Scientific or graphing calculator?

Scientific or graphing calculator? What tools should students buy

As your kids get older and get older, the list of school supplies could become shorter, but it's not always cheaper.

One thing that could cause sticker shock for parents of high and middle school students is a special calculator. Schools generally prefer that students use their own scientific calculator. In higher mathematics classes, such as AP Calculus the use of a graphing calculator may be required.

But, what's the distinction? A scientific calculator is able to perform functions beyond subtraction, subtraction multiplication and division. A scientific calculator generally has special buttons for parentheses, trigonometric functions, exponents inverted numbers and pi as well as other functions.

A graphing calculator does even more. It has a bigger screen that allows you to type in a function, then display a graph of it.

Best buy's Geek Squad agent Derek Meister says scientific calculatorscan run from $10 to $60. The graphing calculators usually cost more, usually between $80 and $150.Should back to school students purchase scientific or graphing calculators? (KOMO News)

But, Best Buy says you may not have to purchase one. Best Buy suggests making contact with your school first.

Harmony Weinberg, Edmonds School District's public relations and media supervisor she tells 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 can be used for AP testing. Weinberg also says schools have a process in place for students to borrow calculators just like they check out textbooks if they don't have or prefer not to purchase their own.

In the Edmonds school district the calculators are handled similarly to textbooks, namely, they are not subject to loss or damage, but aren't charged to use.

Another possibility could be in their school-issued laptop. Weinberg states that the district of Edmonds "all students have access to scientific and graphing calculators through their district-issued Chromebook." The district also encourages teachers to use Desmos online calculators, as these can be used in state-wide tests too.

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West Seattle family says school policy on quarantine is biased against children who are not 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 from West Seattle say their young son was instructed to stay home following an incident when he came into contact with an individual who was positive for COVID-19. This led his relatives to allege now that their son was targeted and treated differently by the school district's officials due to the fact that the boy was not vaccine-free..

This week, a 12-year-old student who attends Denny International Middle School was exposed to a student in class who was diagnosed with COVID-19.

School officials advised that he should stay home for two weeks because they did not believe he was vaccinated.

His family members have recently learned that had he been vaccinated, the seventh grader would not have had to miss school as it was as long as he did not show evidence of the virus.

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

Gollyhorn said his son is being kept to a higher standard as students who have received their shots. And even if he showed a negative COVID-19 test, he could not return to school after the two week quarantine has been completed.

Close contacts who have been fully vaccinated and show no symptoms do not require to go through quarantine and may return to school, but they are advised to be checked three to five days later in order to confirm.

Gollyhorn declared it to be absurd and makes no sense.

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

A spokesperson said Seattle Public Schools is following guidelines on public health that are set for the school by the state.

Gollyhorn claimed that the law strips individuals of the freedom to choose. He also said that his family doesn't trust vaccines and situations like this just make him want to push back.

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

It's unclear how many staff and students have been instructed that they must be quarantined due to exposures. But, these absences are considered to be excused.