Honors Discrete: Parent/ Guardian Letter

Dear Parents/ Guardians,

Welcome to Honors Discrete! My name is Matthew Smith. This is my seventh year of teaching at Mount Tabor, and seventh year of teaching the Honors Discrete curriculum. I completed both a bachelor’s (B.A.) and a master’s (M.A.) in mathematics with a secondary major in Spanish as well as earned my secondary teaching licensure at Wake Forest University through a master’s (M.A.Ed.) in mathematics education. In addition to teaching, I am the Men’s Varsity Soccer Assistant Coach and the Women’s Varsity Soccer Head Coach.

Honors Discrete is a senior level math course that attempts to closely connect math to real-life situations. The different real-life situations use solving techniques and problem solving skills that students have learned in previous math classes like Math 1, Math 2, Math 3, Advanced Functions and Modeling (AFM), and Precalculus. It is important for students to have a strong recall of topics and be able to work independently to be successful in this honors level course. Additionally, vocabulary is a strong component of our course in addition to the traditional math calculations of a problem.

Students who are most successful in the Honors Discrete math course have traditionally earned strong overall scores (A or B) in either Honors or Standard Math 3 and have a history of taking honors level math courses. Many students may have already had AFM or Precalculus before taking Honors Discrete as a senior. All students will take the Discrete NC Final Exam in June that counts as 20% of your student’s overall grade.

The class syllabus outlines the curriculum, expectations, and other important information for my classroom. Please complete the parent/ guardian contact information sheet to help improve communication with you and to build a strong support system for your student.

To contact me, please email me at. Email is the most direct contact way for me to respondto your questions or concerns. Phone messages can be left in the main office (336) 703 – 6700. The Guidance department can also be reached at (336) 703 – 6728 to address additional concerns such student’s overall academic status, scheduling,private tutoring options, or arranging conferences. My school website() will be a great resource for you and your student. You will find important information including the syllabus, class materials, daily assignments, study documents, and calendar of other important events.

Daily Materials:

  • Notebook Paper (Graph Paper optional)
  • Pencils
  • Binder (2” 3-ring binder suggested to store class handouts)
  • Binder Dividers (separate chapter handouts – chapters will be color coded to help separate as well)
  • GRAPHING CALCULATOR (TI-83+, TI-84, TI-84+): Students have the option to checkout a calculator from the media center if a personal calculator has not been purchased.

Wish Lists: Donations of these materials are greatly appreciated for use by all students, but not required.

  • Tissue Paper
  • Hand Sanitizer Dispenser
  • Extra Pencils

I look forward to a successful semester. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Matthew Smith,

Mathematics, M.A.and M.A.Ed.

MountTabor High School