Geometry
Cypress High School
Mr. Montrella, Room 203
Cypress phone number: 714-220-4144; Email: montrella_j@auhsd.us
Conference period: 2nd Period (9:00 – 9:45)
1. Required Textbook: Geometry, McDougal Littell, 2007
2. Supplemental Materials: Geometry Notetaking Guide, McDougal Littell, 2007; Geometry
Practice Workbook, McDougal Littell, 2007
3. Required Supplies: Students are required to bring the following daily: 3-ring binder with
page dividers, lined notebook paper, graph paper, pencils, compass, protractor, white
board marker (black or blue; thin tip preferred) & eraser, scientific calculator (for
example, TI-30). Please note, geometry students are not permitted to use a graphing
calculator either in class or at home. As well, students will be required to bring the two
above mentioned consumable workbooks (Notetaking Guide and Practice Workbook) to
class daily, as well as their Student Planner.
4. Course Description: Geometry is a college preparatory class that builds upon the skills
learned in Algebra 1. (Students must have completed Algebra 1 with a C or better.)
Successful completion of geometry is required for high school graduation. In geometry,
students will develop reason and problem solving skills as they study topics such as
congruence and similarity, and apply properties of lines, triangles, quadrilaterals, and
circles. Students will also develop problem solving skills by using length, perimeter, area,
circumference, surface area, and volume to solve real world problems.
5. Grading Scale: Composition of Grades:
A 90% - 100% Notebooks 2 points per assignment
B 80% - 89% Tests 100 points each
C 70% - 79% Quizzes 10 points each
D 60% - 69% Final Exam 300 points
F Below 60% Portfolio 50 points
6. Notebook Policies: Notebooks will be completed and turned in for each chapter.
Notebooks need to be in a 3-ring binder with page dividers between sections. All work
must be neat, orderly, and organized in the appropriate sections:
First Divider – NOTES: Class lecture notes from the Geometry Notetaking Guide
(consumable workbook).
Second Divider – PRACTICE: Practice pages from the Geometry Practice Workbook
(consumable workbook).
Third Divider – HOMEWORK: Homework assignments from the textbook, Geometry,
2007, covering both the Skills Practice and Problem Solving sections.
Fourth Divider – REVIEW: Mixed Review for each section of the chapter (these
assignments are part of the overall notebook grade).
Fifth Divider – STANDARDS: Continuous worksheet practice and notes on the California
Geometry Standards.
Notebooks are graded based on the completion of assignments. Each assignment is worth
2 points if every problem is finished completely. If the assignment is not perfect, but at
least ½ complete, it is worth 1 point. If the assignment is less than ½ complete, it is worth
0 points.
Notebooks are due the day of the chapter test and need to contain all notes, practice
workbook pages, homework assignments, and review assignments for the chapter. If a
student is absent the day of the chapter test, their notebook is due the day they return to
class. Late notebooks (notebooks turned in any day after the day of the chapter test)
are penalized 50% and must be turned in prior to the next chapter’s test day. Any
notebook not submitted prior to the following chapter’s test day will not received any
credit.
Student Signature:__________________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________________ Date: ____________________
7. Student Planner Policy: Students are also expected to bring their Cypress Student
Planners to class each day in order to record assignments and test/quiz dates. The
planners will be collected the day of each chapter test, graded, and returned to the
student. Student Planners will awarded 2 points if completed – every assignment for the
current chapter plus all quiz and test dates much be recorded on the correct dates.
Incomplete planners will receive a grade of 0.
8. Test Policy: Tests (chapter or benchmark) are generally given at the end of each unit.
Benchmark tests will also be given periodically to assess the student’s mastery of
concepts learned from the beginning of the school year. Tests will be graded, returned
and reviewed in class. Due to test security reasons, tests must stay in the classroom and
not go home. They can be viewed at anytime in the classroom. All students present in
class on the day of a test are required to take the exam regardless of past absences. If
a student has a verified/excused absence on the day of a test, the student should be
prepared to make up the test upon his/her return.
9. Quiz Policy: Quizzes will be given periodically on current and previous standards taught
during the school year. These quizzes will cover concepts and problems both from
classwork and homework, including the “Standards Worksheets.” There will be NO
make-up quizzes. However, the two lowest quiz grades will be dropped per semester.
Some quizzes will be scheduled and some will be “pop quizzes.”
10. Construction Portfolio: Throughout the semester, students will complete a series of
geometric constructions using a compass and straightedge, which will be submitted in a
portfolio. These constructions need to be printed from the school’s website as they
become available. Portfolios will be due toward the end of each semester. A construction
final will be given during the second semester.
11. Class Participation: Students must be prepared for class each day; this includes all
consumable workbooks, notebook, and Student Planner. Students who come unprepared
(missing one or more of the above items) will lose 1 point, per day, on the current
chapter notebook score.
12. Classroom Behavior: Students are expected to follow school rules and be courteous and
respectful in the classroom. They will respect the opinion of others. Profanity will not be
tolerated. The school tardy and attendance policies will be enforced. The classroom
expectations are summed up as follows:
1. Be Respectful...
2. Be Courteous...
3. Be an Active Learner...
In other words, come to class ready to learn and ready to respect the learning of others.
13. Discipline Procedures: Should any student choose to break the classroom and/or school
rules, the Cypress High School Discipline Plan will be exercised, which includes after-
school detention, parent contact, and ultimately, referrals to the administrator.
It is not uncommon for success in a class to be affected by a lack of understanding as to
what the teacher is expecting. The goal of this course syllabus is to explain clearly and
completely all class policies and expectations. Please read it carefully. If you have any
questions, please ask in person, by phone, or by email. Please sign the bottom of the first
page and this page of the syllabus indicating that you have read through all class
policies and discipline procedures.
Student Signature:__________________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________________ Date: ____________________