Welcome to the fall semester of 8th grade math at West Coast Academy. Principal Leonard Da Vinci, Vice Principal Joanne D'Arc, Dean of Students Ronnie Descartes and all of the rest of the West Coast Academy staff in every department are ready and committed to making this the best year yet for our students.
We in the math department at West Coast Academy are particularly chafing at the bit ("chafing at the bit" is an English idiom meaning eager) to help our students learn, communicate in and have fun with the language of math. In addition to helping mankind quantify and understand our universe, “Mathematics is the only language shared by all human beings regardless of culture, religion, or gender.” (Annenberg Learner, 2017) We are, also, in accordance with standards set by the State of Arizona and the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, both of which will be discussed in greater detail below, dedicated to communicating this universal language to our students by means of the English language. We will therefore structure our lessons and classroom activities to assist and enable all students of whatever level to understand and communicate the math content of our class in English.
Mr. Bill King
Mr. King has been teaching 6 - 8 grade math at the West Coast Academy for three years. Mr. King initially pursued a career in business and law and earned a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Systems and a juris Doctorate in Law. He retired in 2011 after 35 years in the private practice of law. Not long after retiring, Mr. King enrolled in the College of Engineering at Arizona State University where he is seeking a Bachelor of Science. Several years later, Mr. King took a part time position as a substitute teacher at West Coast Academy and discovered that teaching was his passion. As a result of this, Mr. King attained a post baccalaureate teaching certificate at Rio Salado College and is now full time faculty at the West Coast Academy. His other passions are too numerous to list here but, like Ms. Sandburg, he is accomplished in a variety of musical instruments, hikes approximately 30 miles per week and rides a motorcycle.
Mr. King has a keen interest in what neuroscience has learned about the brain and the learning process. He has established a math boot camp at the West Coast Academy which focuses on automaticity. A recent slide show presentation created by Mr. King on this topic can be accessed from the following link: Automaticity In Math Mr. King has also done independent studies concerning the changes which affect all students as they enter adolescence and the effect which this has upon there learning. See the Resources page for more information on this issue. |
Ms. Rachel Sandburg
Ms. Sandburg assists Mr. King in teaching all of his math classes. Ms. Sandburg has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theory and Composition and also a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. During the last twenty years, Ms. Sandburg has traveled the world playing oboe, keyboards and percussion with the Boston Pops Orchestra and has written scores for several popular musicals. Ms. Sandburg has always enjoyed sharing her talents with others and has been doing so at the West Coast Academy for two years. She is pursuing a teaching certificate at Rio Salado College. In addition to participating in the math program, Ms. Sandburg has established a music club for the students at West Coast Academy. In her spare time, Ms. Sandburg also regularly competes in marathons, including the Boston Marathon and is also well known as an arborsculpturist. Her landscaping productions have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens.
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Mr. Samuel Kelly
Mr. Kelly assists Mr. King in teaching all of his math classes. Mr. Kelly originally chose to become a chemical engineer and earned a Master of Science in chemical engineering at MIT. After graduating from MIT, Mr. Kelly enlisted in the U.S. Army and worked with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for twenty years. After retiring from the armed services, Mr. Kelly initially sought a career as a pro golfer. His knowledge of physics complemented his physical abilities and he was quite successful on the golf circuit However, after all of his years of travel in the military service, he decided that pro golf with its traveling demands was just too much. He therefore decided to settle down in this community. He met the principal Da Vinci at a meeting of the Rotary Club and, as a result of their conversations, he decided to help out with the STEM program at West Coast Academy. Mr. Kelly, also, is pursuing a teaching certificate at Rio Salado College. Mr. Kelly also mentors the Robotics Club at West Coast Academy. In addition to all of his other accomplishments, Mr Kelly is a world class body builder.
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Academic Standards
The West Coast Academy and its classes abide by the academic standards promulgated by the Arizona State Board of Education (SBE) and the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). Working together and with the assistance of many teachers and citizens, these agencies created the Mathematics and English Language Arts standards now in effect.
Because many of the children attending schools throughout this nation are raised in homes in which English is not the predominant language, the United States Department of Education has required that all states enact and adopt English language proficiency standards for students with limited or no English language knowledge, experience, or skills. Consistent with these requirements, the Arizona Office of English Language Acquisition Services (OELAS) of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has developed English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards for English language learners attending public and charter schools in Arizona.
The math content taught to the students in this class is in accordance with the standards described in the preceding paragraphs. The links for these standards are set forth on the Resources page of this site.
The mathematics content standards and the English Language Proficiency Standards go hand in hand. ("hand in hand" is a popular idiom of the English language which means very closely connected or related) All lesson plans prepared for this class will therefore specifically include a “Content Objective” and a “Language Objective”. In addition, and in recognition of the fact that different students may have different English language abilities, each lesson plan will include “differentiated instruction” modules which will enable all students to learn the same math content but in a way that is specifically tailored to the individual student’s knowledge of the English language. The daily lesson plans will be posted in an online Dropbox account folder established specifically for this class. Students and parents and guardians of students will receive information on how to access this Dropbox account by way of email after the commencement of classes.
The academic standards adopted by this state and the methods of instruction described in the preceding paragraphs are result of observations and studies by Stephen Krashen, a linguist and educational researcher which were incorporated in a theory and series of hypotheses known as the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). The application of this protocol also incorporates the findings described by Dana Echevarria, MaryEllen Vogt and Deborah J. Short that there are five distinct levels of language development which apply to each second language learner irrespective of their grade level. For more information concerning these theories, please consult the Resources page of this site.
An essential element of Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition is what he
called the Affective Filter Hypothesis. "The Affective Filter hypothesis, embodies Krashen's view that a
number of 'affective variables' play a facilitative, but non-causal, role in second language acquisition.
These variables include: motivation, self-confidence and anxiety. Krashen claims that learners with
high motivation, self-confidence, a good self-image, and a low level of anxiety are better equipped for
success in second language acquisition. Low motivation, low self-esteem, and debilitating anxiety can
combine to 'raise' the affective filter and form a 'mental block' that prevents comprehensible input
from being used for acquisition. In other words, when the filter is 'up' it impedes language acquisition.
On the other hand, positive affect is necessary, but not sufficient on its own, for acquisition to take
place." (Steve Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition, March 12, 2017)
In accordance with the Affective Filter Hypothesis, the entire educational community at West
Coast Academy is committed to minimizing the negatives and accentuating the positives in all aspects
of our communications with the students. While we closely monitor what is going on in the school,
we can't be aware of everything. If any student or parent / guardian of a student becomes aware of
any factor which raises a student's level of stress or impinges upon the student's ability to learn,
please bring it to our attention. We are here to help.
In a further effort to minimize stress and alleviate uncertainty in the classroom, this class has
established guidelines for class conduct and interaction. A slideshow presentation of these guidelines
is accessible at the following link. Classroom Rules and Procedures.
Parental Involvement
The West Coast Academy does not encourage homework. Recent studies are inconclusive
concerning the benefits of homework and it is further acknowledged that the family time available to
parents and their children in this fast paced environment is already limited. Parents will at the
commencement of this semester receive an email which will contain a link to a specific Dropbox
account in which their child's schoolwork and progress can be reviewed. We encourage parents to
keep on top of their child's activities by reviewing this work. All parents and guardians are
encouraged to contact me any time in respect a student. My email and personal telephone number
are on the Contacts page. I will be attempting to reach out to all parents personally by telephone
during the first week of this semester. Please review your contact information with the school
administration to make sure that I have the best means of making contact. Please also feel free to
make an appointment to meet in person or sit in on a class. If a parent wishes to meet with me or
attend a class, please note that a personal ID and check in at the front desk is required.
If a parent wishes to attend a class, please let me know if advance.
While we will not be burdening the parents with homework, we do not take the position that their
role is inconsequential. The parents set the stage for how well their children will do in school by
making sure that they get appropriate amounts of sleep, have a nourishing breakfast, get sent off to
school with a smile and develop a good self image. Obviously, if a child is stressed out when they
come to school, that will raise the affective filter described by Stephen Krashen and adversely affect
their ability to receive comprehensible input. In fact input will become incomprehensible and the
child may simply tune out or become involved in non-education related activities which are not only
detrimental to the child but to his classmates as well.
concerning the benefits of homework and it is further acknowledged that the family time available to
parents and their children in this fast paced environment is already limited. Parents will at the
commencement of this semester receive an email which will contain a link to a specific Dropbox
account in which their child's schoolwork and progress can be reviewed. We encourage parents to
keep on top of their child's activities by reviewing this work. All parents and guardians are
encouraged to contact me any time in respect a student. My email and personal telephone number
are on the Contacts page. I will be attempting to reach out to all parents personally by telephone
during the first week of this semester. Please review your contact information with the school
administration to make sure that I have the best means of making contact. Please also feel free to
make an appointment to meet in person or sit in on a class. If a parent wishes to meet with me or
attend a class, please note that a personal ID and check in at the front desk is required.
If a parent wishes to attend a class, please let me know if advance.
While we will not be burdening the parents with homework, we do not take the position that their
role is inconsequential. The parents set the stage for how well their children will do in school by
making sure that they get appropriate amounts of sleep, have a nourishing breakfast, get sent off to
school with a smile and develop a good self image. Obviously, if a child is stressed out when they
come to school, that will raise the affective filter described by Stephen Krashen and adversely affect
their ability to receive comprehensible input. In fact input will become incomprehensible and the
child may simply tune out or become involved in non-education related activities which are not only
detrimental to the child but to his classmates as well.