of Operations – PEMDAS – Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction
  Use of parentheses
  
• Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of two or more numbers
• Least Common Multiple (LCM) of two or more numbers
  
• Area and Perimeter of rectangles, squares, triangles, parallelograms, trapezoids and circles

PLEASE NOTE: Calculators will not be permitted on this assessment.

————————————————————————————

QSQ #3 – Grade 6 Computational Concepts and Skills on the Grade 7 QSQ

• 4 Lowest Performing Areas from QSQ #1 and QSQ #2
• Designated Pre-Algebra Skills to be announced at a future date
  

PLEASE NOTE: Calculators will not be permitted on this assessment.

————————————————————————————

QSQ #4 – Grade 7 Pre-Algebra Skills

• Designated Pre-Algebra Skills to be announced at a future date
  

PLEASE NOTE: Calculators will not be permitted on this assessment.

====================================================================

GRADE 8 QSQ Plan – Grade Level Classes

QSQ #1 – 80 % of the QSQ will be Grade 7 Computational Concepts and Skills

• Greatest Common Factor (GCF) and Least Common Multiple (LCM) for Integer
• Mastery with Positive and Negative Numbers
  • Integers, Fractions and Decimals
• Translation of Word Problems
  • Write mathematical expressions of statements
    ex) “a number increased by 2 is 15.”  x + 2 = 15
    ex) “Sally is 4 years younger than Tom. How old is Sally?”  t – 4
    
• Using Geometric Formulas
  • Area and Perimeter of rectangles, squares, triangles, circles, parallelograms, trapezoids
  • Volume and Surface Area of cylinders, prisms, pyramids
• Fraction Operations
  • Addition and Subtraction
  • Multiplication and Division
• Conversions between percent, decimal, and fraction forms
  • Sales Tax and Discounts

QSQ #1 – 20 % of the QSQ will be Grade 8 Curricular Concepts and Skills

————————————————————————————

QSQ #2 – 60 % of the QSQ will be Grade 7 Computational Concepts and Skills

• Greatest Common Factor (GCF) and Least Common Multiple (LCM) for Integer
• Mastery with Positive and Negative Numbers
  • Integers, Fractions and Decimals
• Translation of Word Problems
  • Write mathematical expressions of statements
    ex) “a number increased by 2 is 15.”  x + 2 = 15
    ex) “Sally is 4 years younger than Tom. How old is Sally?”  t – 4
    
• Using Geometric Formulas
  • Area and Perimeter of rectangles, squares, triangles, circles, parallelograms, trapezoids
  • Volume and Surface Area of cylinders, prisms, pyramids
• Fraction Operations
  • Addition and Subtraction
  • Multiplication and Division
• Conversions between percent, decimal, and fraction forms
  • Sales Tax and Discounts

QSQ #2 – 40 % of the QSQ will be Grade 8 Curricular Concepts and Skills

————————————————————————————

QSQ #3 – 50 % of the QSQ will be Grade 7 Computational Concepts and Skills

• Greatest Common Factor (GCF) and Least Common Multiple (LCM) for Integer
• Mastery with Positive and Negative Numbers
  • Integers, Fractions and Decimals
• Translation of Word Problems
  • Write mathematical expressions of statements
    ex) “a number increased by 2 is 15.”  x + 2 = 15
    ex) “Sally is 4 years younger than Tom. How old is Sally?”  t – 4
    
• Using Geometric Formulas
  • Area and Perimeter of rectangles, squares, triangles, circles, parallelograms, trapezoids
  • Volume and Surface Area of cylinders, prisms, pyramids
• Fraction Operations
  • Addition and Subtraction
  • Multiplication and Division
• Conversions between percent, decimal, and fraction forms
  • Sales Tax and Discounts

QSQ #3 – 50 % of the QSQ will be Grade 8 Curricular Concepts and Skills

————————————————————————————

QSQ #4 – 40 % of the QSQ will be Grade 7 Computational Concepts and Skills

• Greatest Common Factor (GCF) and Least Common Multiple (LCM) for Integer
• Mastery with Positive and Negative Numbers
  • Integers, Fractions and Decimals
• Translation of Word Problems
  • Write mathematical expressions of statements
    ex) “a number increased by 2 is 15.”  x + 2 = 15
    ex) “Sally is 4 years younger than Tom. How old is Sally?”  t – 4
    
• Using Geometric Formulas
  • Area and Perimeter of rectangles, squares, triangles, circles, parallelograms, trapezoids
  • Volume and Surface Area of cylinders, prisms, pyramids
• Fraction Operations
  • Addition and Subtraction
  • Multiplication and Division
• Conversions between percent, decimal, and fraction forms
  • Sales Tax and Discounts

QSQ #4 – 60 % of the QSQ will be Grade 8 Curricular Concepts and Skills

———————————————————————————-

Grade 7 Computational Concepts and Skills on the Grade 8 QSQ

Greatest Common Factor (GCF) and Least Common Multiple (LCM) for Integers
Conversions between percent, decimal, and fraction forms
Sales Tax and Discounts
Fraction Operations
Addition and Subtraction
Multiplication and Division
Mastery with Positive and Negative Numbers
Integers, Fractions and Decimals
Translation of Word Problems
Write mathematical expressions of statements
ex) “a number increased by 2 is 15.”  x + 2 = 15
ex) “Sally is 4 years younger than Tom. How old is Sally?”  t – 4
Using Geometric Formulas
Area and Perimeter of rectangles, squares, triangles, circles, parallelograms, trapezoids
Volume and Surface Area of cylinders, prisms, pyramids

If you have any questions regarding this new assessment process please reply to this posting with a comment. To post a comment you must select the red Comment link at the top of this posting. Thank you in advance for your time and attention with this new initiative and check back here for further updates and new information.

Sláinte,
Mr. Snee
Math Coordinator Grades 5-8
tsnee@franklinlakes.k12.nj.us

Please stay tuned for more information about our new Quarterly Skills Quiz.

Humongous prime number

Check out the discovery by a group of Mathematicians at UCLA. The link is: Big Number.

Summer Packet for Math

Below are the links for the Summer Math Packets for Grades 6, 7, and 8.

Packet for Grade 6

Packet for Grade 7

Packet for Grade 8

Have a great summer!!!!

Update on the Quarterly Skills Quiz #2

A personalized QSQ Tally Sheet along with the marking period 3 report card has been mailed home for review by parents. The tally sheet is meant to highlight for parents the skills that would benefit from reinforcement by the individual student. Each tally sheet is specific to an individual student’s profile and grade level.

If you have any questions regarding this latest step in the QSQ process, please feel free to contact me via email at tsnee@franklinlakes.k12.nj.us. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm for this important new initiative.

Sláinte,

Mr. Snee
Math Coordinator Grades 5-8

Grade 7 IOWA Algebra Test

Dear Parents,

On Tuesday, April 8th, the 7th grade class took the IOWA  Algebra Test in the Multi-Purpose Room. During the first section of the test, which lasted for 10 minutes, there was a discrepancy as to which room clock was being used to track the time. We have subsequently discovered that there is an inconsistency in that the two MPR clocks are different by almost two minutes. Depending on the clock that a student may have used, the student could have inferred that he or she had more time than they actually did. Therefore, to remove any perceived sense of inequity, I will visit each 7th grade math class so that all students will have 2 additional minutes as well as the original 10 minutes to complete section one only.  Should you have any questions regarding this issue please feel free to contact me at tsnee@franklinlakes.k12.nj.us.

Sláinte,
Mr. Snee
Math Coordinator Grades 5-8

Quarterly Skills Quiz – Update as of 3/17/08

Schedule for the Quarterly Skills Quiz (QSQ)

1. Friday October 26th – Quiz grade was counted in the 2nd Marking Period
2. Friday February 8th – Quiz grade to be counted in the 3rd Marking Period
3. Tuesday May 20th – Quiz grade to be counted in the 4th Marking Period – For Grade 6 & 7 ONLY

Dear Parents,

If you have any questions regarding this new assessment schedule please reply to this posting with a comment. To post a comment you must select the red Comment link at the top of this posting. Thank you in advance for your time and attention with this new initiative and check back here for further updates and new information.

Sláinte,
Mr. Snee
Math Coordinator Grades 5-8
tsnee@franklinlakes.k12.nj.us

Change to the CMP 2 Workshops For Middle School Parents

Through these workshops you can learn more about these units and how to directly help
your child in middle school math. All workshops will be held from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at FAMS.

The sessions will consist of the following:

1) Overview of the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Math Strand
covered in the book
2) Overview of the key concepts that will be covered by each investigation
3) Vocabulary or formulas that will be used in the book
4) Complete sample problems

Grade 6
March 5 – Bits & Pieces 3 has been rescheduled for March 6
May 9 – Covering and Surrounding

Grade 7
November 5 – Stretching & Shrinking
January 17 – Filling and Wrapping
March 7 – Moving Straight Ahead
April 15 – Data Distributions

Grade 8
October 26 – Moving Straight Ahead
December 3 – Samples and Populations
February 8 – Say it with Symbols
March 10 – Growing, Growing, Growing

Quarterly Skills Quiz Dates – Update as of 12/14/07

Schedule for the Quarterly Skills Quiz (QSQ)

1. Friday October 26th – Quiz grade was counted in the 2nd Marking Period
2. Friday February 8th – Quiz grade to be counted in the 3rd Marking Period
3. Wednesday May 28th – Quiz grade to be counted in the 4th Marking Period

Dear Parents,

If you have any questions regarding this new assessment schedule please reply to this posting with a comment. To post a comment you must select the red Comment link at the top of this posting. Thank you in advance for your time and attention with this new initiative and check back here for further updates and new information.

Sláinte,
Mr. Snee
Math Coordinator Grades 5-8
tsnee@franklinlakes.k12.nj.us

Update on the Quarterly Skills Quiz as of 12/01/07

A personalized QSQ Tally Sheet along with an announcement letter has been mailed home for review by parents. Each envelope will contain a copy of one of the following letters: grade 6 letter, grade 7 letter, and grade 8 letter as well as a personalized tally sheet. The tally sheet is meant to highlight for parents the skills that would benefit from reinforcement by the individual student. Each tally sheet is specific to an individual student’s profile and grade level.

If you have any questions regarding this next step in the QSQ process, please feel free to contact me via email at tsnee@franklinlakes.k12.nj.us. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm for this important new initiative.

Sláinte,

Mr. Snee
Math Coordinator Grades 5-8
tsnee@franklinlakes.k12.nj.us

Page of helpful information for everyone

Click here for the list of Divisibility Rules

Click here for the Conversion Chart for Fractions, Decimals and Percents

Click here for the Rational Numbers “Onion Skin”

Click here for information on Equivalent Fractions