7TH GRADE

MATH SYLLABUS
Mrs. Alycia Thompson
Collier Elementary School-Littleton Elementary School District
2016-2017

Contact Information:
Email: Thompson.Alycia@littletonaz.org
Phone: (623) 478-5993
Class Website: www.Mathismyfavoriteclass.weebly.com
School Hours: M, T, Th, F: 8:00 am 3:00 pm; W: 8:00 am- 12:30 pm; Room: 514
Conferences are available by appointment.
The best way to reach me is by email. Emails will be responded to within 48 hours during the school
week.
Materials:
Students should bring all materials necessary to be prepared for class, including at least 2 pencils, erasers and
notebook. A list of additional suggested resources is available on the Collier website.
Course Description:
The curriculum for this course aligns with the College and Career Readiness Standards for Mathematics for 7th
grade. The standards can be viewed on the Arizona Department of Education website.
http://www.azed.gov/azccrs/

(Aug.-Sept.) The Number System Apply and extend previous understandings of operations with
fractions to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers.

(Sept.) Expressions and Equations Use properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions.

(Sept.-Oct.) Ratio and Proportional Relationships Analyze proportional relationships and use them to
solve real-world and mathematical problems.

(Oct.-Nov.; Jan.-Feb.) Geometry Draw, construct, and describe geometrical figures and describe the
relationships between them.

(Dec.; May ) Project Based Learning Assignments.

(March) Statistics and Probability Use random sampling to draw inferences about a population.

(April-May) Enrichment and Extension- Standards from throughout the year, as well as any standards
not yet covered, will be enriched and extended as students prepare for entrance into 8th grade

Mathematical Practice Standards are also infused throughout the curriculum.

Grading:
Grades are based 60% on Assessments and 40% on Practice.
Assessments: Exams, Quizzes, Projects
Practice: In-Class Work, Homework
Grades will be updated approximately once per week on Synergy. Please check Synergy regularly to
be aware of current grades and academic progress.
Planners/Agendas:
Students will fill in their school agendas daily with the current class objective and homework assignment. Agendas
will also serve as bathroom passes and nurse passes.
Expectations, Rules, Values:
Students will act with Respect, Honesty, and Caring towards themselves and the classroom community in
accordance with the Make Your Day standards of behavior and class rules and procedures. The one school rule,
as well as the one rule in my classroom, is that no student has the right to interfere with the learning, safety
or well-being of others.
In accordance with the class and school rule, in my classroom community we have 6 main expectations for each
other, which include the following:
1. Always On Task
This expectation includes students working on and completing what is currently assigned for
math class, and not having other projects or assignments out.
2. Respect for Everyone in the Classroom
This expectation includes students keeping negative comments to themselves and refraining from
insulting or making fun of others (students and teachers included). Students are always expected
to be kind to all others and treat others how they would most like to be treated.
3. Silent when Others Are Talking
Part of being on task and respectful, includes not interrupting others when it is their turn to talk.
4. Eyes and Ears on the Person who is Talking
Again, part of being on task and respectful in my class, includes listening and looking at the
teacher and other students when it is their turn to talk.
5. Take Notes in Math Notebook or Binder
Students should always be prepared for class. Students should be taking notes in their notebooks
and on the guided notes provided by the teacher. This is a large percentage of their grade. The
teacher expects all work to be shown for every problem and for work done on the board to be
copied down into each students notes.
6. Take Responsibility
Students are expected to take personal responsibility for all their choices, which includes not
allowing other students to take responsibility for choices they did not make. When we take
responsibility for our choices, we are better able to learn from them and use them to make better
choices in the future.
Make Your Day
Collier abides by the Make Your Day behavior plan. The details of this plan and why it is used school-wide is in
the Collier Student Handbook. Overall, Make Your Day has two main components the Step system and the
Points system. A brief description of how this looks in the classroom, and the steps students are expected to
follow are listed in the table below.

Choosing Step: Occurs when a student interferes with the learning, safety or well-being of others and is
unable to follow the classroom expectations
Take a seat facing away from the class in the appropriate, assigned location. Wait
Step 1
silently for 3-5 minutes while reflecting on how you chose Step 1. In 3-5 minutes
the teacher will approach you to ask how you chose Step 1 and how that
interfered with the learning, safety, or well-being of others. The students will
respond respectfully and be asked to return to their seat if they are ready.
A student chooses Step 2 when they have not followed the expectations of
Step 2
choosing Step 1 by silently sitting down, facing away from the class, and having
a respectful conversation with the teacher. To choose Step 2 correctly, a student
will stand silently in the appropriate, assigned location facing away from the
class. In 3-5 minutes, the teacher will approach the student to ask why he or she
chose Step 2. When the students respond truthfully and respectfully they will
return to Step 1, and follow the expectations of Step 1.
To choose Step 3 correctly a student will stand silently away from the class
Step 3
reading the school rule. A student has chosen Step 3 when they have not followed
the expectations listed for choosing Step 1 and Step 2.
If a student continues to disrupt the learning environment in any way while on
Step 4
Step 3, they will choose Step 4 and be required to leave the classroom and have a
parent conference. A student may also automatically choose Step 4 by putting
other students in danger or engaging in any of the other automatic Step 4
behaviors listed in the Collier Student Handbook.
If a student believes they should not have chosen step or would like to discuss the
Recourse
reason behind their choice that may have violated the school or class rule, they
have the opportunity for Recourse. After silently choosing Step, the student waits
for the teacher to approach. When the teacher approaches and asks why the
student has chosen step, the student calmly and respectfully explains why they
feel they should not have chosen Step. The teacher listens and discusses this with
the student. The teacher can agree with the student that they did not need to
choose Step and allow them to go back to their seat; or the teacher and student
can agree to disagree and the student will be allowed to go back to his or her seat.
However, if the student uses Recourse to argue or be disrespectful they will not
be allowed to go back to their seat.
Choosing Step Multiple If a student chooses Step three times during a single class period, thereby
continually interrupting the learning of others, they will be allowed to sit on Step
Times
1 for the remainder of the class period.

Earning Points: Students earn points in order to Make Their Day, meaning they have met all school and
classroom expectations and had a good day.
In 7th grade, students begin each class period with 0
Earning
points. By following expectations (completing
classwork, being respectful of others, etc.), students
continually earn points for a total of 45 possible
points each day.
Students must adjust or deduct from their points
Adjusting
when they choose not to follow expectations. Below

are examples of when students will be asked to adjust

points:

Calling Points

Concerns

Make Your Day Slip and Not Making Your Day

Being ill-prepared for class, for example not

having homework
Not having materials necessary to complete
class work, i.e., pencils, paper, notebook
Not lining up or getting into groups in a
timely manner/the time specified by the
teacher
Creating a mess around desk, in classroom, or
anywhere on school grounds
Being off-task, including not completing class
work, not taking notes, not contributing to
group work

At the end of each class period, the teacher will Call

Points. This means the teacher will call the name of
each student and each student will respond with the
number of points they feel they earned during the
class period by following expectations in the
classroom. The teacher writes down each students
points in a points binder.
After each student has called their points, the teacher
will ask if there are any concerns or compliments. If a
student or the teacher has a concern about another
students points they may express it at this time. If
any student feels another student interfered with their
learning, safety or well-being during that class period,
they can have a concern on that other student and ask
for that student to adjust their points or give an
apology. If the other student disagrees with the
concern, the student with the concern will say a
number of points he feels the other student should
adjust by and that number will be cut in half and
subtracted from the other students points.
If a student did not Make Their Day by earning all
45 points during a class period, they will be sent
home a Make Your Day Slip. The slip will indicate
why the student did not make their day. The slip must
be signed by a parent/guardian and returned the next
school day. If the slip is not returned the teacher will
contact the students parent/guardian to discuss.

General Policies and Procedures

Entering the Classroom

o Students are to enter the classroom silently and go directly to their seats. Once at their seats they
should get out any homework for the teacher to check, and then begin working on the Do Now
assignment that is on the board.
Bathroom
o Students will only be allowed to use the bathroom during the first 5 minutes of class and the last
5 minutes of class, if they are doing independent work, so as not to disrupt the learning of others.
o Students must have their agendas/planners signed as a bathroom pass in order to use the
bathroom.
o Students are allowed to use 1 bathroom pass per day.
Preparedness/Materials
o Students should ask for materials, sharpen pencils, etc. in the first 5 minutes of class. Students
need to come prepared to learn. No other materials will be issued to students outside of the first 5
minutes of class.
o Students should be ready for class as soon as they enter the classroom. Being ready for class
means being completely silent, having appropriate materials ready and math notebook, working
on the Do Now or opening activity.
Talking
o Students are not allowed to talk when the teacher is talking, or when other students are talking.
Shouting out or interrupting others qualifies as an immediate choice of Step 1.
Getting Out of Seat
o Students should not get out of their seat without the permission of the teacher. If a student gets
out of their seat or wanders around the classroom during instructional time it becomes a
distraction to other students and disrupts the learning environment. If a student continues to get
out of their seat it will qualify as an immediate choice of Step 1. If a student continues to disrupt
the learning of others by getting out of their seat, talking, or performing other disruptive
behaviors after being on Step 1 two or more times they will spend the rest of the class period on
Step. If they continue to disrupt the learning environment they will choose Step 4 and be
required to leave the classroom and have a parent conference.
Choosing Step
o When a student chooses Step 1 or above by not meeting the rules and expectations of the
classroom they are expected to silently go to the appropriate Step location away from other
students. While on step they must be completely silent and facing away from the class. If a
student chooses Step three times during a single class period, they will be allowed to sit on Step
for the remainder of the class period.
Late Work
o Late work will not be accepted. Students are required to turn in work on time. Assignments are
written in at least two places in the classroom every day. Students are required to write their
assignments in their planners. There is no excuse for late work unless the parent or student
notifies the teacher ahead of time of a reasonable life event that has caused the student to be
unable to complete the work in a timely fashion. If a student would like an extension on an
assignment for any reason they must request one from the teacher.
Absence

o If a student is absent, it is his or her responsibility to ask the teacher for the work that was
missed. The student will be given time equal to the number of days they were absent to complete
the assignments for full credit. If a student is absent and does not request the work they missed
while out of class, they will receive zeroes for those assignments. For gradebook purposes, any
assignments not turned in will receive a zero until the student returns to class with the
assignment completed.
Extra Credit
o Six extra credit assignments are available for the semester. The assignments can be found on the
class website, and also available in the classroom to choose from. However, extra credit is not
available to students who do not participate in class and/or have more than 1 missing assignment.
Additional Policies
o Additional policies may be added at the teachers discretion. Students will be notified in class of
additional policies and the syllabus will be updated.

Please, sign on the next page indicating you have

read the syllabus. Also, please fill out the last
page with current contact information and
anything you would like me to know about your
student. The last two pages (signature page and
contact page) should be returned to the teacher
no later than Monday, August 1, 2016.

By signing and dating below I am verifying that I read and understood the entirety of the 7th
Grade Math syllabus. I will work with my student to ensure he or she abides by the rules,
policies and procedures of the classroom.

X
Parent/Guardian Signature and Date

By signing and dating below I am verifying that I have read the entirety of the 7th Grade Math
syllabus and agree to follow the rules, policies, and procedures stated within.

X
Student Signature and Date