graphing calculator

Scientific or graphing calculator? What calculator should students buy?

As your kids get older, that school supply list may get shorter, but it's not always cheaper.

One thing that can trigger sticker shock to parents of high and middle school students is a specific calculator. Most schools prefer students to possess their own hand-held scientific calculator. In the highest level math classes like AP Calculus the use of a graphing calculator may be required.

But, what's the difference? A scientific calculator performs functions in addition, subtraction multiplication and division. A scientific calculator usually has special buttons for parentheses trigonometric calculations, exponents inverted numbers and pi in addition to many other things.

A graphing calculator does even more. It'll feature a larger screen, allowing you to type in a specific function, then view a graph of it.

Best buy's Geek Squad agent Derek Meister says scientific calculatorscan run from $10 to $60. Calculators that graph are generally priced more, somewhere between $100 and $150.Should back-to-school students buy science or graphing calculators? (KOMO News)

However, Best Buy says you don't necessarily need to buy one , and suggests seeking advice from your school before you buy.

Harmony Weinberg, Edmonds School District's public relations and media supervisor Harmony Weinberg, Edmonds School District's media and public relations supervisor, tell KOMO News each individual school is responsible for 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 good for AP tests. Weinberg states that schools also have a procedure in place to allow students to access calculators just like they check out texts if they are unable to or don't want to buy their own.

For the Edmonds Education district the calculators are handled similarly to textbooks, namely, they are not subject to damages or losses, however, they there is no charge to use.

Another option could have a laptop from their school. Weinberg says in Edmonds "all students have access to scientific and graphing calculators through their district-issued Chromebook." The district also encourages teachers to utilize Desmos online calculators, since they are used in state tests too.

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West Seattle family says school quarantine policies are biased towards unvaccinated children

by 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 home after the boy came in contact with people who had been tested positive for COVID-19. This led his family members to say that he was singled out and treated differently by school district officials since the boy has not been vaccinated..

The previous week, a 12-year-old student who attends Denny International Middle School was confronted by a fellow student who was diagnosed with COVID-19.

The school officials told him to stay at home for two months because the vaccine he received was not up to date.

The family said that they've learned that if he had been vaccinated, the seventh grade student would not have been forced to miss classes as it was as long as he did not show symptoms of the virus.

"My kid has no symptoms," said Jeremy Gollyhorn, the boy's father. "He's perfectly healthy. Why doesn't he get an unfavorable COVID test and return to school?"

Gollyhorn claims that his son is being kept to a higher standard than other students who've received their shots, and even If he passed a positive COVID-19 test, the boy would not be allowed to return to school until the two-week quarantine period is complete.

However, close relatives who are completely vaccinated and have no symptoms do not require to go through quarantine and may return to school, however they should be tested within three or five days after 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 explained.

A spokesperson stated that Seattle Public Schools is following the guidelines for public health set by the state.

Gollyhorn has said that the policy deprives people of their right to choose. He said his family does not trust vaccinations, and that situations like this will make him want push back.

In the year since Seattle Public Schools started the school year on Sept. 1st, the district has confirmed 117 positive cases of COVID-19 as well as Denny International Middle School has confirmed four cases of COVID-19 in this time.

It is unclear how many employees and students have been instructed to remain in quarantine because of exposures. However, such absences are considered excused.