graphing calculator

Scientific or graphing calculator? What do students need to buy?

As they grow older the school supply list will get shorter but not necessarily cheaper.

One item that could trigger sticker shock for parents of middle and high school students is a specific calculator. Schools generally prefer that students possess their own hand-held scientific calculator. For the most advanced math courses, such as Advanced Calculus the use of a graphing calculator may be required.

But, what's the difference? A scientific calculator performs functions beyond subtraction, addition, division and multiplication. A scientific calculator typically has special buttons for parentheses, trigonometric functions, exponents, pi, and inverses -- among others.

A graphing calculator does even more. It'll feature a larger screen, allowing you to enter a formula, then display a graph of it.

The Best Find's Geek Squad agent Derek Meister says scientific calculatorscan run from $10 to $60. Calculators that graph are generally priced more, usually between $80 to $150.Should back to school students purchase science or graphing calculators? (KOMO News)

However, Best Buy says you may not actually have to purchase a device and recommends consulting with your school first.

Harmony Weinberg, Edmonds School District's media and public relations supervisor she tells KOMO News each individual school sets its own policy.

"For higher level classes, like AP Calculus, it is often expected that students have a handheld graphing calculator, such as TI-83, TI-84 or TI-89."

These types of calculators are ideal for AP tests. Weinberg adds that schools have a procedure in place where students can use calculators, like they do textbooks if they don't have or chose not to purchase their own.

in the Edmonds school district calculators are handled in a similar way to textbooks in terms of damages or losses, however, they don't have any fees to make use of.

One other option may already exist in the laptops that schools provide. Weinberg states that there is a provision in Edmonds "all students have access to scientific and graphing calculators through their district-issued Chromebook." The district also encourages teachers and teachers to use Desmos online calculators, since they are used on state assessments and also on state assessments.

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West Seattle family says school policies on quarantine are biased against those who have not been vaccinated

from Joel Moreno, KOMO News reporterSaturday 17th September 2021

https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.485.1_en.html#goog_1206168445Volume 90% Denny International Middle School.

SEATTLE - A family in West Seattle say their young son was told to stay at home after they came in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. This prompted the family to claim that their son was targeted and was treated differently by officials from the school district because the boy has not been vaccinated..

The previous week, a 12-year-old student who is a student at Denny International Middle School was exposed to a classmate who was diagnosed with COVID-19.

School officials advised him to stay home for two weeks due to the fact that they did not believe he was vaccinated.

The family members of the victim have learned that if he had received a vaccination, the 7th grade student would not have had to miss classes as it was as long as he did not show signs of the disease.

"My kid has no symptoms," stated Jeremy Gollyhorn, the boy's father. "He's completely healthy. Why is it that he doesn't get a negative COVID test and come back to school?"

Gollyhorn claims that his son is being treated differently than students who have had their shots, and even should he fail a COVID-19 exam, the boy wouldn't be allowed back to school until the two-week quarantine time is complete.

But close friends who have been fully vaccinated, and who show no symptoms do not need to be quarantined and are able to return to school, but they are urged to get tested for the disease three to five days later in order to be certain.

Gollyhorn stated that it doesn't make sense.

"Vaccinated people can still spread COVID too so what's the difference there?" He stated.

A spokesperson stated that Seattle Public Schools is following public health guidelines set in the State of Washington.

Gollyhorn stated that the policy strips people of their choice. He added that his family doesn't trust vaccines and such situations only make him want to oppose the policy.

As of Seattle Public Schools started the school year on September. 1st, the school district has confirmed 117 positive cases of COVID-19 as well as Denny International Middle School has reported four positive cases in the same time.

It's unclear how many faculty or students have been instructed that they must be quarantined due to exposures. However, such absences are considered excused.