Wed., 5/15/13--Note #1, in a way, for School Year 2013-2014! Welcome, Parents, to my web site!
Parents of the Class of 2014, welcome to my web page! I've spoken with several of your students, and I'm delighted with the focus on getting some hours on the Senior Project taken care of during the summer. Some great ideas also!
Remember, Form 1 (which requires a conference with two teachers, appointed by the Projects Committee) must be filled out, signed by the mentor, and returned to Mrs. Baker before Senior Project hours can count! I've seen several of these in process, which is great. If students didn't get them turned in by the end of school, they can e-mail Mrs. Baker and e-mail their two teachers and deal with the situation that way so they can start hours over the summer!
Later in June, I'll be calling all my students, using the phone numbers they gave me on The Yellow Form. (Reminder: This yellow form is due to me by Monday, May 20th!) I'll chat with them then about their projects, as well as about the letter/homework I'll be sending in mid-July. The letter will be addressed to parents; the homework (not long!) is for the Class of 2014!
Please remember that I'm available by phone during the summer at 441-2620, and I'll check my e-mail daily. Let me know if you have any questions! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Wed.., May 8, 2013 : Note #35, LAST note of the year!…and thanks to those of you who have let me know you’re receiving these! (Yes, I left the last two items on there just because….)
I have enjoyed working with the Class of 2013, and many of the Senior Boards speeches (and projects themselves!) were great! I heard positive comments about many all morning and afternoon on May 3rd! The majority of my students showed a mature and responsible approach throughout the year to the forms and research and speech preparation. Good practice for Life After High School!
Reminder: The Senior Boards grade is the real “final” for the quarter, although we worked with a thinking final on writing and higher level thinking on May 6th/7th. The students did a FANTASTIC job on that! (See Skyward.)
So, the Class of 2013 is here—at graduation time! Many nicely high grades at the end, some thanks to that triangle of home/teacher/student we kept going with phone calls and e-mails!
Reminder: Your student received an e-mail at the end of each week with the following week’s general schedule. Handy for “looking ahead” and absences….(Just like Life After High School! If you look ahead, it often works!) Remind them that looking ahead will continue to make a difference in life!
Call me at home or school with any questions! * * * * * * * * * * * Wed., May 1, 2013. Note #34 for the year. (The parent note for this actual week is below this one, if you need that information!)Thanks to those of you who have let me know you’re receiving these! I’ll continue to put new information first with the “reminders” at the end. As we finish up the year, there will be lots of reminders about Senior Boards and forms and Presentation Notebook--and they'll just stay on here. On Skyward, when you check the grades, just click on a grade to see the work involved with that score! (Remember, if you want to see the material we're covering in class, it's on this web site under "Next Week: The Plan.")
In class, remember, we’ve reviewed the rubric for Senior Boards presentation on May 3rd. This is the rubric the grading committee will have in front of them, so the students know EXACTLY what should be in their presentations, and they know on what they’re being graded! No excuses!
Next week I'll be after school for make-up work on Monday, May 6th, until 3:30 if people are there right after school or tell me they’ll be a little late. Remember, On Friday, May 3rd, I'll be here for a time in the afternoon, since I'm judging Boards in the morning. (Reminder: Students can also work with me at 7 a.m. and during most hour 4’s, sometimes hours 5/6/7 and a day a week after school.…Just tell them to speak with me and we'll schedule! It can work!) Another reminder: I input grades frequently, several times a day, so your child’s grade is current! Thanks!
Right now, students are doing well with the thinking on the unit I call “The Thinking Unit,” about ways minds can be manipulated—and easily. Of special interest should be “The Milgrim Experiment,” an actual happening which should say quite a bit to our young people. We’ll be creating a phone dialog about this article or “The Third Wave,” which presented adolescents under mind control.
Senior Board scores should be up on the school doors by 5:00 or 5:30 (or even earlier…) on Friday, May 3rd. I'll be back to help students locate scores, but students should know their student ID number, since that's how scores will be posted! (I should have the Senior Boards grade into Skyward by sometime Saturday, May 4th, if all goes well!)
Now—let me explain something about times: ALL GRADES HAVE TO BE HANDED IN TO DETERMINE THE GRADUATION LIST BY 3:00 on Tuesday, May 7th. If your student is passing English (and everything else needed), great! If your student isn’t passing English or another needed class, he or she cannot walk at graduation.
At the moment, no student is failing my English class. However, if anyone slips, passing English for the semester is still a possibility! I will still work with that student for the rest of the school year so he or she can pass English. Very few students are anywhere near this situation, though, but remember, a delayed diploma is better than no diploma! (Chances are your student is not one of these few failing, since you’ve been checking grades!)
The last two days of school in English (May 6th/7th) will be busy ones for my seniors. Focus notes and questions involving excellent thinking and writing skills will be the order of the day. The only thing they can do to prepare for the test is to think on a high level and plan to write brilliantly! (Oh, yes, they do need to know the acts Charles Lindbergh and Neil Armstrong were most famous for and the years each did that feat. It's part of one of the "thinking questions.")
Attendance is exceptionally important, as always, especially considering the nature of the work we are doing in class right now--it's a "being there" thinking and writing and presenting situation!
Reminder: The grade for Senior Boards is the grade for the 4th quarter assessment, worth 20% of the 4th quarter grade! Remember, your child has the rubric for Senior Boards so there won’t be any “mystery grading”! Students know exactly what the Board members are looking for in each presentation. No excuses!
We’ve been doing presentations of various types in all classes as prep for Senior Boards, so all should go well! We’ve been weaving the Senior Boards presentation in with the literature, and all should be fine this Friday!
Letter of recommendation needed? Students, please give teachers at least a week before letter is needed! Only fair! Also, if a student is putting a teacher's name down as a reference, let the teacher know! Talk about it with the teacher before putting the name down so there are no surprises!
Résumé needed? Samples online (and Ms. Hicks showed students 1st semester how to use the section in Kansas Careers Pipeline) and I can give a few patterns. Just ask! Also, if a student is putting a teacher's name down as a reference, let the teacher know! Talk about it with the teacher before putting the name down so there are no surprises!
Reminder: Your student gets an e-mail at the end of each week with the following week’s general schedule. It’s also on my web site under “Next Week.” Handy for “looking ahead” and absences….
Please continue to check in on Skyward, which is a powerful tool! (Remember, you can click on the assignment title and see a bit of an explanation about the assignment which created the grade.) As always, call me if you have questions. (441-2620—home, or use the handy e-mail form on this web site!) Otherwise, check Skyward and my web site for upcoming work. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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