• Please look for the “Family Letter” for Lesson 2. Your son/daughter should have brought it home today.  There will be a Family Letter sent home at the beginning of each new lesson. The letter includes information about what students will be learning in the lesson, sometimes some vocabulary from the lesson, and often a word problem example related to the topic. The letter can stay at home.
• Today in class:  We started Lesson 2- Understand Subtraction of  Positive and Negative Integers. Students are learning to rewrite subtraction problems as addition problems by adding the opposite of the second integer. They are continuing to use number lines to model the answer. We will work through this lesson for the next few days.

Homework
*Practice and Problem Solving book: pages 11-12 (#1-7)

Important Dates:
Friday, October 12 — 1/2 Day of School
Wednesday, October 17 — Late Start
Tuesday, November 6 — NO SCHOOL – Election Day
Wednesday, Nov. 21- Friday, Nov. 23 — NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving

• M-Step Practice Test 
• M-Step Practice Test answer key  (scroll down to pg.5 for Grade 7)
• Tutorials (How-To videos for: sign in, scientific calculator, typing equations, tools, etc.)
• M-Step Testing Schedule for Grade 7:
Tuesday, May 8 – ELA
Thursday, May 10- Math

In class during the next few weeks, we will be looking at the M-Step Practice test to review the available online tools for students while taking the M-Step test (how they work), to preview question/answer formats, and review test taking strategies. It is highly suggested that students visit the practice test at home, also, to check out problems that we don’t preview in class.  The practice test may not include all topics that students could see on the actual test, and may include topics that may not show up on the actual test.

• Writing equivalent expressions by combining like terms and using the distributive property
• SLOT: distributive property
• I’m available after school on Tuesday or Thursday this week for any quiz reviews/retakes!

Homework
*Study for QUIZ Wednesday 3/14 – equivalent expressions using distributive property
(review assignments #57-#60)

*Catch up on Khan Academy (see below)!!  Many students did not complete their January or February minutes nor the assignments from February.
…..please spend extra time during March to make up for lost minutes from Jan. or Feb.
(Example: If you only completed 50 minutes in February, do an additional 70 minutes in March for a total of 190 in March.)  

*Khan Academy:
1) Four assignments (These are all past due, but should still be completed, as they are skills we are currently working on in class):
               -adding/subtracting negative numbers
               -combining like terms with negative coefficients
               -substitution with negative numbers
               -equivalent expressions with negative numbers

Assignments can be found by clicking the “Assignments” tab, then click active/past near the right to see these past ones.  Anyone that does not have access to the internet is welcome to work on them in my classroom after school most days from 3-4pm.

2) 120 minutes due 3/31/18
Options:
1)  “Search” feature to get to NWEA MAP Practice or Common Core Map for 7th grade
2)  Pick a topic that relates to what we have worked on in class (one-step equations, adding or subtracting negative integers/fractions/decimals, expressions with negatives, combining like terms, distributive property)

Important Dates:
Wednesday, March 14 — Late Start
Thursday, March 29 — Marking Period 3 Ends
Friday, March 30- Sunday, April 8 — NO SCHOOL – Spring Break

Welcome Back…I hope you enjoyed Mid-Winter Break!!

• Today we continued with combining like terms and writing equivalent expressions.
• SLOT: combining like terms

Homework
Hours 2-4: #55 (and finish #54 if you did not complete it during break); Khan Academy (see below)
Hours 5-6: #54 ; Khan Academy (see below)

*Khan Academy:
1) Four assignments (see due dates in Khan Academy, some are past due already):
               -adding/subtracting negative numbers
               -combining like terms with negative coefficients
               -substitution with negative numbers
               -equivalent expressions with negative numbers

Assignments can be found on students’ “HOME” page if due date has not past. Otherwise, click the “Assignments” tab, then click active/past near the right to see current or past ones.  Anyone that does not have access to the internet is welcome to work on them in my classroom after school most days from 3-4pm.

2) 120 minutes due 2/28/18
Options:
1)  “Search” feature to get to NWEA MAP Practice or Common Core Map for 7th grade
2)  Pick a topic that relates to what we are currently working on in class (one-step equations, adding or subtracting negative integers/fractions/decimals, expressions with negatives, combining like terms, distributive property)

Important Dates:
Wednesday, March 7 — Spring Parent Teacher Conferences (3:30-6:30pm)
Thursday, March 8 — Family Math and Literacy Night (6:00-7:30pm)
Wednesday, March 14 — Late Start
Thursday, March 29 — Marking Period 3 Ends
Friday, March 30- Sunday, April 8 — NO SCHOOL – Spring Break

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

• This week we have been learning about combining like terms. We began a guided activity that we will finish tomorrow.
• SLOT: combining like terms with negatives

Homework
*Khan Academy:
1) Two assignments to be completed by Thursday 2/15 – adding/subtracting negative numbers, combining like terms with negative coefficients. Assignments can be found on on students’ “HOME” page.  Anyone that does not have access to the internet can complete them in my classroom after school on Thursday 2/15 from 3-4pm.

2) 120 minutes due 2/28/18
Options:
1)  “Search” feature to get to NWEA MAP Practice or Common Core Map for 7th grade
2)  Pick a topic that relates to what we are currently working on in class (one-step equations, adding or subtracting negative integers/fractions/decimals, expressions with negatives, combining like terms, distributive property)

Important Dates:
Monday, February 19 – Friday, February 23 — NO SCHOOL (Mid-winter Break)

Seventh graders will be taking a field trip to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn on Thursday, February 1st. We will need parent chaperones to assist us for the day. Please check the box on the permission slip if you are interested in joining us. Permission slips went home with students today. We have asked that permission slips and money be turned in by Wednesday, January 17th. 

*There is an error listed for the cost of the trip!  The cost for the field trip is $15 (instead of $10, as the amount needed to pay for the school buses was not accounted for.) The cost includes admission to the museum, admission to the Science of Pixar exhibition, and the cost for the buses. There is no cost to parent chaperones.

*Students will need to pack a lunch including a drink for this field trip. No glass bottles please! Students will not be able to purchase concessions for their lunch, snacks, or drink.

Looking forward to another fun field trip with our class!!

Field Trip Permission Slip- HF Museum

Happy New Year!!

• This week we learned about percent proportion and used it to calculate sales tax, tip, and discounts; to find the original cost of an item or a bill total before tax/tip/discount; or to find the percent of the sales tax, tip, or discount. 
• NWEA next week!
• SLOT: one step multiplication equations with decimals or fractions

Homework
• *Khan Academy : 120 minutes due 1/31/18
Options:
1)  “Search” feature to get to NWEA MAP Practice or Common Core Map for 7th grade
2)  Pick a topic that has been assigned (see assignments on home page)
3)  Pick a topic that relates to what we are currently working on in class (one-step equations, proportional relationships, fractional unit rates, percent of a number/percent proportion)

Important Dates:
Monday, January 15 — NO SCHOOL (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
Wednesday, January 17 — Late Start
Friday, January 19 — Any retakes completed or missing/late work due
Friday, January 26 — End of Marking Period 2/Semester 1
Monday, January 29 — Beginning of Marking Period 3/Semester 2

Students recently completed the number system unit test. We reviewed all answers to the test in class last week and hosted study sessions after school last Wednesday and Thursday in order to support students in learning the material, understanding their mistakes and preparing for a retake. Sign up sheets for retakes were posted in class. It was discussed that students should see Mrs. Furlow or Ms. Beydoun to make other arrangements if the study sessions or retake dates did not fit their schedules.  The first retake date was after school last Friday and the second retake date is today after school. There will be another study session available on Tuesday, Nov. 28, followed by another retake date on Wednesday, November 29.

It would be helpful for you to check parent connect and encourage your child to take advantage of next week’s study session and retake opportunity if needed.

Thank you for support!

Thank you to all the families that were able to attend conferences last week! It was a pleasure to meet with you!  If you were unable to attend conferences and you have a question or concern about your child, feel free to email me and we can arrange a time to meet. 

Last Week
• Halloween Equations
• Fractions with negative signs (adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing)
• Decimals with negative signs (adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing)
• CER (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning)- Multiplying/Dividing Integers  — Students are given a word problem/prompt to solve by showing evidence, making a claim about the answer to the scenario, and explaining their reasoning in a short paragraph. We reviewed the rubric and completed most of it together for practice.
• SLOT: solving complex fractions (dividing fractions)

This Week
• Study Guide for the Number System test (Answers and work for all problems were given today in class and students had the opportunity to ask questions. Students were asked to make corrections to their work if needed while we checked.)
• CER- Adding/Subtracting Integers
• SLOT: review of various topics from the unit (fractions to decimals, comparing integer problems)

Homework
• Study for Test- Friday, Nov. 10! Review study guide! If needed, review any homework and review notes or  foldables in math notebook

Important Dates:
BOOK FAIR – next week
Monday, November 13 — Parent-Teacher Conferences (4-7pm)
Tuesday, November 14 — Parent-Teacher Conferences (3:30-6:30pm)
Wednesday, November 15 — Late Start
November 22-24 — Thanksgiving break