Mathematics

Elementary Mathematics

Elementary Drill Beth Ferguson

Appropriate for grades 4 - 5.

Course Description: This course is designed to sharpen the student’s arithmetic skills. As he prepares for higher mathematics he should have the math facts at his fingertips (less than 4 seconds each) and have the ability to do certain calculations in his head. Elementary Drill will include addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts, fraction drills, measurement conversion facts, rapid calculation drills - both oral and written with tricks for more easily manipulating numbers mentally. This course will not present new material, but is designed to increase the speed of the student’s calculations, thereby reducing the tedium of his regular math course, and enabling him to focus his concentration on the concepts to be learned there.

Parent Role - Private Tutor: Teachers will provide parents with a syllabus and updated information on material being covered each class period. Parents are expected to check homework assignments, and help with any preparation or review needed for their child’s next class. It is the parent’s role to set up a time management schedule with their child to ensure successful completion of each assignment. In addition, some of the tests for these classes will be taken at home under parent supervision. Parents bear the responsibility for ensuring that their child comes prepared for class.

Special Materials: Drill packet provided by teacher.

Will meet during lunch or according to students’ schedules for 30 minutes per week Class size : 1-10

Course fee for the year $92.00 ($5.75 per instructional hour)

Middle School Mathematics

Intermediate Drill Beth Ferguson

Appropriate for grades 6, 7 & 8.

Course Description: A student that can recognize certain arithmetical relationships will have an easier time with algebra and the higher maths. This course will cover the topics in the lower drill course as well as drilling percents, skills with fractions, and decimal/fraction conversions. Material to be memorized will include certain decimal equivalents, area and perimeter formulae, and certain square roots. The ability to do simple percentage problems and multiply some double digit numbers mentally will be encouraged in the oral rapid calculation drills.

Parent Role: Educational Supervisor - Teachers will provide parents with a syllabus and updated information on material being covered each class period. Parents will guide their children by assuming the role of supervisor: setting up a study schedule with their child, checking to be sure that assignments are completed, helping them to understand difficult material, and by helping with time management for successful completion of long term assignments. Parents bear the responsibility for ensuring that their child comes prepared for class.

Special Materials: Drill packet provided by teacher.

Will meet during lunch or in the afternoon according to students’ schedules

for 30 minutes per week Class size : 1-10

Course fee for the year $92.00 ($5.75 per instructional hour)

Middle School Math - 1 Ellen Adams

Appropriate for grade 6 - advanced 5th. A placement test will be administered.

Course Description: This course provides a year of solid arithmetic before moving into Middle School Math 2. Fundamentals of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whole numbers, fractions, decimals and those operations applied to word problems and problem solving. Drill and practice of basic math facts is also included.

Special Materials: TBA - will not exceed $50.00

Parent Role - Private Tutor: Teachers will provide parents with a syllabus and updated information on material being covered each class period. Parents are expected to check homework assignments, and help with any preparation or review needed for their child’s next class. It is the parent’s role to set up a time management schedule with their child to ensure successful completion of each assignment. Parents bear the responsibility for ensuring that their child comes prepared for class.

Meets Mondays and Thursdays 9:00 - 10:00 Class size : 8-15

Course fee for the year: $370.00 ($5.75 per instructional hour)

Middle School Math - 2 Ellen Adams

Appropriate for grade 7 - advanced 6. Must be able to work all whole number operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and quickly recall basic multiplication and division facts. A placement test will be administered.

Course Description: Fundamentals and operations involving fractions, decimals and their relationship to percentages, ratios and proportions will be covered. This course will also cover integers and some basic geometry. Whole number operations will not be included in direct instruction, but will be reviewed through application of word problems and problem solving at the beginning of the class.

Special Materials: TBA - will not exceed $50.00

Parent Role: Educational Supervisor - Teachers will provide parents with a syllabus and updated information on material being covered. Parents will guide their children by assuming the role of super-visor: setting up a study schedule with their child, checking to be sure that assignments are completed, helping them to understand difficult material, and by helping with time management for successful com-pletion of long term assignments. Parents bear the responsibility for ensuring that their child comes prepared for class.

Meets Mondays and Thursdays 10:00 - 11:00 Class size : 8-15

Course fee for the year: $370.00 ($5.75 per instructional hour)

Prealgebra Beth Ferguson

Appropriate for grade 8 - advanced 7. Prerequisite: a thorough understanding of fractions, decimals, percents and long division and the willingness to meet new challenges cheerfully.

Course Description: Prealgebra enables a student to be introduced to the concepts of positive and negative numbers, unknowns represented by letters, equations, formulas, and new vocabulary while still practicing familiar arithmetic operations. This is a year of calisthenics and warm-up exercises in preparation for higher mathematics. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the new concepts and then working with them enough to enable the new methods and procedures to become second nature.

Special Materials: TBA - will not exceed $50.00

Parent Role: Educational Supervisor - Teachers will provide parents with a syllabus and updated information on material being covered each class period. Parents will guide their children by assuming the role of supervisor: setting up a study schedule with their child, checking to be sure that assignments are completed, helping them to understand difficult material, and by helping with time management for successful completion of long term assignments. Parents bear the responsibility for ensuring that their child comes prepared for class.

Meets Mondays and Thursdays 10:00 - 11:00 Class size : 8-15

Course fee for the year: $370.00 ($5.75 per instructional hour)

High School Mathematics

High school mathematics courses will be held three days per week this year in order to allow maximum teacher interaction and instruction.

Algebra 1 Leslie LeMire

Appropriate for grade 9 - advanced 8. Prerequisite: Prealgebra. New students who have not taken

Prealgebra at Westminster will be required to take a pretest for placement.

Course Description: Full year course of Algebra 1. Tuesday’s class will combine both sections of Algebra 1 in one class period.

Special Materials: Text TBA - will not exceed $50.00

Parent Role: Educational Supervisor - Teachers will provide parents with a syllabus and updated information on material being covered each class period. Parents will guide their children by assuming the role of supervisor: setting up a study schedule with their child, checking to be sure that assignments are completed, helping them to understand difficult material, and by helping with time management for successful completion of long term assignments. Parents bear the responsibility for ensuring that their child comes prepared for class.

1st section meets Mondays and Thursdays from 10:00 - 11:00 and Tuesdays from 12:30 - 1:30 Class size : 8-15

2nd section meets Mondays and Thursdays from 11:00 - 12:00 and Tuesdays from 12:30 - 1:30 Class size : 8-15

Course fee for the year $550.00 ($5.75 per instructional hour)

Geometry Leslie LeMire

Appropriate for grades 10 & up. Prerequisite: Algebra 1. This course can be taken before or after Algebra II. Students must remember that both Algebra 1 and Geometry must be completed before SATs are taken.

Course Description: This course will cover basic terminology, concepts, and problem solving skills of Euclidean geometry. Trigonometry will be covered in our senior level math, Trigonometry and Precalculus in order to thoroughly cover Geometry in preparation for SATs.

Special Materials: TBA - text will not exceed $50.00

Parent Role: Educational Counselor: Here parents have the opportunity to monitor the independent school work performed by their children while it is still possible for them to provide additional guidance if needed. The responsibility for time management, preparation for class and academic success falls on the student.

Meets Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 - 10:00 and Tuesdays from 2:30 - 3:30 Class size : 8-15

Course fee for the year $550.00 ($5.75 per instructional hour)

Algebra 2 - Regular and Honors Leslie LeMire

Appropriate for grades 10 & up. Prerequisite: mastery of Algebra 1; Students can take this course before or after Geometry. New students who have not taken Algebra 1 at Westminster will be required to take a pretest for placement.

Course Description: Full year course of Algebra 2. AN HONORS OPTION IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS COURSE.

Special Materials: TI-83 graphing calculator or equivalent; Text TBA - will not exceed $50.00

Parent Role: Educational Counselor: Here parents have the opportunity to monitor the independent school work performed by their children while it is still possible for them to provide additional guidance if needed. The responsibility for time management, preparation for class and academic success falls on the student.

Meets Mondays and Thursdays from 8:00 - 9:00 and Tuesdays from 1:30 - 2:30 Class size : 7-15

Course fee for the year: $550.00 ($5.75 per instructional hour)

Senior High Math Option

High schoolers may choose from the following two courses as options for an upper level mathematics course. The option with the highest enrollment will be offered.

Precalculus and Trigonometry - Honors Leslie LeMire

Appropriate for grades 11 - 12.

Course Description: An in-depth focus on the prerequisites of calculus:

Extensive analysis of functions

Polynomial and rational functions

Exponential and logarithmic functions

Trigonometric functions and identities

Conic Sections

Matrices

Sequences and Sums

Special Materials: TI-83 graphing calculator or equivalent; TBA - text will not exceed $50.00

Parent Role: Educational Counselor: Here parents have the opportunity to monitor the independent school work performed by their children while it is still possible for them to provide additional guidance if needed. The responsibility for time management, preparation for class and academic success falls on the student.

Meets Mondays and Thursdays from 12:30 - 2:00 Class size : 8-15

Course fee for the year $550.00 ($5.75 per instructional hour)

Consumer Math Leslie LeMire

Appropriate for grades 10 & up.

Course Description: This course will cover applications of Math concepts for real world needs: check books, interest rates, budgets, car payments, mortgages, etc.

Special Materials: Text TBA - will not exceed $50.00

Parent Role: Educational Counselor: Here parents have the opportunity to monitor the independent school work performed by their children while it is still possible for them to provide additional guidance if needed. The responsibility for time management, preparation for class and academic success falls on the student.

Meets Mondays and Thursdays from 1:00 - 2:00 Class size : 8-15

Course fee for the year: $370.00 ($5.75 per instructional hour)