MATH SYLLABUS
Teacher: Mr. Worthington
Phone #: (913) 837-1720 before 3:30 p.m.
(913) 378-3206 after 5 p.m.
E-mail: (look at it carefully)
ATTENDANCE
Obviously, consistent attendance is required in order to succeed in any class. You will be considered tardy if you are not inside the classroom when the bell has finished ringing. If you do not have your required materials out and ready to go in a timely manner, then do not expect the benefit of the doubt. How many tardies before your parents are contacted? What happens after that?
*After two tardies, parents will be contacted.
*A third tardy results in a 50-minute detention.
If you have an excused absence, then it is important that you communicate with me, and we will work out a time table for completing any missed work. This means that if you have a school-related function or doctor’s appointment that you have known about well in advance, then you need to let me know ahead of time and turn in your work as soon as you get back (if not sooner). When should you see me after you have missed a class?
*A student should come by and see me THE NEXT TIME HE/SHE IS IN THE
BUILDING – even if he/she doesn’t have my class that day.
MATERIALS REQUIRED
You will receive this list in class, and it will also be hanging in the classroom. Bring these with you every single day (even on test day). If you will have a problem obtaining any of these materials, then please see me privately. What can happen if you do not bring your materials to class?
*Students that consistently show up without proper materials can be issued a
detention.
NOTEBOOK (BINDER)
I will go over all of the items that you need for your notebook and how I want these organized. This should be a MATH-ONLY binder. It will be checked periodically, and these points will go toward your overall homework grade. It is important that you take thorough notes and that you keep this organized. What happens if you take a “Zero” for a notebook?
*Students that take a “zero” on their notebook will drop a full letter grade.
NOTE: It is VERY important that students access the notebook format on my webpage. Also, the notebook format will be posted in the classroom. This is a cumulative assignment that cannot be completed successfully at the last minute.
HOMEWORK & ASSIGNMENTS
There will be some form of written assignment given almost every time that we meet. In order to perform better in mathematics, we need practice, and that is why I do this. It is not a punishment, but rather a tool to gauge your understanding. On many occasions, you will have ample class time to make significant progress. Homework assignments will not always be worth the same number of points (some assignments may be longer than others), but your overall homework average will count 40% toward your final grade. SHOW YOUR WORK! When will most homework be due? What happens if you don’t turn it in on time?
*Most homework will be due at the beginning of the next class.
*If homework is not turned in on time it will result in an overtime referral
(a.k.a. “blue slip”).
I do ask that you have one divider in your binder strictly for homework assignments. Not only will this allow you to more easily review for tests, but it also serves as a backup in case my records do not agree with yours. So it is important that you keep all of your assignments.
What writing utensil should we always use for math assignments?
*Math assignments should be done in PENCIL.
Homework will be given in the form of a worksheet, book assignment, or combination of both. If the homework is only a book assignment, Mr. Worthington has two requests:
*1) Use loose-leaf notebook paper. NO PAPERS RIPPED OUT OF SPIRAL NOTEBOOKS!
*2) Book assignments need to have the following heading in the top left corner:
Student Name
Name of course & Block Number (Ex. Algebra 1 – Block 5)
Name of assignment (Ex. Lesson 3-1)
Date
CLASS PRESENTATIONS
One way for students to increase their knowledge of a subject is to teach it to others. Each student is responsible for presenting and thoroughly explaining one problem on the board during the semester. During selected class periods there will be time for some students to present a problem from the previous assignment. I will be the judge as to whether the selected problem is worthy of needing an explanation. This assignment is worth 20 points, so don’t wait until the end of the semester, or it may be too late. Once each student has presented one question, students will have the opportunity to get bonus points.
CORRECTIONS
If you are unhappy with your homework score, then you may attempt to make up half of the points that you missed by doing corrections. These must be done on a NEW sheet of notebook paper, and this needs to be stapled to the front of the original work. ALL missed problems must be fixed in order to receive the points. You may correct and re-correct as many times as necessary, but after two attempts you should probably see me.
I want you to take corrections seriously. If you just write down the correct answer without any work, then you will receive no credit. This means do not just look up answers in the back of the book or get them from a classmate. Corrections are done because we want to understand and retain what we learned. We don't want to just learn it partially for one day and then throw it away. How many points are corrected assignments worth?
*Corrected assignments are worth half of the points that were originally missed.
For instance, a student that received a 6 out of 10 on an assignment can correct the problems he/she missed on a new sheet of paper, staple it to the original work, and then turn it in to me. Once the student has corrected all questions that were missed, his/her new score will go from a 6 (60%) to an 8 (80%).
GROUP WORK
There will be some activities that we will do that will require students to work in groups. Some of these may require a BRIEF presentation in front of the class, in which every member will contribute. It is very important that everybody participates in order to make the experience successful and more enjoyable. I will be monitoring and grading participation, and it will also be easy to tell who hasn’t done anything when presentations are given in front of the class. I will do my best to make the groups “fair.” There may be times in which you pick your groups, but for the most part I will select them. What happens if you do not participate in your group?
*Students who do not participate in their group will receive a “zero” and a
detention for “Failure to follow a reasonable request.”
TESTS
Once we get into the swing of things, we will probably be having a test every three weeks or so. Of course, this may not always be the case, but I will tell you test dates well in advance. We will also have study guides before every test. These study guides will closely resemble the test itself, so that there will be no unfair surprises. On the test dates, students will need something to work on afterwards. In the event that a student cannot finish in the allotted time, arrangements should be made by the student in order to finish in a timely manner. If the student fails to finish within a reasonable number of days, then I will grade the test as is. Test average makes up 60% of the final grade. ALL TESTS MUST BE DONE IN PENCIL! Why would somebody want to do the study guide?
*1) The material will prepare the student for the test.
*2) A completed study guide will earn the student 10 bonus points on the test.
EXTRA ASSISTANCE
I will be available before school only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Wednesdays are possible, but you will have to make special arrangements. I will be available after school until 3:30 almost every day until the winter sports season (it is still wise to let me know ahead of time). When is another good time to seek help from me?
*Seminar is an excellent time to seek help. The student just needs to get a
seminar pass from me ahead of time.
If you need help and I am not available, please do not hesitate to stop by and ask Mrs. Staab, Mrs. Myers, or Ms. Smith. The math department is an excellent team, and I trust them completely. I also encourage you to look at resources available online.
Algebra 1: www.algebra1.com (Username: ALG105 Password: beP8emEk )
Geometry: www.geometryonline.com (Username: GEOM05 Password: N6despeZ )
Algebra 2: www.algebra2.com (Username: ALG205 Password: tHu9eChA )
Advanced Math: amc.glencoe.com (Access Code: BD190B8049)
All classes will have access to the day’s notes as well as other handouts by going to the school website and viewing my homepage.
1. Go to www.usd416.org
2. Click on the Louisburg High tab toward the top.
3. Click the Teacher Pages link located along the left side of the page.
4. Click on Jarrod Worthington
You can also access my school calendar, which will list assignments for the week as well as a link to my homepage.
1. Go to www.usd416.org
2. Click Calendars on the right hand side of the page.
3. Click Louisburg High School
4. Click Jarrod Worthington
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions/concerns about this, please contact me. Students, feel free to ask me questions in class. Parents and guardians, please don’t hesitate to call me or send an e-mail. I am looking forward to a great year, and thank you for taking the time to read this.