Dear Parents,
We are entering the sixth week out of ten weeks in fourth
quarter. This should be a fairly normal week as compared to many of the busy
weeks we have had recently. There are no tests planned for math or science this
week and no major school events. All students will have extra practice for
their choir concerts, so specials schedules will change slightly. Other than
that, everything will be normal.
In science class this week we will continue the study of meteorology
that we started last week. In math, we will continue to study equivalent fractions
and move into simplifying fractions. In
math lab, we will continue working on decimals.
One important occurrence this week is that official deficiencies notices
will be sent out this week to families of any students with a current grade of
D+ or lower in any class. Normally, these are sent out to you at the end of a
week over a weekend, but this week will be different. They will most likely reach you by
the middle of this week.
Regarding deficiencies, there are a few things I would like
to communicate. Some parents have mentioned a fear that a deficiency in fourth
quarter means their child will repeat the grade over. This is not the case. If
we thought it was in the best interests of your student to retain them in their
current grade level, we would have already had that conversation with you. So, rest assured, your students will pass into
fifth grade.
Another thing related to deficiencies is reprinting missing
homework. A few weeks back, I sent out an email to parents regarding reprinting
homework in fourth quarter. However, because it was an email and not a blog
post, I think it is possible that some parents may have missed it, so I am
repeating it here:
In previous quarters,
I have been supporting students who have missed handing in assignments by
giving them new copies of missing assignments. Many students never had homework
before coming to Trivium East, and it seemed appropriate to give them time to adjust
to the requirements. By fourth quarter, most of the students are handing their
assignments in regularly, and they have had plenty of time to adjust to the
requirements. Therefore, I will not be reprinting assignments for
students who have lost track of the assignments anymore. The only exception is
if the student did not receive a copy of the assignment in the first place,
which happens very occasionally when a student is absent. If a student still
has their copy of a missing assignment, they can complete it and turn it in for
half-credit.
I always want to support my students to
be their best, and, at this point in the year, that means taking responsibility
for assignments. This is especially true as they start preparing for the higher
standards of fifth grade and middle school. (The fifth grade teachers rarely
reprint assignments, and middle school teachers definitely won’t.) While this
may mean that some students may not be able to hand in lost assignments, my
hope is that by experiencing the higher standard now, they will be set up for success
in meeting fifth grade and middle school standards.
I am happy to support
students with their assignments in other ways, like giving them time to search
their desk and locker for assignments, helping them between classes or before
school with assignments, and tutoring students as necessary. I will continue to
keep parents informed by emailing them about their child’s grade, reasons for
it, and ways the student can improve. Of course, you can always email me if you
are concerned about your student or their grades.
These are all the notes I have for you this week. Please
feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Sincerely,
Miss Wycklendt
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