Mr. Paradiso

8th Grade Math

Cooper Middle School

All About Mr. Paradiso

• This is my 6th full year teaching at Cooper
• Graduated from Illinois State University in December of 2019
• Coach Cross Country and Girls Basketball at Cooper
• Coach boys Lacrosse at Maine South High School in the spring
• Getting married NYE 2026→2027
• Best way to contact me: vincent.paradiso@ccsd21.org

All About Mrs. McDermith

• This is my 5th year at Cooper
• I graduated from Bradley University
• I taught 6th grade for 3 years. This is my second year in 8th grade.
• I got married last summer. You may know me as Ms. Straughn

8th Grade Math

• 3rd year with this Desmos Curriculum (slight change with amplify)
• We encourage feedback!
• Experience with the platform for multiple years
• There will be no textbooks this year
• There will be homework!
• Google Classroom is where your student can find everything!
• Students will receive a workbook for every unit

Homework

• Homework is written on the board daily and is visible all day (even if your student forgets they can come back to my room at any time to see!)
• I grade at least one homework assignment per week
• Selected at random
• Could be twice per week
• Each assignment is worth 1 point for completion, not accuracy
• Will total about 12 points per trimester
• If a student needs assistance I’m happy to help during Homebase/Lunch

Class structure

On most days of class, the daily plan will follow:

• Homework review from night prior
• Introduction of new topic and notes
• Exploration of new topic through desmos
• Summary of new topic
• Homework time (if there is any left)

Assessments:

• One to two quizzes per unit
• Each unit will have one test
• Trimester grade will be comprised of total points earned out of total possible points (all points are weighted equal)

8th Grade Math

• Transformations and Congruence
• Dilations, Similarity, and Slope
• Proportional and Linear Relationships
• Solving Linear Equations and Systems
• Functions and Volume
• Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers
• Exponential Relationships and Scientific Notation

Looking ahead…

• It is very common that a student who takes Core math class in 8th grade will be placed in Algebra 1 during their Freshman year at BGHS
• Participating in this class is not the only factor that contributes to their placement. Their PSAT score will also be taken into consideration
• The PSAT is a test administered by Buffalo Grove High School

Questions???