September

2016

Welcome to Intermediate Mathematics

Mrs. Kadoura

room 219

suhana.kadoura@ocdsb.ca

Welcome back to a new school year a year of learning, exploration, discovery, and friendships, both old
and new. Your child will have 320 minutes of math in a 5-day cycle. The following provides an overview of
some important information for our math class.

I use multi-strand math investigations and problem solving that requires the use of a variety of
representations to facilitate and enhance student understanding. The learning environment is collaborative
with a focus on BIG IDEAS, where questioning is used to elicit mathematical thinking and tasks support
conceptual understanding.

Some keys to success:
Come to all classes prepared to work
Actively participate
Complete all assigned work to the best of your ability
and submit it on time
Regularly review new learning
Seek help immediately for any difficult new concepts
Make use of your student planner after every class

Tools to bring to class:

duotang/notebook
pencil & erase, colour pencils
ruler, calculator, refill paper (lined and grid)

Assessment and evaluation:

in-class observation
A students achievement of the overall expectations is evaluated on
problem solving scenarios
the basis of his or her achievement to related specific expectations
class assignments, exit cards
(including the mathematical process expectations).
performance tasks

~Ontario Curriculum Mathematics
quizzes, tests
Grades 1 to 8, page 19


Emphasis is placed on the process of learning as well as products.

As a parent and educator I strongly believe in the power of teamwork and partnership. Please contact me
should you have any concerns, questions, comments or suggestions. I will do the same. Keeping the lines of
communication open is key. My main format is via a class email every few weeks, sometimes more often
depending on the activities happening at the time. I look forward to developing the mathematical potential
in all of us!
Extra help is available throughout the week. Check the classroom door for days & times.

*You can take a peek into our learning at www.mrsk7-8vm.weebly.com

Parent/Guardian Signature: ______________________

Student Signature: _____________________________

Connecting the Achievement Chart and the Mathematical Processes

The mathematical processes can be thought of as the actions of math while the overall and specific
curriculum expectations can be seen as the mathematical concepts.

The combination of the mathematical processes and expectations can be thought of embedded in the
achievement chart as follows:

Achievement
Chart Category
Knowledge and
Understanding
Application

Thinking

Communication

Mathematical Processes
Conceptual Understanding
-comprehension of concepts, operations and relations
Procedural Fluency (flexibility)
-carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently and appropriately
Selecting Tools & Strategies
-knowing when and how to estimate, and apply mental math skills; use tools to
develop understanding of new concepts, for communicating and/or performing tasks;
select and use different computational strategies depending on the numbers
Connecting
-making connections between new and prior knowledge; making connections among
various representations; applying strategies and references from other contexts
Reasoning and Proving
-hypothesize and make conjectures; make inferences, conclusions and justifications
Problem Solving
-plan an approach; collect data connected to the problem; select and apply an
appropriate problem-solving strategy
Reflecting
-reflect on new skills, concepts and questions to see how they connect to prior
knowledge
Communicating
-communicate thinking clearly, logically in an organized and detailed manner; use
correct math language and vocabulary; use various representations
Representing
-select, form and use multiple appropriate representations; translate one
representation into another

The mathematical processes are interconnected. Problem solving and communicating have strong links to
all the other processes. A problem-solving approach encourages students to reason their way to a solution
or a new understanding. As students engage in reasoning, teachers further encourage them to make
conjectures and justify solutions, orally and in writing. The communication and reflection that occur during
and after the process of problem solving help students not only to articulate and refine their thinking but
also to see the problem they are solving from different perspectives. This opens the door to recognizing the
range of strategies that can be used to arrive at a solution. By seeing how others solve a problem, students
can begin to think about their own thinking (metacognition) and the thinking of others, and to consciously
adjust their own strategies in order to make their solutions as efficient and accurate as possible.

~The Ontario Curriculum Mathematics
Grades 1 to 8, page 11
Grade 9 and 10, Page 12