Middle School Weekly Bulletin

Volume 9 Number 4

August 31, 2009

CALENDAR:

Parent Advisory Council: The Sixth Grade representatives will hold a coffee for the sixth grade parents on Wednesday, September 2nd from 8:00am-9:30am in the Roosevelt Room.  Sheryl Salem, Middle School Principal, will give a presentation on Middle School: Meeting Your Preadolescent’s Needs. We look forward to seeing you there!

Classroom Without Walls (CWW) Trips 2009: Planning continues for the trips to Cusco, Iquitos, and Trujillo/Chiclayo that will take place from October 19-23. The information about itineraries, activities and requirements that was presented at last week’s parents meetings is accessible on the web. From the Middle School page (http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/), go to MS Grades on the tab at the top, your child’s grade level, then CWW.

Students describe the CWW trips as one of the most meaningful and memorable experiences of Middle School and their careers at FDR. The weeklong journey with classmates and teachers connects school learning with the real world, promotes an appreciation for the cultural and geographical richness of Peru and fosters a feeling of community and class spirit among students.  While we are interested in providing rich educational opportunities through these trips, we are also mindful of our students’ security. To ensure your children’s safety, the school maintains ongoing communication with the U.S. embassy, local security sources and our travel agents.

In order for students to accompany the class, they must have a notarized permission form. These can be obtained through any notary public. For our parents’ convenience, the school will have a notary on campus during the week of parent conferences. In order to obtain the permission, please bring your child’s birth certificate, your identification document (DNI or passport) and a photocopy of both documents.

 The deadlines and amount of final payment for the trips are as follows:

Grade 6 – Sept. 10th –  $575.00

Grade 7 – Sept. 11th – $575.00

Grade 8 -  Sept. 11th - $530.00

The procedures for payment through INTERBANK bank are the same as for the initial deposits:

MYP Parents: A request was made at the introduction-to-MYP presentation for an example of how a student's OLA grade for a given marking period is derived from the student's criterion scores on individual assignments.  If you would like a copy of such an example, please email Mr. Triller (MYP co-coordinator) at totrille@amersol.edu.pe.

Calendar Correction: The NJHS Induction Ceremony will be moved from Oct. 29th to Nov. 9th.

Frequently Asked Questions about the ITBS:

What is ITBS? 

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills is a standardized test given to students across the U.S. and at some international schools each year. It assesses our students’ basic skills such as vocabulary, reading, language and math and allows us to compare our students’ achievement with that of students in other schools.

Can my child prepare for the tests?

Students will review the format and procedure prior to test week and will take a practice test to familiarize them with the types of questions that they’ll have to answer.

How does the school use the ITBS?

Here at FDR, we use the test results to provide information about the skills’ development of individual students, to identify strengths and weaknesses in the instructional program and to provide data that will guide future instructional decisions. The test results do not impact our students’ grades. We do however, average results with Middle School grades to determine a student’s qualification for the Presidential Achievement Awards given at the end of 8th grade. 

How can I support my child during ITBS testing?

Because the results will be used by teachers and administrators to set goals for student learning, please discuss the importance of taking the exams seriously and doing his/her best with your child. You can help your child achieve optimally by making sure that s/he gets enough rest and eats a substantial, healthy breakfast.

Student-Led Conferences: As part of the Middle School philosophy of developing learning skills and fostering responsibility and independence, all Middle School students will accompany parents and lead the conferences that will be held Sept. 14-18 from 1:00-3:30. Giving students a key role in conferences reflects our student-centered focus and prepares students, in the course of their Middle School careers, to make the transition between Elementary and High School. Student-led conferences also emphasize that the educational process is a joint effort among students, teachers and parents.

Students will be dismissed at 12:20 and all after-school sports and clubs will be cancelled that week. Your child may stay at school after 12:20 only on the day of your conference. Students will wait for their conferences in a supervised area. In order to meet with all students and their parents, conferences are tightly scheduled; as a courtesy to students, other parents and teachers, please be on time.

Academic and Behavioral Referrals: In following this year’s  theme “THINK GREEN – ACT GREEN,” all middle school referrals are being sent home by e-mail. Please check your e-mail regularly for this. The referral includes a description of the infraction and the corresponding consequence. Consequences vary on a continuum from warning, lunch detention, or after school detention, depending on the type and number of infraction(s). The date and time of the consequence is also included in the referral. Please confirm your receipt of the referral by replying to the e-mail that you received.  It is not necessary to print out the referral, sign it and return it, as was the procedure in the past. Thank you for helping the middle school reduce its carbon footprint!  

Resources for Parents: New to Middle School? Returning, but want to know more about the Middle School Program? Take a look at the Parent Links on the Middle School web page, where you’ll find the Orientation for New Parents, Introduction to Advisory and a parents’ guide for using Power School. Also, ask your child to show you his/her Moodle classes. This is where teachers will post assignments, deadlines, assessment information, rubrics and other resources. There, you will be able to see a calendar with all of the due dates for your child’s classes.

MS Parents’ Book Club:  Four books have been selected for MS parents to read and discuss this school year. The first is Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos, who will be visiting the school in Sept. and working with students and teachers.  Girls Will Be Girls by JoAnn Deak and Raising Cain (Criando a Cain) by Michael Thompson will both be discussed at the second meeting.  The Motivation Breakthrough by Richard Lavoie is the third selection. Donna Goldberg, author of The Organized Student, says that this book "offers concrete strategies and reveals the most powerful and effective secrets for boosting a child's confidence, self-esteem, and motivation." Parents who are interested in participating in the book club can purchase the titles through Amazon or at the PTA Book Fair. Some copies will be available in the library for parents to check out.

To go the Monday Messenger go to:

http://www.amersol.edu.pe/fdr/news/messenger/index.asp