Grant Middle School — Seventh & Eighth Grade

Quick Reference Guide for Parents

Grant Middle School will be applying the following universal guidelines from class to class. This quick reference guide is meant to help students be successful in their transitions, all the way from sixth grade to ninth grade.

Daily Schedule:

The typical daily schedule for a middle school student consists of five core classes and one elective class. The core classes include language arts, math, science, social studies, and physical ed/personal growth. Note PE/personal growth occur the same period each day but alternate days (PE = Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; PG = Tuesdays and Thursdays).

Electives:

The sixth period of each day will include an elective class. Two sections of electives will take place during each trimester. One elective section will occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while the other will occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students will be assigned an elective based on student requests and/or teacher recommendations. Eighth-grade students are given priority for class selections. *Note: study skills classes are determined by the core teachers and are based on academic need.

Graded Work:

Each teacher will require all assigned work to be submitted with standardized headings in the MLA format. The teachers will discuss the requirements of this format with the students.

Daily Material:

Students should come prepared to each class with the following materials:

  • college-ruled paper. Completed work shall not have spiral bound edges attached.
  • writing utensils. These are required in all classes; specific utensils are as follows:
    • Math requires a pencil for student work,
    • Language arts requires a pen for formal writing assignments, and
    • Personal growth requires highlighters for in-class assignments.

Posted Assignments:

All graded work, including homework and upcoming quizzes and tests, will be posted on Aeries. Each assignment will be registered the day it is assigned and will have a due date and a point value. Please note that due dates are subject to change based on class progress.

Teacher Contact:

Teachers are best contacted by email. A response can be expected within two teaching days. Please note that the PE and Personal growth teachers only teach on alternating days and the response time from these teachers may be longer.

Parent Conference Week:

Students with academic and/or behavioral concerns will be scheduled for a student/parent/teacher conference during parent conference week. Conference times will be sent home via mail. Parents receiving these conferences should RSVP immediately to allow for maximum scheduling. Parents not receiving a request from the school for a conference may request a conference through their child’s homeroom teacher.

Parent Conferences:

A parent may schedule a conference anytime during the year through the homeroom (first period) teacher. Please request any and all teachers desired for the conference.

Eligibility:

Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA (C average) with no Fs on their progress reports or report cards. Any student failing to meet these minimum requirements will be ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities, including athletics, dances, or play performances.

Daily Eligibility:

Students must attend at least half of the school day (three periods) to be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities on that day.

Dances:

Dances will be run by the student council on designated dates from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. Seventh and eighth graders are allowed to participate as long as they meet eligibility requirements. All school rules apply during the dance.

  • The dress code applies.
  • Rides must pick up students promptly at 9:30 p.m. and arrive no earlier than 7:00 p.m.
  • Students on the academically ineligible list may not attend the dance or other extracurricular activities unless they show proof of satisfactory grades (via Aeries printouts) to Mrs. Pellizzari by the end of school on the day of the dance (no later than 3:15 p.m.)
  • Dance participants must remain inside during the dance.
  • Inappropriate behavior/dancing may lead to an early dismissal from the dance and will jeopardize eligibility to attend future dances.

Dress Code:

Students must meet the dress code during any school activity, including after-school activities. Students failing to meet the dress code will be spoken to and will be given alternative clothing to wear for the remainder of the day. Please see the Parent/Student Handbook (pg. 11) for the details of proper school clothing attire.

Academic Honesty Policy:

Students at Grant School are expected to learn for themselves. Cheating on tests or copying another student’s homework is not allowed. Any student caught violating the academic honesty policy will receive a zero for the assignment and possible additional consequences.

Technology Policy:

Students will have access to computers for academic purposes. Students are expected to use the computer responsibly and avoid any inappropriate technology sites. Access to personal emails or social networking sites is forbidden. Violation of the technology policy may result in loss of computer privileges and additional consequences.

Absences:

It is the responsibility of the student to check Aeries to obtain any missing assignments due to his or her absence. The student is also responsible for getting any class notes or work from a friend or the teacher. Students will have the same number of days they were absent to turn in the missing work before it will be graded as late work.

Homework:

The amount of homework assigned will vary by class. The following is a typical amount of homework, which may vary from day to day.

  • Language arts and math: Homework will be assigned nightly
  • Science and social studies: Most work will be completed in class. Homework will include projects and studying for tests.
  • PE: A physical fitness log, signed by parents, will be due weekly on Wednesdays.
  • Personal growth: Homework will vary by grade and the topic of study; homework will include projects and studying for tests.
  • Electives: Homework will vary by class.

Suggestions for Parents

The following suggestions have been put together by the middle school staff to help you make your student’s transition as smooth as possible.

  1. Homework Check: It is a good habit for parents to check their child’s homework for quality and completion once they have said it is complete. Refer to Aeries for up-to-date assignments.
  2. School Planner Use: Parents should emphasize the use of the school planner to record homework assignments. This is extremely valuable since students have six different classes a day.
  3. Weekly Organization: As a homework assignment, have your child organize their backpack and folders once a week. This organization should include identifying important papers, removing old unnecessary papers, filing papers into the proper folders, and reviewing graded work for understanding. A regular weekly organization schedule should require only 5 to 10 minutes of time.
  4. Quiz/Test Preparation: Students should budget their time to study for tests and quizzes. Do not let your child tell you they have no homework when a quiz or test is approaching. Students should review old homework assignments, notes, and study guides.
  5. Middle School Transition: Parents, remember that middle school is a transition from sixth grade to high school. Challenge your child to increase their personal responsibility and academic independence in preparation for their high school years.
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