WELCOME PARENTS!

Algebra IIMr. Kopkas

Welcome to Solon High School. I appreciate and welcome your participation and

involvement in your child’s education.

EDUCATION:JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY – BSBA IN MARKETING

BALDWIN-WALLACE COLLEGE – MASTERS OF EDUCATION IN SUPERVISION

Experience: (13 years)

Solon High School

2002-Present

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Also teach Algebra II

Head Baseball Coach and Head Girls Golf Coach

Father of 2 boys (Kason, 4 and Kamden, 1)

MY TEACHING GOALS 1. To spend every class minute engaged and interacting.

2. To create a desire in my students to be lifelong learners.

3. To help foster more productive members of society.

4. To focus on the positive

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STRUCTURE OF THE CLASS

Study TeamsDuring this course your child will collaborate with other students as a member of a study team. Together, each team will complete problems and activities that will help

them discover new mathematical ideas and methods. This is a very student-centered class. I will support your children

as they work, but will not take away their opportunity to think and investigate for themselves. In order to be

successful in this class your child will need to be a willing and active participant as they develop their mathematical

understanding. 

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PRINCIPLES OF THE CPM COURSE DESIGN

Students learn best engaged in inquiry that leads to deep conceptual understanding of the underlying mathematics, exploiting each others’ insights, and using distributed learning to increase retention and transfer of knowledge.

The CPM Connections series integrates basic skills and procedures with conceptual understanding, encouraging students to understand ideas, see relationships between them, and apply mathematical principles to complex problems.

Students are held responsible for high academic rigor, analysis, and critical thinking, and communicate their mathematical findings in writing or in oral presentations in a clear and convincing manner.

THE BENEFITS OF BEING ON A TEAM . . . We learn to win/achieve with dignity

We learn to overcome disappointment and loss

We rely on our friends and teammates for support.

Collectively striving for the same objective enhances these benefits.

KEY TOPICS OF STUDY

Investigations with Families of Functions

Sequences and Equivalence

Exponential Functions

Transformations of Parent Graphs

Solving Equations and Systems of Equations

Solving Inequalities and Systems of Inequalities

Inverses

Logarithms

Polynomial Functions

GRADING SCALE & WEIGHTS

Note: Current grades are accessible on the parent viewer.

Grading Scale

A 90.0 – 100%

B 80.0 – 89.99%

C 70.0 – 79.99%

D 60.0 – 69.99%

F 59.99% and below

Weighting of Grades %

Individual Assessments

70%

Team Assessments and Small Quizzes

20%

Coursework 10%

EXAMPLES OF ITEMS IN THE GRADING CATEGORIES

Individual Tests (70%)

Team Assessments & Small Quizzes (20%)

Coursework (10%)

Individual Tests Team Tests Class Presentations

Larger Announced Individual Quizzes

Homework Quizzes Participation Quizzes

Formative Quizzes Technology Activities

Entrance/Exit Slips Projects

Math Notes Quizzes Homework Checks (very rare)

Graded Assignments Participation/Blogs

Small Quizzes

SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD Remind your child that daily homework

assignments are an essential part of this class providing additional instruction, practice and reinforcement of review and newly acquired concepts as well as a preview for upcoming concepts.

Encourage your child to seek help immediately if they are having difficulty so that the problem can be remedied quickly. Students can get help from me, another student, or the Math Lab.

Instill in your child that attendance is a requirement for success.

INTERNET INFORMATIONOn my page, you will find daily lessons, homework,

upcoming tests and quizzes as well as some of the class resources. To get to my page follow these steps:

1.   Go to the Solon Schools web page www.solonschools.org

2.    Choose Schools - SHS

3.    Choose Staff Directory

4.    Scroll down to my name (Damien Kopkas)

5.    Choose “Calendar” from the bottom

6.    Choose the appropriate class (CPM Algebra II)

COMMUNICATIONIf at anytime you have a concern or question, please

email or call me. I check and respond to email regularly, so that is the preferred method of

contact. If you need me to call, please leave a number you can be reached at during school hours.

Voicemail: 440-349-7757 EXT 5413Email: damienkopkas@solonboe.org

• Please feel free to contact me at any time with concerns or questions.

• My school website is a great place to find out what your son or daughter is or should be working on!

• Thank you for being a supportive parent. I am looking forward to a rewarding school year.

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT!