Middle School Weekly Bulletin

Volume 9 Number 6

September 14 , 2009

CALENDAR:

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 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 Peruvian notary public. Please note that notarization through the embassy is not acceptable for this purpose.  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 and your identification document (DNI or passport) plus a photocopy of both documents. The cost is S/25 and only cash is accepted. These notarized permission forms need to be turned in to the grade level trip coordinator no later than Fri., Sept. 18th.

Field trip permission forms have already been sent home. Please fill these in completely, including medical information such as emergency contacts, allergies, medicines and blood type. In addition to the permiso notarial and permission forms, students must travel with original documentation: DNI, carnet de extranjería or passport. These must be turned in to the grade level trip coordinator by Monday, Oct. 12th.

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.

24-Hour Drama: This second annual drama event will take place on Sept. 25th-26th. Over the course of the 24-hour period, faculty and student volunteers from the high school drama program will work with middle school students to help them understand the importance of collaboration and the value of taking part in the creative process. The event is open to all MS students who would like to participate and we encourage all members of our community to support the arts by attending the Sat. evening performance. For permission slips and more information, contact Mr. Bossung.

MS Sponsored Run: Sponsored Run is our annual fundraising event that is coming up on September 30th. Every student will have the opportunity to seek sponsors and raise money for those that are less fortunate. The money that is earned goes to support each class in their community service projects on the CWW trip and throughout the year.  In years past, students have raised over 55,000 soles and we hope to go far and above that this year!  

Monday Messenger Online: Please be sure to read the Monday Messenger Online, Colegio Roosevelt's weekly bilingual community e-bulletin which provides School, Parents’ Association, and community announcements, upcoming events, and special activities.  It is published online each weekend, thus helping the Roosevelt community plan their week in advance. You should receive an e-mail each week from "messenger@amersol.edu.pe" with a link to access the latest edition of the Monday Messenger Online (English and Spanish) and links to bulletins from each school division.  You may also access the Monday Messenger from our home page or bookmark this link http://www.amersol.edu.pe/fdr/news/messenger/index.asp

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, Middle School: Meeting Your Preadolescent’s Needs 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 (Críando 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