MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas to all of you. I wish you have a wonderful, blessed Christmas filled with family, friend, and fun.

Check out the Disney World Parade - I wish my family & I were spending the holidays there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clHbOYaBF4k

VIDEO DAY

All classes got to take a little break from their books today by getting to watch "Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land." Not just a Disney video, but a Disney video about MATH! What could be better - the only thing I can think of is having the video be with the Little Mermaid in stead of Donald Duck!

Anyway, classes saw connections between math and the golden ratio in nature, music, and games! The video was enjoyed by everyone.

If you want to see some of this video, check this link out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_ssR7M5Px0

CORD GEOMETRY

We have just finished studying sec. 4.1 & 4.2 in class. We have been learning ways to prove triangles congruent - SSS, SAS, ASA, & AAS. Students are now able to set up and solve a 2-column Geometry proof. They will tell you that I LOVE PROOFS!!!!! ( This is sad, but true! I have always loved Geometry, especially proofs - Thank you Mr. Arnold! )

Students will be having a quiz on sec. 4.1. - 4.2 tomorrow ( Dec. 18th )

CORD ALGEBRA I

In class students have been studying volume. They were able to bring in 3-D items that we would then use to complete a lab activity in class. Some students brought in baseballs, cereal boxes, oatmeal containers, funnels, and even a full container of salt. These items were then measured and the volume of each was found.

We will be reviewing the section tomorrow and then having a quiz on Friday, December 19th.

ALGEBRA II

Classes have wrapped up solving equations with 3 variables. They have been able to write a system of equations based on a word problem and then solve the problems to find values. We have done problems ranging from finding basketball points scored to finding the prices of Mexican foods on a menu. You're welcome Mr. Dutchot!

We will now be moving on to chapter 5 on polynomials. Before Christmas break students will be able to add, subtract, multiply & divide polynomials and simplify monomials following exponent rules.

How 'Bout Them Panthers....

What a GREAT game. As usual, the annual "Backyard Brawl" was a thrilling, exciting, on the edge of your seat game. I thought about going out to the game, but decided not to and watched the game at home with my daughter. She was quite the little cheerleader - training her well!

My Panthers did come out on the winning end of the game, but it could have went either way. The Panthers were lead by "Shady" McCoy, who has had an awesome season. Pittsburgh Wins Backyard Brawl, Edging West Virginia 19-15
LeSean McCoy scored a late touchdown to seal the victory.



PITTSBURGH (AP)--LeSean McCoy scored his second touchdown with 52 seconds left to finish off a 183-yard performance, and Pittsburgh beat rival West Virginia 19-15 on Friday to make Cincinnati the Big East champions.

McCoy carried all but one play on the 59-yard, game-winning touchdown drive in the closing minutes, scoring from the 1.

Pitt (8-3, 4-2 in Big East) had to rally from a 15-7 deficit after Bill Stull threw two interceptions and a pair of drives inside the West Virginia 10 ended with no points.

Pat White scored on a 54-yard touchdown run, but West Virginia (7-4, 4-2) lost for the second year in a row in the Backyard Brawl.


Pitt next plays at Conneticut. A win on Saturday would make the Panthers 9-2 and headed for a , hopefully, New Year's Day bowl game.

GO PANTHERS!!!!!!!!

THANKSGIVING BREAK

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving break. Please take the time to remember all that you have to be thankful for! Thank you parents, family, teacher, and anyone else for everything that they do for you. Have a safe and fun break!

Don't forget to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade...a tradition at my house.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences will be held in the high school on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Students will enjoy an extra day off from school for Thanksgiving break.

ALGEBRA 2

We have just wrapped up graphing systems of linear inequalities. After doing examples together and on their own, students will be having a quiz on Monday.

Tuesday we will be having a little fun - doing puzzles and games as a treat before Thanksgiving break.

CORD GEOMETRY

We have just finished up chapter 3 and have reviewed in class 2 days. Students will be taking their chapter 3 test on Monday. Tuesday will be a puzzle/game day for a little break before Thanksgiving.

CORD ALGEBRA 1

This week we will be continuing studying circles. Last week we did the lab to "discover" PI. We will be using Pi to find circumference and area of circles in this section and again in finding volume of spheres, cylinders, and cones in the next section.

Currently Reading...

I just finished reading New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. This was the 2nd book in the Twilight series and I was/am completely hooked. Things happened in this book that made me really have to think - about life, love, & friendship. There were twists that I did not see coming and I was not sure what would happen. I can only tell you that I have already singed Eclipse - the 3rd in the series - out of the library and can't wait to get home to start reading it tonight!

CORD ALG 1

Today in class we continued to work with area & perimeter of polygons. We have been focusing on finding the area of triangles, parallelograms, trapezoids, squares & rectangles. We have been applying these shapes and formulas to real life situations involving buying carpet and wallpaper border for rooms in an actual home. This lesson shows the students the usefulness of the ideas being taught in class.

We will be reviewing the section in class over the next 2 days and they will be having a quiz on Wednesday (3rd period) & on Thursday (7th period)

CORD GEOMETRY

Today we discovered the triangle inequality theorem by attempting to build triangles with different side combinations. Students worked with partners and tried to build 8different triangles out of straws. Some of the triangles could be made, while others could not. This helped us to prove the theorem - that the sum of any 2 sides of a triangle MUST be greater than the 3rd side.

The activity went very well. We will be continuing to focus on sec. 3.6 again tomorrow, looking at applying the new theorem to real life problems.

FCCLA Food Drive

Don't forget the annual FCCLA food drive is currently going on. Be as generous as you can in helping out the families in need so that everyone can have a nice Thanksgiving dinner.

Cord Algebra 1

We have finished up on interest and have begun studying polygons. Students brainstormed a list of any and all shapes that they knew. From that list we narrowed it down to just polygons. Then we classified, named, and drew a picture of polygons from 3-10 sides.

Next we worked with finding perimeter of the different types of polygons, and applied perimeter to some real life problems. Today we will work on area of the polygons.

Cord Geometry

In class we have been working on using the Triangle Sum Theorem & Exterior Angle Theorem. Both of these theorems can help us find the measures of missing angles in triangles. Students have been working on worksheets where they have numerous intersecting lines and have to find all of the missing angles. This has been very helpful in remembering the connections between angles and lines.

Today students will be having a quiz on sec. 3.3. - 3.4. After that , we will be ready to begin sec. 3.5 on Inequalities in Geometry.

Alg 2

Today in class students took a quiz on sec. 3.1-3.2. Starting tomorrow we will begin our Battleship Lab. This activity will help put the topics that we have been working on in class, into a real world situation. Each group will receive a shipping lane and 3 different enemy lanes. They will have to use their knowledge of the sections we have been working on to draw a graph that will avoid running into the enemy. I really like this activity as do the students. We will be working on these activities Thursday, Friday & possibly Monday.

Senior Class Fundraiser

Seniors going on the class trip are currently selling Gardner's Christmas candies to earn profit towards their class trip. Profit's will by 35% of the total sales for each individual student.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Turn in order: Thursday, November 20th - please make sure the order form is tallied and totaled before turning it into Mrs. H

Delivery date: Tuesday, December 16th - please make arrangements to have items picked up by 3:30 on this date

Money due: Tuesday, December 23rd - please have all money turned into the business office (Mrs. Snowberger)

*** Watch for news on the trip sent home with report cards***

Senior Reward Day

Today, while the underclassmen were taking their 2nd set of 4-Sight tests, the seniors were to be watching a movie for a reward from last year's PSSA scores. Well, the English and Math department teachers were also being rewarded by joining them in the auditorium to watch Journey to the Center of the Earth. From the get go there were problems - wires crossed, air supply issues - and to make a long story short, the movie turned into a morning outside playing all sorts of sports.

Students played tennis, volleyball, football, soccer, ran the track, and even lacrosse. I had the honor of playing lacrosse 1st with Mrs. Robinson, and then later with Claire Jones, Leah Imler & Kendra Batzel. Let's just say that it was not real pretty. It is a lot harder than it looks to catch the ball in the lacrosse stick! But we did have fun.

Later we had a great game of Apples to Apples in the back of Tank's pick-up truck. Everyone playing had a blast: myself, Sara Snyder (12th grade student - not my mom, whose name is the same!) , Jocelyn Brumbaugh, Kendra Batzel ( my lacrosse partner ), Leah Imler, Claire Jones, Tanner "Tank" Cottle, Mrs. Robinson & Mr. Yeatts. People saw what a great time we were having and others joined in on the fun as well: Shane Arnold, Darrin Reasy, & Jesse Young. If I missed anyone in the game, well, so sorry. Tell Jocelyn and she could put it in the newspaper: "Don't You Hate It When....Mrs. Hagenbuch forgets that she was playing a game with you."

I had a fun morning and I hope all of the seniors did as well.

Currently reading...

I just started New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. It is the 2nd in the Twilight series and already I am very much into this continuation of the story of Bella and Edward. So many of my students have read these books and we all enjoy the addictiveness of the vampire love story! I can't wait to see what happens next....

Cord Geometry

We began our focus on triangles this week in Geometry. We learned the Triangle Sum Theorem and the Exterior Angle Theorem. Both of these theorems helped us find the missing measures of angles in a triangle.

Then we moved on to a picture of intersecting lines that had 24 missing angles. Knowing the measure of just 3 of the angles, we were able to apply our knowledge of angles and laws of Geometry to find the other 21 missing angles. When we first looked at the diagram, most people thought that it was going to be next to impossible to find all of the missing angles. But, after we solved the problem together, most said that it was much easier than they thought!

Next week we will continue practicing sec. 3.3 & 3.4 and will be having a quiz on Wednesday!

Algebra 2

I had my work cut out for me this week because we were doing every one's favorite kids of math problems - WORD PROBLEMS!

Students learned how to set up and solve word problems involving systems of equations. We did problems together on the board and then students tried to solve some on their own. We noticed that the more problems we did together, the easier they became! We were able to set up equations to word problems involving 2 missing variables and then solve these equations using substitution or elimination (Mrs. H's favorite!)

After the week, I still don't think that anyone ( but me & Mrs. Frederick ) loves to do word problems, but at least now my classes know how to solve them.

On Monday we will be reviewing sec. 3.1-3.2 on solving systems of equations. There will be a quiz on these sections on Wednesday.

Cord Algebra 1

This week in class students found their monthly car payments - on any car they wished to buy. Some monthly payments were over $2000! Students then had to explain if they thought they could realistically purchase the car they wanted. Then they had to find 2 ways to lower the payment and see if that made a difference in being able to afford their vehicle.

Many students did not realize how much a car payment would be. We also talked about how priorities change in the future and that they may choose to have things like water and electricity in their lives instead of a fancy car! Hopefully this is a lesson that my students will take with them into their real life.

4 Site Testing

Students in grades 9, 10 & 11 will be taking their 2nd set of 4 Site tests this week. Please come to homeroom prepared for the testing - this means pencil, calculator, and quiet work to do one you have completed your test.

Sr. Class Trip Fundraiser

There will be a Sr. class trip meeting this Friday during activity period in the auditorium. We will be discussing the final fundraiser for the trip. Seniors will be selling Gardner's Christmas candy to raise money for their trip. We will go over dates, profits, and any other fundraiser questions.

We will also start discussing the itinerary of the trip. If there is something that you are interested in doing while we are in NYC, bring the idea and any questions you may have about the trip to the meeting on Friday.

How 'Bout Them Panthers

In case you missed the game of the week, I will give you the recap. Pitt traveled to South Bend to play the 5-2 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. The winner of the game would become bowl eligible. Well Pitt was off to a slow start, without regular QB - Bill Stull - but the managed to get back in the game in the 2nd half.

Kudos to Conner Lee - game MVP in my book - for scoring the most points in the game kicking field goal after field goal in the Panthers' 36 - 33 win in 4 OT's! I was on the edge of my seat for most of the 2nd half!

The Panthers are now 6-2 for the season. We play Louisville on Nov. 8th at home. This is a Big East game - hopefully another win for my boys!

Check out all the details of the game at Pitt's website - you can click on the link on the right.

Algebra 2

Students have been learning to solve systems of equations using algebra by substitution and elimination. We have noticed that the algebra ways are definitely easier and quicker than solving a system by graphing. We will discover how to use multiplication to eliminate variables on Monday. After we learn elimination we will spend the rest of the week solving word problems involving systems of equations. Students will be able to set up equations and solve them using the skills we have developed in chapter 3.

Cord Geometry

Last week we reviewed graphing lines and writing equations of lines. This led us to defining and describing new types of angles formed by parallel lines - alternate interior, alternate exterior, and same side interior. We have been using facts about these types of angles to answer and solve problems. We will continue to work with this on Monday.

Cord Algebra 1

Last week classes began studying interest. We talked about where we see ans use interest in our lives. We will be doing the car payment lab that was discussed in an earlier blog this week. Don't forget to find your car - with a picture and an accurate price.

NOTEBOOKS

Notebooks will need to be turned in during class time next week to be graded. Please make sure that you have your notebook up to date and that the notes are in order. All classes will turn in their notebooks on TUESDAY OCTOBER 28th. Refer below for the notes that will be needed in your notebook:

Algebra 2 - sec. 1.1 - expressions & formulas through sec. 3.1
special cases of systems

Cord Alg 1 - sec. 1.1 - classifying #'s through sec. 2.2 distance &
temperature

Cord Geom - sec. 1.1 - basic figures through Ch. 2 review

PSSA Retesting

Some Seniors will be taking the PSSA retest this week. Wednesday will be writing, Thursday will be reading, and Friday will be math. Good luck to everyone!

Cord Algebra 1

Students have been using area formulas dealing with squares and rectangles. We have been focusing on setting up and solving real life word problems that involve area. We have looked at pricing carpet for a living room, at putting a bid in to stain a deck, and determining the number of rolls of wallpaper needed to cover a room. All of the things we have been doing in class this week are so relevant to the real world. I hope that my classes will take this new knowledge and try to apply it in their life.

Cord Geometry

We have been busy studying for a Chapter 2 test. WE have taken notes and are completing a review packet together. This review packet will be very useful in studying and preparing for the test. The Chapter 2 test will be tomorrow - Thursday October 23rd. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY!

Alg 2

Students have been learning how to use the TI 83 Plus graphing calculators in class. We have been graphing lines and then using functions such as trace, zoom, and calculate to find values. The kids seem to be catching on very quickly! They also seem to really like the "fun" that comes along with the calculators. For more information on graphing calculators like we have been using visit www.ti.com.

ALG 2

Today in Alg 2 we studied the special cases of systems of equations - parallel lines and same lines. We talked about how to explain the systems using vocabulary.

Tomorrow we will be learing how to use the graphing calculators to solve systems of equations. We will work together on learning how to use teh graphing calculators tomorrow and then on Wednesday students will work on thier own to solve systems with the graphing calcultors. I have a classroom set of 20 calculators along with an overhead display for easy teaching. Most kids like ot get out the calculators and "play" with them. Just remember that you are playing with a $100 toy - please be careful!

How 'bout them Panthers!

They did it again! My Pitt Panthers are on a 5 game winning streak and are moving up in the BCS standings - currently at 17. I tried to watch the game on my computer this weekend, but the plays were about 5 minutes behind the auido - very frustrating! But, I was able to listen to the big win over Navy. Check out game photos and stats at the link to the University of Pittsburgh from my blog.

GO PITT!

Sr. Class Trip

I am already starting to plan for the Sr. Class trip. The trip is scheduled for May 3rd - 6th. There will be so many things we will see and do. If there are any things that you definetely want to see or do. PLease let me or Mr. Yeatts know. We always try to do things that YOU wnat to do. Right now I am looking for the Broadway show that we will see on Sunday. If you are interested in looking at what is playing on Broadway right now, check out www.broadway.com. Let me know what you might be interested in seeing.

Sr. Class Fundraiser

Seniors who sold Butter Braids for the sr. trip fundraiser will be picking up their orders TODAY - October 16th. The orders will be ready sometime 9th period. You will need to make arrangements to have these picked up. TODAY.

Money for the fundraiser will be due to the business office by Thursday October 23rd. Students who do not turn money in by this date will be placed on the in-el list.

Your next & final fundraiser will be starting later this month. You will be selling Gardner's Christmas candy. Please listen for announcements and check the weekly schedule for meetings.

POW - Oct. 13 - Oct. 17

Since this is a short 3 day week, I will post a new POW on my blog. If you want to earn bonus points for the problem, write your answer on a paper in turn it in to the POW file on my desk.

Currently reading...

I am now reading the new Nicholas Sparks book Lucky One. I am a huge fan of his books. If you have not read anything by him - take my reccomendation and read any of his books. I loved The Notebook & The Wedding.

For other reviews on books with suggestions to read check out Mrs. Frederick's book blog at www.nbcreaders4life.blogspot.com. Or you can access her blog from the Hideaway.

Just finished reading...

In hopes to get some of you to become readers - hopefully 4 life! - I will fill you in on the books that I am in the process of reading, or have recently read.

Just last night I finished Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer. WOW! What a truely awesome love story. I never thought that I would want to read, let alone like, a story about vampires, but I loved it. Check it out in the library and then catch the movie coming out in November.

How 'bout them Panthers

The Panthers next game is Saturday October 19th at Navy. Check it out on CBS at 3:30.

Next Event
at
NavyDay: Saturday
Date: Oct. 18, 2008
Location: Annapolis, MD
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET


Coverage
TV: CBS CSN

CORD GEOMETRY

Classes will be focusing more on supplementary & complementary angles in sec. 2.7 and right angles and perpendicular lines in sec. 2.8. After 2.8 we will be ready to review and have a chapter 2 test. The test will probably be sometime the week of October 27th. You will get the exact date closer to the time of the test.