Middle School Update

Volume 7 Number 21

March 3 , 2008

CALENDAR:

WELCOME BACK!  There were only 256 out of 268 middle school students in attendance and they all seemed happy to back and ready to learn. It was a beautiful day with a blue sky.  Among the 256 were 4 new sixth graders, 6 in grade 7, and 4 in grade 8. We welcome these new students to the FDR family.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES BOOKLETS will be given to students on March 3rd. They need to return the forms by Wednesday 5th.  Decisions to cancel undersubscribed activities will be made that day.  Students who sign up later are added on a space available basis.

COMMUNITY FOCUS:  Eighth graders have a major community and service project this semester. Parents of eighth graders are invited to attend the assembly on Wednesday, March 5th, in Center Stage at 10:15 a.m.  Students will be hearing the details of the project and will be selecting groups. These groups each need a mentor and most will ask a parent to do this.  If you have been, or might be, asked to be a mentor, or if you wonder what CoFo is all about, please feel free to join us in Center Stage.

EIGHTH GRADE SCIENCE/HUMANITIES PROJECT: The eighth grade students began a 3 week project on February 28th. They will be using class time in science and humanities to do this, this is not a homework assignment. It is very important that students attend school regularly to be able to finish this on time. Also, they will be presenting on March 17-19 and must be here to do so. Please do NOT take students out of school for the entire week before Easter. This is not something that can be done at another time.

SWIMMING:  Middle School PE classes will be in the pool for 3 weeks.  All students who have Mr. Marquez for PE will be in the pool from Feb 28 - March 25. Students are expected to wear an FDR swimsuit and cap and bring a towel. During the first two days they were tested for swimming ability so that they can be grouped for instruction. The swimming pool is an exciting addition to our PE curriculum and after school program.

REMINDERS FOR STUDENTS WHO DO NOT RIDE THE BUS:  Gate 2 is open until 7:55 and may only be used by students who show current ID cards as they enter.  Students are asked to have the ID cards in hand BEFORE they get to the gate.  Students who arrive late or do not have ID cards MUST enter through Gate 1 and will remain there until cleared by the office. It is likely these students will be late for class and will receive an unexcused tardy.

STUDENTS RIDING THE BUSES should also have their ID cards as they will be asked for them periodically as they exit the bus.

MOST STUDENTS have ID cards that indicate they have parent permission to leave through Gate 2 at the end of the day. They need to show that pass to the guard at the gate.

SHORT SEMESTER:  This is a short semester and has become shorter due to the visit of the EU heads of state in May.  We will be having 3 long weekends this semester. They will begin at 12:20 on Wednesday and continue through Sunday. Please do NOT take additional days, it is important that students be in class. Using school days for travel is considered an unexcused absence.

LOST AND FOUND:  We put lost and found items from last semester on display in front of the office for student to check. We now will donate the remaining items to charity next week.  Most items were not labeled and in others the label was not readable.

OUTSTANDING OBLIGATIONS: Students who had overdue library books, textbooks not turned in, school musical instruments, team uniforms, or owed money to the kiosk did NOT receive report cards on December 21st. They instead received a letter saying what the outstanding obligation was.  These cards may be picked up in the Middle School Office once the obligations are cleared.

ACCESS TO POWERSCHOOL - First semester final grades are visible only as the final 1-7 grade in the subject. Further information is on the report card.  You will find these by clicking on “Grades History” icon.