5/25/07 Update - Still Week One

Hey Guys,

Well, today I'm officially finished with school. It was a little sad saying goodbye to all the teachers and watching the people come in to rip out the carpet. I guess we are going to have yellow tile on one side of the hall and green on the other with a white stripe down the middle to remind us all which side of the hall to walk on. German, what is your take on the merits of green, yellow, white, and red as colors to decorate the school?

Because of all the negative comments about the plainness of my room, I am planning on painting one of my walls another color and adding some posters (still cycling, sorry). I also have to finish a grant proposal by next week to get some more equipment for the room so I will be busy.

I already miss you guys, especially the 8th graders I see logging on the blog because I know I won't have them next year. Make sure you include your e-mail address in your profile so I can say hello throughout the summer and next year.

I rode up the Monument today after I got off work and someone honked at me and almost ran me over. I don't know for sure, but I suspect it was the O'Banion's clan or maybe Olevia Shafer's mom. Hard to say.

Anyway, thanks for the occasional math comment (although the other comments are very amusing - it was big of you, Maddie, to admit you were lying). To answer your question on the (8a-4a^2)-(7a^3-a) you DO NOT use the FOIL method, that is only for multiplying binomials, not adding or subtracting. Just add the opposite of everything inside the parentheses (using the distributive property) and then collect like terms. So it would be 8a - 4a^2 - 7a^3+a which then simplifies to -7a^3-4a^2+9a when you put them in order from highest to lowest degree (the only like terms were the a's).

Anyway, I show two people having done the Week One assignment so far (all the problem #2's) - Maddie and Neigh. You still have a week left, so good job! I will be busy tomorrow installing a new bike rack (a birthday present from me to me) and then doing some riding. Please tell the O'Banion's and Shafer's to stop scaring me.

Mr. Cookie

Introduction and Week 1

Hi,

I hope your summer is going well! I know by this time you must already be getting bored, so check in and let me know when you finish your first set of problems. Remember, we did the first set of problems during class, so just do problem #2 from each worksheet by June 2, 2007. REMEMBER, YOU MUST SHOW ALL OF YOUR WORK.

Let me know how you are doing both on your assignment and in your life. If you have any questions list them on the blog and either one of your classmates or I will get back to you with suggestions.

Remember, if we have more than 90% average weekly participation we will start the year with a pizza party and a movie of your choice (PGish).

Mr. Cookie