Introduction

Dear 8th grade families,

I would like to introduce myself to you as your child’s math teacher this year and tell you a little bit about how math will be structured this year. First, a bit about me: I have taught Spanish and Math Seminar for three years at the Little Red Schoolhouse in New York City. I have also taught math-reasoning course at the Center for Talented Youth through Johns Hopkins University and at the National Young Scholars Program. I am looking forward being at Berkeley Montessori School and getting to know all of you in the near future!

This will be an exciting class, and your child will be engaging in math in a variety of ways. I have the highest of expectations of each student, because I believe that all students are capable of learning math. The curriculum I will mostly draw from is called Elementary Algebra by Harold Jacobs. This curriculum is very rich in teaching skills for abstract thinking.

We will begin with an intensive review of fundamental operations that will lead to our study of functions and graphs. Through the course of the year, we will study integers, rational numbers, equations in one and two variables, simultaneous equations, exponents, polynomials, factoring, fractions, square roots, quadratic equations, real numbers and fractional equations.

Please refer to the blog www. http://bmsmath8.blogspot.com/ for any ongoing announcements and for daily assignments. Should you have any questions feel free to email me at Skanchwala@bmsonline.org or call me at BMS, extension 257.



I look forward to a great year!

Sincerely,
Sheila Kanchwala
BMS Middle School Math Teacher