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July 2010
Dear Parents of Seventh Grade Students:
Welcome to Middle School. The transition from elementary school to middle/secondary school can be an exciting, yet challenging one. Students suddenly go from being the “seniors” of the elementary school to the “newcomers” in the secondary school. In addition to the change of buildings, your child is going through many other physical, emotional, and social changes.
Our middle school faculty is ready to orient your new seventh grader as to the mysteries and complexities of middle school. To do this with as little stress as possible, we have planned an orientation for all upcoming grade 7 students and parents. This will take place, Wednesday, August 4th, the day before regular classes begin.
On Wednesday, August 4th at 9:30 am we will officially welcome your middle school student into the 7th grade. Students should wear proper uniform that day. Parents and students will be introduced to the middle school faculty and staff. They will receive important information about books, locks, uniforms, classes, etc. Parents will meet with me in the audiovisual room for a short orientation on the middle school program as well as discuss concerns for the beginning of the school year. Students will then be divided into their homerooms. Homeroom teachers will show them the building, give them their schedule of classes, and assign locks/lockers. The students will then follow a sample schedule for each of their classes. They will meet their teachers, learn about books and supplies and get a taste for each aspect of 7th grade life. Students will be dismissed at approximately noon.
Middle school students will be taking a series of exploratory/elective classes. Most students have already signed up for the classes they desired. All students are required to take Physical Education at least twice a cycle. They will also be given the opportunity to “explore” various classes such as cooking, computers, art, leadership, and study skills. Each of these will meet twice a cycle for at least one marking period. Students will then be able to continue or change to a different set of exploratory classes. In this way we hope students will better understand their interests and be able to choose high school electives more effectively.
Please encourage your seventh grader to read the summer books assigned for both English and Spanish classes. If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 843-2980 ext 227.
Have a great summer. See you at the orientation in August!
Dear Parents of Secondary School Students:
It’s summer, a time to relax, refresh, and reflect on the past year. The time for a new school year is just around the corner. As you are enjoying family time during your summer break, here are some things to think about for the next school year.
Classes begin on August 5, 2010. As is tradition, the seventh grade students will have their orientation on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 before classes begin. Those students will be invited in to school for about two hours during the morning. We will meet in the A/V room where students will be introduced to their teachers. Then they will continue to their assigned homerooms to become familiar with middle school. This will include assigning locks and lockers, uniform regulations, and middle school schedule. More information will follow in a separate letter.
Casa Lopez will be selling uniforms for our students. Please note the following very important items.
Casual Day attire in the secondary school- For the last three years the Student Council has developed the casual day attire which consists of a class t-shirt, jeans and closed shoes (such as sneakers). We plan to continue this practice for many of our Casual Days this year. The t-shirts are reasonably priced and can be purchased through the Student Council. Students not wishing to participate in the Casual Day must be in complete uniform.
Summer Reading- Each grade level has English and Spanish summer reading books. Please encourage your child to read these as they will be evaluated on them when we return in August. I am including a list of the summer reading and the supplemental books to be read during the academic year. This way you can purchase all your books in one trip.
Activities- Our school has recently been very active in extracurricular activities and we hope to continue this year adding to these. Adlib Bohemians, our drama club, will be holding open auditions in August. Geo Club and CARE will also be recruiting new members. This year the grade 11 students will be traveling to Washington for Close Up. I will also be accompanying students in grades 10 and 11 during the summer of 2011 to Europe with EXPLORICA. Along with trips we hope to develop other activities such as International Week. The faculty and I are going to be hard at work to make this upcoming academic year an exciting one for your son or daughter. Please pay close attention to our update for dates and details of all of the above mentioned activities.
The school is open all summer if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Frances Rivera
Secondary School Principal
July 2010
Dear Parents of Advanced Placement and Honors Students:
As we begin the new school year, I would like to inform you that if your son/daughter has selected to enroll in any of our Advanced Placement or Honors courses. You are required to attend an orientation meeting for more details on these programs.
The meeting is scheduled to take place on August 4th at 1:00 pm in the AV room. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Frances Rivera
Secondary School Principal
