8th Grade Announcements
Attendance
Starting 8/30 any student not seated in their seat by the 8:00 am bell will be marked LATE. Students will be picked up around 7:50 and will be given enough time to organize and prepare themselves for the morning classes
Missing books/ lockers/ hallways
Middle school students have the responsibility of having lockers to store their books and school materials. Often they leave their books/ notebooks/ binders in the hallway. If your student is missing a book/ supplies, they may have been picked up by one of the staff members. They must make sure they speak to Mrs. Hernandez, Mrs. Ortiz or myself if they are missing any items. My policy is to charge students a dollar ($1) for each item they forget, we must remember that it will cost you $80+ to replace a lost textbook and $25 to replace a workbook. If a student needs a certain book for a class they can make an arrangement with me to be able to use the book if they do not have the money to pay for it.
Mathletics
New this year is the Mathletics program for math, we have school wide access to the program. We have heard concerns about families not having internet access to access the program from home. To help these students and those who stay for Camp tiger and have limited time when they get home, we will be allowing Camp Tiger and other students to use the Computer Lab after school to work on their Mathletics activities. My math students who need to make arrangements to be able to use the Computer Lab after school please see me and we will discuss it.
Credit/ incomplete Credit on Mathletics
The policy in my classes for Mathletics is for student to attempt each activity assigned once, if they score better than 85% on a given activity then they do not have to repeat it. For students that score below 85%, they must attempt the activity up to 3 times to try to score better than 85%. If they cannot soe better than 85% after 3 attempts then they can stop attempting the activity and will still receive full credit. If they choose to not reattempt the activity moe than once and have a score below 85% then they will receive an incomplete.
Credit/ incomplete Credit on Mathletics
The policy in my classes for Mathletics is for student to attempt each activity assigned once, if they score better than 85% on a given activity then they do not have to repeat it. For students that score below 85%, they must attempt the activity up to 3 times to try to score better than 85%. If they cannot soe better than 85% after 3 attempts then they can stop attempting the activity and will still receive full credit. If they choose to not reattempt the activity moe than once and have a score below 85% then they will receive an incomplete.
Study Habits
Preparing for assessments is a vital part of your academic careers. Assessments are given at every level of education and the results of these assessments are used to determine whether concepts have been mastered and used to help structure instruction of future concepts. It is the students’ responsibility to figure out what method of studying works best for them. Students should not wait until the day before to study for a chapter or unit assessment, studying must begin at least a week before the assessments. There are various forms of studying and there is no set method that works for everyone. It is the responsibility of the student to figure out which method works better for them so that they can be successful on assessments throughout their academic careers.
8th Grade Attitude and Behavior
Through out the school-year the majority of 8th grade has shown trouble in their behavior and socializing during class. It is important that you speak to your child about the expectations you have for them when they are at school. The middle school teachers talk on a daily basis about behavior and academics, so that we are aware of any trends in behavior or work habits of students.
We have had recent issues with students giving teachers and staff members’ attitude after they were given a direction or they were corrected for an action. We cannot support a safe learning environment for ALL students if some students believe it is okay to give attitude or question a direction. I understand that at this age the big question is “why?” Why should I have to do this or that? We the adults have all gone through this phase in our lives. Students need to realize when it is appropriate to ask “why” and when a direction or action should be completed without the “why”. Also, a faculty member should never simply be ignored if they are speaking to a student directly, I have seen this occur more than once, and it is unacceptable in all cases! Please discuss this with your own child the importance of a positive attitude at school and the importance of respecting those who work so hard to give them the best education possible. Thank you.
We have had recent issues with students giving teachers and staff members’ attitude after they were given a direction or they were corrected for an action. We cannot support a safe learning environment for ALL students if some students believe it is okay to give attitude or question a direction. I understand that at this age the big question is “why?” Why should I have to do this or that? We the adults have all gone through this phase in our lives. Students need to realize when it is appropriate to ask “why” and when a direction or action should be completed without the “why”. Also, a faculty member should never simply be ignored if they are speaking to a student directly, I have seen this occur more than once, and it is unacceptable in all cases! Please discuss this with your own child the importance of a positive attitude at school and the importance of respecting those who work so hard to give them the best education possible. Thank you.
Science Field Trip 5/12/11
On Thursday, May 12th the middle school students will be attending a field trip to the L.A. Convention Center to learn how Forensic Science is used in real life situations to solve crimes. Students will be back at SAS before school dismissal. Students must bring a sack lunch with them on that day. Please do not bring lunch bags or boxes.
Important Dates
The following are important dates for 8th graders:
-5/29: 8th Grade Baccalaureate Mass (9:30 am)
-5/30: Memorial Day (No School)
-5/31: 8th Grade End of the Year Retreat
-6/1: All books and fees due, locker and desk cleanout.
-6/2: 8th Grade Luncheon
-6/3: 8th Grade Graduation assembly (8:10 am) / 8th Grade early dismissal (12:20 pm) / 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony (5:00 pm)
-5/29: 8th Grade Baccalaureate Mass (9:30 am)
-5/30: Memorial Day (No School)
-5/31: 8th Grade End of the Year Retreat
-6/1: All books and fees due, locker and desk cleanout.
-6/2: 8th Grade Luncheon
-6/3: 8th Grade Graduation assembly (8:10 am) / 8th Grade early dismissal (12:20 pm) / 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony (5:00 pm)
