Questions & Concerns If you have any questions or concerns as your student progresses through CHAMP, feel free to contact:

• Kathee McDonald , Director of Gifted & Talented Programs at MSU, 517-432-2129
• Charles Seebeck , CHAMP Instructional Coordinator, 517-351-1285
• Your student's CHAMP professor
• Your ISD person
  • Julie Fick , Clinton County RESA, 989-224-6831
  • Cheryl Poole , Eaton County ISD, 517-484-2929, 517-543-5500
  • Sylvia Buie , Ingham County ISD, 517-244-1209
  • Sue Stephens , Shiawassee County, RESD, 989-743-3471

We are delighted to have you in CHAMP.

Letter for district teachers about CHAMP

Absences A posting of assignments can be found at:

• www.math.msu.edu/champ1 (CHAMP 1)
• www.math.msu.edu/champ2 (CHAMP 2)

It is requested that the CHAMP office or instructor be notified prior to an absence if possible. If a student is absent from class without prior arrangement, the CHAMP Office will phone the student's home and verify directly with a parent that the PARENT is aware of the absence. Although absence from CHAMP is undesirable, there are times when it is unavoidable. When an absence occurs, it is the responsibility of the student to keep up with what the class is doing, and to get all assignments in on time, or as near to on time as possible. Homework assignments due on the day of the absence should either be mailed to the instructor or be turned in at the next available Study Session (see menu at left). The homework assignment due the following week should be obtained within one day of the absence either from another student or instructor. It is important that absence from class not result in a wasted week. The student, and possibly the parents, should be aggressive in making sure that the student is up to date by the next CHAMP class. In the case of an absence that is predictable in advance, the instructor can usually provide assignments in advance, so the student can avoid getting behind in the first place. Generally speaking, a single, isolated absence will cause no long-term problems if the student makes the effort necessary to get up to date by the next CHAMP class. However, several absences during a semester can cause serious problems for the student, and, in such cases, the instructor should be consulted about how to prevent the student from falling seriously behind.

Cancelled Classes
Local Districts Vary
There is often some confusion when a local school district cancels classes due to weather. If such a thing happens on a Thursday, you should still assume that the CHAMP class will meet. Remember that a school district usually makes a decision to close school based on road conditions very early in the morning. Such roads are often cleared by the time transportation is needed to the CHAMP class. Usually, in bad weather conditions, a decision is made concerning CHAMP classes at about 10 am.

Personal Safety Even if CHAMP classes are held on a day of bad weather, those driving should not drive in conditions they consider unsafe! Thus, if your local conditions are so bad that driving students to the CHAMP class is unsafe, please do not risk it. It is far better for the students to be absent from class than to risk serious injury.

Cancellation Notices
The best way to find out if CHAMP classes have been cancelled is to go to the class websites:

• www.math.msu.edu/champ1 (CHAMP 1)
• www.math.msu.edu/champ2 (CHAMP 2)

There will be a statement of cancellation posted if CHAMP classes have been cancelled. Also, an e-mail will be broadcast to each student's MSU e-mail address. Another choice is to call the CHAMP Office at 517-432-2129.

Calendar

Classes:	Thursdays, August 30, 2007 - May 1, 2008, 1:00pm-3:00pm
CHAMP Labs	C113 Wells, Tuesday, 7:15pm to 8:45pm A304 Wells, Sunday, 3:00pm to 4:30pm
Champ Web Discussions:	www.math.msu.edu/champ1 (CHAMP 1) www.math.msu.edu/champ2 (CHAMP 2)
CHAMP Student- Parent Orientation	Wednesday, August 29, 2007 7:00pm - 8:00pm B102 Wells

Fall Semester 2007

August 30, 2007	CHAMP classes begin
TBA	Parent Conferences for CHAMP 1 students Parent Conferences for CHAMP 1 students Mid-Semester Progress Reports due
October 31	Last day to withdraw with 100% refund
November 22	Thanksgiving -- No CHAMP classes
December 14	Final Exams - Last CHAMP class for Fall Semester

Spring Semester 2008

January 10, 2008	CHAMP classes begin
March 6	No CHAMP classes (MSU Spring Break)
TBA	Parent Conferences for CHAMP 1 students.
May 1	Final Exams - Last CHAMP class for the year
May 1 4:00pm-6:00pm	CHAMP Reception at the Kellogg Ce for students completing the second year.

Notes

• Final exams will take place on the last day of each semester. Normally, on that day both a standardized test and the final exam for the course will be given.
• The date listed for the "MSU Spring Break" will constitute the spring break for CHAMP students. The students are expected to attend all CHAMP classes, even those conducted when their "home" school is on its spring break. In cases where this will constitute a hardship, the instructor should be consulted.
• Three extra CHAMP classes will be offered in May to students who need or want further support.

Directory

Class	Name	Office*	Office Phone**	Home Phone**
Algebra I -Fall Algebra 2 -Spring	Rebecca Leefers	A-233	353-5278
Algebra I -Fall Algebra 2 -Spring	Pavel Sikorskii	A-233	353-3072	339-5417
Geometry - Fall Algebra3/Trig. - Spring	Richard Hensh	D-222	432-3591	267-7509
Geometry - Fall Algebra3/Trig. - Spring	Gerald Ludden	D-302	353-6335	337-7829
CHAMP Instructional Coordinator	Charles Seebeck	D-312	353-4659	351-1285
CHAMP Counselor	Lee Howell	N/A	755-2055	648-1709
CHAMP Administration Office	Kathee McDonald Nansie Strobel	186 Bessey	432-2129

* All offices are in Wells Hall, unless otherwise noted.
** All phone numbers have 517 area codes, unless otherwise noted.

Web Discussions Links for discussion forums can be found at:

• www.math.msu.edu/champ1 (CHAMP 1)
• www.math.msu.edu/champ2 (CHAMP 2)

Directions for Discussions:

1. Go to webpage
2. To post a new problem, go to the bottom right corner of the page and click on "write." It will ask for your name and address and the question. After completing your question click on "submit
3. To read a problem, simply click on the subject and the problem will appear.
4. To reply to a posted article you first click on the article and then on "reply." You will be asked for your name and comments. After filling in the information click on "submit." The reply will appear after the posted article.

CHAMP Labs Champ labs meet most Tuesdays and Sundays at the following times:

Day	Time	Room
Tuesday	7:15-8:45 pm	C113 Wells
Sunday	3:00-4:30 pm	A304 Wells

NOTE: These labs are optional, but most students derive a real benefit from regular attendence at these sessions. Also, Tuesday labs are often much more crowded than their Sunday counterparts; therefore, students who require more extensive help are advised to attend the Sunday session.

Purpose of the Labs
CHAMP Labs are intended to give students the opportunity to ask questions about portions of the CHAMP material that they may not fully understand. These questions may be very general or very specific. The help provided is usually individual help, although several students with similar questions may be dealt with as a small group. Another aspect of the labs is that they provide an opportunity for students to help each other; many students find that help from their peers is more effective than help they may receive from normal teachers or instructors.
Note: CHAMP Labs are not intended to become private tutoring. If several students have questions at the same time, the assistants conducting the lab are under instructions not to let individual or small groups of students dominate their time when others are waiting for help. Thus, the student with several questions may have to wait in turn to have a single question dealt with, and then wait again in turn to ask another question. (It is not possible to adjust the staffing to the number of students attending a particular lab.) However, virtually all questions do get answered eventually, even when attendance at a CHAMP Lab is high. Students with questions are advised to indicate clearly that they have questions, and then be patient until the assistants can get to them.

Behavior
CHAMP labs are intended to be informal, but students are expected to behave in a proper manner at all times while on the MSU campus. Those conducting the CHAMP Labs will expel those students not behaving properly from the lab.

What to Bring
Students at CHAMP Labs do not need to arrive with a list of questions, but they should have the intention of working on the CHAMP course material. Many students use the labs as a time allocated to do homework, with the bonus that help is at hand in case something is not understood.

MSU Parking There are no spaces in the area immediately around Wells Hall for which "visitor parking" is legal during the day. In addition, ticketing for illegal parking on campus is extremely quick and efficient. If you plan to park and leave your car, use one of the pay parking lots designated for visitors. The pay lots nearest to Wells Hall are located to the north and the south of the football stadium. In an "emergency," where you may need to park your car for "just a minute," your best bet to avoid a parking ticket may be to put your car in the loading ramp at Wells Hall located directly opposite the smokestack. Although it is illegal to park a car there, your chances of getting a ticket are somewhat reduced, as allowances are made for cars and trucks making deliveries into the building. But to minimize your chance of getting a ticket by using the loading ramp, you need to be sure that you are not in the way of any vehicle wishing to enter or leave the loading area.

Evening & Weekend Parking
Any car may park legally park at any legitimate parking space in the area near Wells Hall, or in any open parking lot after 6 pm on weekdays and any time on weekends. (Note: There are parking restrictions for special events.)

Drop Off & Pick Up
All CHAMP classes meet in the C-wing of Wells Hall -- this is the portion of Wells Hall that is nearest the Red Cedar River. There is a door to the C-wing of Wells Hall that is convenient from Red Cedar road, and dropping students off near this door should not present problems. However, please plan the after-class pick-up in a way that does not cause a traffic jam near this door. The road is one lane in each direction, and there may be as many as 40 cars picking up CHAMP students. Thus, you should not loiter near the door to the C-wing. There are several areas nearby where a car can "sit" for a few minutes without blocking traffic. Please scout these out and arrange for the student(s) you are picking up to look for you in these areas. Students will be let out at 3:30, so if you arrive for pickup before that time, please do not position your car in a way that will obstruct normal traffic.

Car Pooling
A list of all students expected to participate in CHAMP is available. If you wish to form a car pool, please feel free to phone the parents of students listed who either live near you or who attend the same school as your son or daughter. The list of students are grouped by the school they attend. It might be useful to look at the list of students from nearby schools and school districts when forming a car pool.

Text & Calculators Every CHAMP student will sign out a textbook for the year. Each student is responsible for taking care of it and returning the book in good condition at the end of the year. Parents will be responsible for reimbursing CHAMP for the cost of any book not returned in usable condition.

All students in CHAMP are expected to have graphing calculators available for use in class. The preferred calculator is the TI 83+. It is available from the MSU book store, as well as other stores. The price should be about $110 for the TI 83+.

For Algebra I Students: The graphing calculators will not be used in class for the first three or four classes, so it is not urgent to obtain a calculator prior to the first class. In the first year CHAMP classes, graphing calculators will probably not be needed until late September or early October.

Academic Issues The instructor will make an effort to inform parents when serious issues arise with a student's academic performance. Issues become obvious to an instructor when a pattern presents itself. A single poor grade can often just be a "bad day." An instructor wants to be encouraging and not over-react to these isolated incidents; however, instructors see the students only one day per week. Parents may sometimes see signs that a student is having troubles long before a pattern becomes obvious to the instructor. This is a case where two or more observers are better than one. If you observe that your student is having difficulties with the CHAMP course over a period of more than a week, it might be a good idea to contact the CHAMP instructor and "compare notes." The instructor can often make individual suggestions that will help a particular student overcome certain types of issues. It is easier to overcome issues earlier rather than later.

Many CHAMP students have never had academic issues in school before, so they do not know how to cope with them or how to seek the help that might solve them. Parents can be very helpful to the student's performance by seeking out the help that the student may not realize (or be ready to admit) is needed. Due to the nature of a program like CHAMP, virtually all students encounter difficulties of one kind or another during the program. Learning to cope with and overcoming these difficulties is an important part of the learning experience. It is vital for students (and parents) to realize that learning how to find and use help effectively is an essential skill for long-term academic success.

Monitoring Performance While CHAMP does not issue grades until the end of each course, it is sill relatively easy for parents to have a good idea of how a student is doing. Almost every week, there are two "grades" issued, one for homework and another for either a quiz or a test. Homework grades usually correlate very well with test grades. Consistently poor homework grades lead to poor test grades. With quiz grades, the pattern over several quizzes is more important than any individual grade. The quizzes are essentially one or two question tests, so a single error or misconception can result in a poor grade. Parents should ask the students regularly, even weekly, to show them the specific scores on homework, quizzes, and tests. A vague response that "everything is okay" is not really informative, since very few students will admit to having difficulties until the situation is very serious. Parents should insist on being shown the actual papers and scores.

Unsatisfactory Performance
If parents feel that a student's pattern of performance is not satisfactory and if it is not clear how to modify the student's preparation to bring this performance to a satisfactory level, then see Academic Issues and contact the instructor.

Parents should not be concerned with single low scores, provided that other scores are satisfactory. The student's consistency and average grade are much more consequential than are individual scores. If a pattern of low scores or dwindling performance appears, parents should talk to their student(s) or consult the CHAMP professor.

Mid-Semester Conferences & Report
There will be a mid-semester report sent to parents at approximately the mid-point of the semester, but this will not give a "grade" as such. The mid-semester report will consist of a checklist to indicate if everything is going well for the student. It will highlight any areas in which the performance of the student is not at a high level. Parents are invited to contact the instructor if there are any questions or concerns about this mid-semester report.

Student Behavior Participation in CHAMP is a privilege for the student, not a right. Students who behave inappropriately jeopardize their continued participation in CHAMP. It is recognized that students of this age sometimes get over-exuberant, and allowances will be made for what is simply exuberant behavior. However, continued misbehavior, or even a single serious incident, may be grounds for removal from CHAMP. Parents will be notified of any serious student misbehavior.

The basic rule for student behavior is simple: Students are expected to behave with courtesy towards teachers and assistants and to show appropriate consideration for fellow students and all members of the MSU community. This includes all times when the student is on the MSU campus in conjunction with CHAMP activities and time both before and after classes and CHAMP Labs.

Breaks During Class
One very important rule should be noted. Students are NOT allowed to leave Wells Hall during breaks from class. A student who leaves the building during a class break will be terminated from CHAMP! This rule will be explained to students during the first CHAMP class. This does not apply during CHAMP Labs, when students are free to come and go at any time.

Student Information It is very important that CHAMP have accurate information about each student. In particular, the student's addresss, home phone number, and school should be current. Please check carefully the listing for your son or daughter that you received in the mail. Please check the list of CHAMP students to see that it is all correct for your student. If there are any errors or changes at any time in the future, please notify the Office of Gifted and Talented Programs, which serves as the CHAMP office at 517-432-2129 or mcdon288@msu.edu as soon as possible. Inaccurate information can create a number of problems causing inconvenience all involved. If you did not receive a student list, contact the same office to get your copy.