mid-year parent letter

language arts & social studiesmid-year newsletter Hello Parents,We are approaching the very middle of the school year and with that we feel theremight be a need to review some of our expectations and policies. These can also befound in the letter that was sent home at the very beginning of the school year. Wewant to update you on some important dates that are coming up quickly, as well.LANGUAGE ARTSCurrently we are starting a unit on the writing process. Students will be working ondifferent parts of the process and producing multiple writing pieces in class. This willhelp us prepare for the district’s WRITING ASSESSMENT SIMULATION (FEBRUARY6-10) and continue the process of becoming stronger writers.Students will also be reading a novel of their choice and responding to providedprompts that will serve as rough dra,s for a project on that book.The state reading test, or OAKS, will be given FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 3.We have taken a temporary break from roots & stems and vocabulary lists until we havefinished with these two assessments. You should begin to see your student studyingroots & stems and vocabulary lists again when we return from Spring Break.accelerated language artsCurrently we are starting a unit on the writing process. Students will be working ondifferent parts of the process and producing multiple writing pieces in class. This willhelp us prepare for the district’s WRITING ASSESSMENT SIMULATION (FEBRUARY6-10) and continue the process of becoming stronger writers.Students will also be reading a novel of their choice and responding to providedprompts that will serve as rough dra,s for a project on that book.The state reading test, or OAKS, will be given FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 3We are still studying our lists of roots and stems. Just a reminder, students receive theirnew list of 25 roots and stems on Friday and are quizzed over those 25 plus 10 from pastweeks. Graded and entered quizzes are typically handed back or are in student portfoliosfor students to take a look at by the following Tuesday. Students always have anopportunity to retake these quizzes if their original score is 79% (Kaltenbach) or 75%(Cornick) or lower.A,er six weeks of new lists we have a test over all six weeks. Then the “slate” is wipedclean and we start with a new list.

Students are expected to study their new lists 10-20 minutes everyday. As the yearprogresses these lists will become increasingly difficult so studying daily is crucial.SOCIAL STUDIESWe are nearing the end of our unit on Mesopotamia. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2ndstudents will be taking their UNIT TEST. This will be the first major test students havetaken in social studies. We have been preparing for this test since the beginning of theunit. Prior to the test we will review the major topics and concepts we have learned. Inaddition, students will receive a STUDY GUIDE to help students study at home. Pleasecheck in with your student about how their preparations are progressing.Once finished with Mesopotamia, we will be moving on to our second civilization,Ancient Egypt.SUPPLIES NEEDED ON A DAILY BASISAt this point in the school year, many of our needed supplies have been used up, lost,broken, etc. An important piece to your child being successful in school is beingprepared so please check to see that your child has the following supplies.2 pencilspencil sharpener1 black pen1 black ultra fine-tip Sharpiehighlighters (3 different colors)notebook papercolored pencils*glue stick** Not needed on a daily basis, but needed o,en.ASSIGNMENTS, LATE WORK, AND SECOND ATTEMPTS★ Most assignments are done IN CLASS.★ Occasionally students will need to complete an assignment as homework.★ LATE WORK is accepted WITHOUT penalty. Assignments and quizzes turned ina,er the DEADLINE will not earn credit. Deadlines are recorded on the UNITASSIGNMENT LOG. Deadlines are typically one week a,er the quiz for thatportion of the unit.★ ALL assignments, quizzes, tests, and projects may be redone if the first attemptdid not demonstrate proficiency. (79% or lower for Kaltenbach, 75% or lower forCornick)★ There is ONE opportunity to redo assignments and quizzes.★ Quiz make-up times are typically during lunch. It is the students’ responsibility tocome in and take advantage of these opportunities.Please keep this information handy, as it may help guide some conversations betweenyou and your student as we begin the second half of 7th grade.A,er reading and reviewing this information with your student, please sign and returnthe attached slip.Sincerely,Tyler Kaltenbach & Katie Cornick

Please sign, detach, and return this portion of the letterwith your child by January 31st.Student name (print): ____________________________________________________Parent name (print): ____________________________________________________Parent signature: ________________________________________________________Date: ___________________________________________________________________