Middle School Weekly Bulletin

Volume 9 Number 8

September 28 , 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 notarized permission forms should have been turned in to the grade level trip coordinator by Fri., Sept. 18th. We are still missing these forms for some students. If you have not turned in this form for your child, please do so as soon as possible.

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 are  required by the airlines and 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.

Parent Feedback, Please: Parent feedback on the Student-Led Conferences was overwhelmingly positive. Comments and suggestions will be used to enhance the conferences scheduled for second semester.

We would also like your feedback on the amount of time your child spends doing homework each night. A Homework Tracking Chart was published on the web site and sent to parents by email. Please return the completed form with your child on Sept. 28th. This information will be compiled and used to identify ways in which we can help students and/or modify our homework practices.

MS Math: FDR is engaging in the process of aligning the Middle School and High School Math curriculum. In order to make improvements in the mathematics program, we are analyzing our assessment data, the scope and sequence of the curriculum and teaching-learning materials. We are gathering feedback from a variety of sources, including input from parents about their child’s learning experiences in mathematics. A survey is being sent by email to all MS parents; feedback is appreciated.

MS Sponsored Run: Sponsored Run is our annual fundraising event that is coming up on September 30th. All MS students participate in the event by running (or walking) a certain number of laps and collecting pledges for the total laps completed. Students should be discussing their participation and seeking sponsors. All money that is earned through this event goes to support MS community service projects for  the CWW trips 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!  

First Quarter Reports: Students will receive reports on their academic progress to date on Friday, Oct. 16th. In Middle School, these reports include grades for Habits and Attitudes to Learning (HAL) and Overall Level of Achievement (OLA) for each subject, both scored on a scale of 1-7. The OLA grades are derived from the criteria scores, which help identify your child’s strengths and areas for improvement in each subject area. Rubrics for OLA, HAL and subject area criteria can be found in the MS Student Handbook (http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/info/handbook/middle_school_HB_2009.pdf).

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 (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