COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL
TEACHER: SPENCER SOMERVILLE
Conference Time: 2:08 - 3:38 pm (Fall), 8:30 - 10:00 am (Spring)
GEOMETRY
Welcome to Colleyville Heritage High School’s geometry course! I am looking forward to a rewarding year of learning experiences. Geometry can be a very challenging subject; but with a little patience and a good attitude you may be surprised at how fun it can be! One of my greatest joys is to help a student understand a concept; and your success is my goal. I hope this information will help you have a successful year!
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
I expect each of my students to be…
1. Prompt: I have many things to teach you during the year. It is important that you come to class and that you are on time. Be in your seat when the bell rings.
2. Polite: I expect you to respect those around you. We need to create an environment in which everyone feels comfortable and feels free to ask questions.
3. Prepared: You should come to every class with your supplies. Notebook, previous day’s assignment, pencil, paper, calculator, and textbook if needed.
4. Productive: Use class time wisely, I expect you to participate during the lessons and take advantage of assignment time.
5. Proactive: If you do not understand something, ask me!!! I may not be able to tell right away if you are having trouble. Remember, there are no “stupid questions”!
6. Positive: Give math a chance. Give yourself a chance. Do not tell me, “I can’t do this.” Instead, tell me, if you must, “I can’t do this yet.” Together, we can!
COURSE DESCRIPTION
1st six weeks: points, lines, planes, inductive/deductive reasoning, conjectures
2nd six weeks: perpendicular and parallel lines, classifying triangles
3rd six weeks: congruent triangles, quadrilaterals
4th six weeks: proportions, right triangle trig
5th six weeks: polygons, volume, surface area of solids
6th six weeks: transformations, circles
GRADING
50% of your six weeks average: TESTS (two chapter tests per six weeks)
25% of your six weeks average: QUIZZES (lowest score dropped)
20% of your six weeks average: HOMEWORK (lowest score dropped)
5% of your six weeks average: DAILY/PARTICIPATION GRADE
SUPPLIES
Pencils – all work is to be completed in pencil
Paper – spiral notebook or loose-leaf.
Textbook – bring to class every day unless specified otherwise
Binder – divided into warm-ups, notes, homework, and quizzes
Calculator – each student should have a calculator to use both in class and at home.
There will be TI-83 graphing calculators available for every student during classtime only. These calculators cannot be taken out of the classroom.
**If you want to purchase a calculator – I recommend the TI-83 Plus. Please note, I will clear the memory of all graphing calculators before tests!
Batteries – if you are using a school calculator class, please bring a pack of
4 AAA batteries during the first week of school.
Box of Tissues – for classroom use.
HOMEWORK
Homework will be assigned daily; I recommend you do your homework (individual practice) the night it is assigned. This will give you an opportunity to attend tutorials before the next class period if needed. Homework may be graded for accuracy, completion, or spot-checked. No late work will be accepted!
TUTORIALS
This year I do not have an assigned room, which can potentially make me hard to locate. My office will be in the Math Department Break Room, which is room K310 (Unfortunately no students can enter without a teacher inside—so just knock first). On top of these circumstances, my schedule is very busy in both the fall and spring due to coaching obligations, so I can only offer tutorials on most Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 7:45-8:15. However, my schedule may open up at odd times, so please check my schedule posted outside room K310 for my availability for that particular week.
I understand that this is an unpleasant difficultly to deal with. To compensate for this, I will meet any student at any time that is open on my schedule, if the student can make arrangements for it as well with their other teachers. These times include my conference period on certain days, which is 4th Period (A-days) and 8th Period (B-days), varying lunch times, and during pep-rallies or assemblies.
I strongly encourage you to attend tutorials should you have any questions at all, or if you simply would like more one-on-one assistance!
TESTING POLICY
In general, no retests or corrections are offered in geometry. However, in order to give students a chance to fix a poor test grade, an optional Six-Weeks Test will be given during the last week of the six week grading period. Should a student opt to take this test, the lowest of the three test grades will then be dropped. The optional Six-Weeks Test will be cumulative for the grading period, and it must be taken on the student’s own time (in other words, not during classtime). There will be a window of 3-4 days during the last week of the grading period for the student to find time to take the optional test. A review will be provided to those students opting to take the Six-Weeks Test as well.
I do reserve the right to offer test corrections at my discretion.
CLASSROOM RULES
I expect each of my students to abide by the following rules:
1. No sleeping during class. This includes laying your head down on your desk.
2. Absolutely no food (including gum) or drink in class. They attract ants.
3. No talking to neighbors while I am instructing. Talking is absolutely encouraged during groupwork, so long as it pertains to the subject.
4. Any visible cellphones or other electronics will be confiscated immediately. I might answer any phones that ring during class.
5. No lining up at the door before the end of class. Remain in your seat until the bell.
6. All other rules outlined in the Student Code of Conduct apply.
CONSEQUENCES
Violations of classroom rules or school rules will be dealt with in the following manner:
1st Offense: Verbal Warning
2nd Offense: Conference with student(s) and Mr. Somerville
3rd Offense: Conference with student(s), parent(s), and Mr. Somerville
4th Offense: Office Referral
ABSENCES & TARDIES
It is the student’s responsibility to get make-up work for an absence. For a planned absence, make-up work may be obtained prior to the absence. Assignments maybe found on the geometry board in my room. Be forewarned: all tests are pre-scheduled so being absent on the day of a review in NOT an excuse for postponing a test. If you are absent on the day of a test, you will be expected to make-up the test on the day you return to class.
Tardies will not be tolerated. Tardies will be documented and dealt with on a case-by-case situation.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Throughout the year I will be updating my website with homework assignments, study guides, notes, and a calendar for the current 6-weeks. I strongly recommend that you refer to this site; however, please note that any information on it is subject to change at my discretion. My website is: http://www.gcisd.net/~spencer.somerville/
Additionally, I try to keep parents updated with the goings-on in my classes via e-mail. This is particularly true when progress-reports go out at the mid-six-weeks mark, and parent-teacher communication becomes critical. If possible, please submit your email address to me (see attached sheet) so that I may send you my classroom updates.
I look forward to a great year at CHHS. I believe in your ability as a learner, and am excited to help you however I can! Please feel free to contact me by phone at 817-305-4700, ext. 2125, or by e-mail at spencer.somerville@gcisd.net (which I will check frequently). I will return your contact ASAP.
Sincerely,
Spencer Somerville
For a printable copy of this syllabus, click here.
For a printable copy of a Parent Acknowledgement of the Syllabus, click here.
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