Class Information Honors Pre-Calculus Mr.

Mueller
Text: Precalculus Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic 7
th
Edition
Demana, Waits, Foley, Kennedy Addison Wesley Longman, nc!
"onors Pre#$alculus is a %ast#paced course intended to broaden and deepen your prior mathematical &no'ledge,
and to pro(ide prere)uisite bac&ground %or the study o% $alculus! *tudents are e+pected to ha(e mastered the
s&ills and understand the concepts co(ered in pre#re)uisite courses , Algebra 2/Trig or Math Analysis -! *tudents
need to be sel%#moti(ated, ta&e responsibility %or their o'n learning, and see& help 'hen necessary! Learning
'ill ta&e place in the classroom, but also in reading and problem#sol(ing home'or& assignments! *tudents are
e+pected to adopt a theoretical approach to mathematics, apply their &no'ledge to open#ended . non#routine
problems, and communicate ideas . solutions e%%ecti(ely!
Procedures: A typical class session 'ill consist o% the %ollo'ing elements/
Warm#0p/ 1here may be a 'arm#up assignment %or students to complete independently at the beginning o%
class!
"ome'or& 2uestions/ We 'ill usually ha(e an opportunity to discuss strategies and solutions %or home'or&
problems %rom the pre(ious class session! % you need to ma&e a correction, correct your entire solution, don3t
merely change the ans'er!
Lesson/ As ne' material ,including e+amples- is presented, students are e+pected to ta&e notes, and to actively
participate in classroom discussion and all independent or group 'or& and acti(ities that are included in the
lesson!
"ome'or&/ 1here 'ill sometimes be time to start on home'or&! 1his is not 4%ree time5 and should be used
only %or math 'or&! Wor& %rom other classes may be con%iscated!

Expectations (The !"s#: 1he %ollo'ing e+pectations are t'o#'ay! 'ill 'or& diligently to meet or e+ceed
the reasonable e+pectations that you, your parents, and the school and district administrators ha(e %or me to be
ready each day %or class, to be responsible %or creating a positi(e learning atmosphere, and to be respect%ul o%
you and them in e(ery 'ay! as& that you 'or& to meet or e+ceed my reasonable e+pectations %or you!
6eady/ $e on time. *ho' up to class 'ith all supplies and 'ith a positive attitude! consider you to be tardy
i% you are not in the classroom, seated, and prepared to %or& %hen the 'ell rin(s! 1ardiness and une+cused
absences 'ill be dealt 'ith per the school#'ide Attendance Discipline Policy (see pages 5-6 of your MVHS
Planner).
6esponsible/ 1a&e care o% business! "a(e your noteboo& . home'or& out as class begins! 1a&e responsibility
%or learning ne' material, understanding home'or&, and as&ing )uestions or getting e+tra help 'hen needed!
7a&e an honest e%%ort to do assignments on time# mastery o% the material is dependent on regular practice! $e
involved %ith the class# help me to create the best possible learning en(ironment %or you and your classmates!
6espect%ul/ !espect yourself) your classmates) your school, and me by re%raining %rom any acti(ities that are
disrupti(e, destructi(e, or abusi(e! % you choose to engage in any such acti(ities, conse)uences could include
detention, communication 'ith your parents, and a con%erence in(ol(ing you, me, your parents, and8or school
administrators!
*radin(: 9:#;::<=A >:#>9!99<=? 7:#79!99<=$ @:#@9!99<=D belo' @:<=F
1est scores 'ill account %or >A< o% the grade ,$hapter 1ests BCA<, 2uiDDes BEE<, Final E+am B;><-! 1he
remaining ;A< 'ill be based on home'or& ,;:<- and participation ,A<-! ndi(idual test8)uiD8e+am scores
may sometimes be cur(ed to account %or le(el o% di%%iculty! 1he range o% scores %or the letter grades also is
subFect to slight e+pansion based on the distribution o% scores in my classes! *cores 'ill be posted on *chool
Loop!
Home%or&: "ome'or& 'ill be assigned daily and 'ill usually be collected during the ne+t class! pro(ide a
complete schedule o% home'or& assignments ,posted on *chool Loop- at the beginning o% each chapter!
1his is done to help you! % you abuse this help by 'or&ing on home'or& during the daily lesson, the 'or&
may be con%iscated! 1o recei(e %ull credit, students must/ do the complete assignment on time ('efore
class 'e(ins on the due date- and in a neat) orderly styleG use pencilG print name, period number,
assignment number, and score in the upper right cornerG sho% all %or&G and chec& solutions in the bac& o%
the boo& 'hene(er possible! Partial credit can be earned %or late home'or& i% it is turned in be%ore the
chapter test! "ome'or& that is late due to an e+cused absence should include a note re)uesting
consideration %or %ull credit! Accumulated home'or& and class notes 'ill be collected %or each chapter on
the day %ollo'ing the test! encourage collaboration 'ith other students on home'or&! belie(e
discussing approaches and solutions to the problems to be a (aluable learning e+perience! Ho%ever) each
student is expected to do his+her o%n %or&. I consider it cheatin( to 'e in possession of another
student,s home%or& or to (ive your home%or& to another student.
Tests+-ui..es: 1here 'ill typically be one test and one )uiD per chapter! % you are absent ,e+cused- during a
test or )uiD, you 'ill ma&e it up as soon as possible upon your return to class H on the day you return i% you
'ere present throughout the unit! t is your responsibility to remind me o% your need %or a ma&e#up 'hen you
return! !eta&es are allo%ed for any test pro(ided that corrections are completed %or the original test! 6eta&es
should be done 'ithin %our 'ee&s o% the original test! 7a+imum score %or the %irst reta&e is >:<! For each
subse)uent reta&e, the ma+imum score decreases by A<! I consider it cheatin( for /01 information a'out a
test or 2ui. to 'e passed from a student(s# %ho has already ta&en it to a student(s# %ho has not.
Participation: Participation points 'ill be based on attendance, meeting classroom e+pectations and
participation in note ta&ing ,including all e+ample problems-, class discussions, group acti(ities and board
'or&! $lass notes 'ill be collected in the home'or& pac&et %or each chapter %ollo'ing the test!
/'sences: For absence due to illness or emergency, home'or& is due and missed assessments are to be made
up immediately upon return to school unless you ma&e other arrangements 'ith me (ia e#mail! For absences
due to a %ield trip, doctor appointment, etc!, noti%y me at least t'o school days ahead to set up alternate dates to
turn in home'or& or ma&e up an assessment! Iou are responsible %or getting notes %rom a classmate %or any
missed days! No credit 'ill be gi(en %or 'or& due or tests gi(en on days o% an une+cused absence ,cut-!
3upplies: *tudents should ha(e in class/ pencils and erasersG a binder 'ith a section %or class notes and e+tra
paper ,including graph paper-G a ruler ,or other straightedge-G and a graphing calculator ,1#>J, >C, or >9 is
recommended-! A scienti%ic calculator is also use%ul on most tests!
Electronic 4evices: 7onta Kista3s LFF8AWAI policy %or cell phones is in e%%ect! Any phone that see or hear
is subFect to con%iscation! Also to be le%t LFF8AWAI are iPods, $D87PJ players, etc! , may allo' these to be
used occasionally, but my permission is re)uired!-
/cademic Code of Conduct: *tudents are e+pected to beha(e according to the F0"*D Academic "onesty
Policy (see pa(es 55-56 of your M7H3 Planner# and the policies pro(ided in this course in%ormation sheet at
all times! Failure to do so can result in a score o% Dero %or the home'or& assignment, )uiD, or test, and a letter
grade deduction %or the semester! A second o%%ense can result in a semester grade o% F and remo(al %rom the
class!
Help+Communication: 'ant you to succeedM As& me %or help promptly i% you ha(e trouble 'ith an
assignment or 'ith your understanding o% a concept! 'ill typically be a(ailable be%ore school ,7/;A#7/JA-,
during brunch, and during the 1hursday 1utorial period in 6oom EE:;! may also be a(ailable by appointment
during Periods J . 7, or a%ter school! Iou can reach me by e#mail at s&ipNmuellerO%uhsd!org! Iou can lea(e
notes or home'or& in my mailbo+ in the o%%ice!

Have 8un9 1his class 'ill be 'hate(er 'e ma&e o% it together! 1he 'or& 'e ha(e to do is serious! ?ut some
enthusiasm and a good sense o% humor can help us all to learn and to enFoy it as 'e go!
I have read and I understand the structure and course re2uirements for Honors Pre-Calculus.
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3tudent Parent