9 Weeks Testing, Chapter 9 Vocabulary Builder Make-Up

Today, students continued with their 9 weeks exams. Today's exam was history/geography. Exams will continue tomorrow with the math test.

Many students still owe me make-up/late work. One of themes common assignments missing is the Vocabulary Builder Worksheet over Brazil. I have printed copies of this assignment three different times for students who keep losing it. I am not going to make any more copies. What I have done is attach the worksheet below. Students can print it themselves at home and bring it in by Thursday (the last day I am accepting work this grading period). If, for some reason, printing the worksheet is not an option, students can look at the paper online and simply write their answers to each question on a piece of notebook paper and turn that in to me.

Chapter 9 Open Notes/Book Take Home Test

Today, the students continued working on their test covering Chapter 9 (Brazil). This was an open book/notes test that they started yesterday. Students had the entire class period yesterday and today to work on the exam. Any students not finished as of the end of the class period today were instructed to take the test home and complete it for homework.

Please check with your student and ask about this test. It is vital that, if it was taken home, it be returned on time at the beginning of class tomorrow. Students can simply not recover from a "0" on a major test.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance, Chapter 9 - Lesson 3 Notes and Take Home Test Tomorrow

Today, I took a few moments to discuss the significance of the Pearl Harbor attack with the students. I showed them a brief video that featured a bit of footage from the attack and part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's address to Congress and the nation asking for a declaration of war on the Empire of Japan. Below is a link to FDR's address to the nation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK8gYGg0dkE

After viewing the video, we continued on with the notes for Chapter 9. Below are the notes for Lesson 3.

Tomorrow, the students will begin taking the test over Chapter 9. The test will be a bit different this time around as it will be an open book/notes test. Students may use whatever resources they have to work on correctly answering the questions. Please make sure your student catches up on the notes from this chapter and brings all of their materials to class tomorrow.

Chapter 9 - Lesson 2 Notes, Vocabulary Builder Assignment Due Monday

Today, students continued "catching up." All had at least one, and most had several, assignments that they needed to catch up on.

By the end of the period, I collected the Chapter 9 vocabulary assignments (part 1 and part 2) and many of the vocabulary builder worksheets. Students also worked on copying the notes for Chapter 9 - Lesson 2. The notes are below for any students that did not get them copied completely in class today. They will be a valuable asset on the take home test next week.

*HOMEWORK ALERT* - The Chapter 9 Vocabulary Builder worksheet is due on Monday at the beginning of class.

Vocabulary Assignments Due, Make-up / Late Work Clock Ticking

Today, the first half of the Chapter 9 vocabulary was due. The second half of the chapter vocabulary will be due on Friday 12/4/15. The vocabulary assignments and instructions can be found in the previous post.

Time for this grading period is quickly running out. That means students need to get any late or make-up work completed and turned in ASAP. Please question your student as to whether or not they owe me any assignments.

Grades, Vocabulary Assignments and First Set of Notes Over Brazil

This weekend, I submitted grades for the UIL grade check. This grade check marks the end of the 6th week for this 9 week grading period. There are only 3 weeks left for students to get their averages where they need to be. Today, each student was given the opportunity to hear their up to date average for my class and was given a list of what assignments, if any, they were missing. Please check with your student as to what they are missing and go online to view their grades. Time is quickly running out on this grading period.

In an effort to get the students a couple of easy grades to raise their averages, I assigned the vocabulary from Chapter 9. This chapter has an unusually high number of vocabulary words so I decided to break the vocabulary assignment in half and make it two grades, the theory being two good grades will raise a low average faster than one good grade. The vocabulary assignments are below. Please do each assignment separately as they are two individual grades.

Below the two vocabulary assignments are the notes from Chapter 9, Lesson 1 over Brazil. Please make sure your student copies these notes or prints them out for study.

Chapter 8, Lesson 3 Notes

As promised, here are the notes from Chapter 8, Lesson 3. The students need to copy or print these notes and have them ready for review on Monday.

Chapter 8 Lesson 2 Notes, Chapter 8 Vocabulary Builder

Today, we finished up discussion over the Chapter 8, Lesson 2 notes. The notes are below in case anyone did not quite get finished copying them. I also handed out a short worksheet which is due on Monday 11/23. Many of the students finished it up in class already.

We remain on track to have the test over Chapter 8 on Tuesday 11/24.

Internet Problems

For some reason, the Blogger server was unavailable to me until after 10:00pm. That being the case, I was unable to post the notes for Lesson 2. Please let your students know that I will not be holding them accountable for having the notes tomorrow. We'll just get the notes tomorrow. No worries.

Chapter 8 Vocabulary Assigned, Field Trip

The vocabulary assignment for Chapter 8 was assigned today. The students had some time to work on it in class and some finished before leaving. The assignment is due Tuesday 11/18 at the beginning of class for those who did not complete it today (classes not affected by the field trip - see below). The assignment needs to be ready on Thursday 11/19 for classes I do not see tomorrow. The vocabulary is posted below.

The 6th grade will be taking a field trip tomorrow and will be gone most of the day. Please make sure your student has their vocabulary assignment completed and ready to turn in when they get back to class Thursday.

Chapter 8 - The Caribbean Islands Started

I started the day today by notifying the students of the grades they made on the Chapter 7 test last Friday. The grades have been entered into the grade book should you want to check them out online. I have not yet returned the tests to the students as I had several that were absent Friday. I don't want the tests floating around until everyone has taken them. Once returned, the kids can do test corrections in order to improve their grades.

Next, we started the notes for Chapter 8 - The Caribbean Islands. The notes can be found below. Key items discussed were the three island groups found in the region and the two ways islands can form. I showed the Pixar short "Lava" to the kids as it actually does a fairly good job of illustrating the life of a volcano from birth to extinction... plus it is fun. Check it out for yourself. The Lesson 1 notes are below as well.

Link to the "Lava" video: http://dai.ly/x354ycl

Chapter 7 Test, Progress Reports

Friday, the students took their exam over Chapter 7 - Central America. The tests have been graded and the scores posted in the grade book.

Progress reports were handed out on Friday to most classes. I have one class that did not get them as I wanted them to concentrate on the test and not use up class time discussing the progress reports. The thing about progress reports is that they are obsolete by the time you, the parent/guardian receive them. I would encourage you to go to the EHMS school website and check the grades there. That is the way to get the most current and up to date grades for your student.

One more thing, just for fun, I gave the students a bonus question on Friday. If they got it right, they would have received five bonus points on their test. I put the picture below on the screen. They bonus question was "What is this animal?" For the answer scroll down below the photo.

Answer: A lamprey

Finishing Up Chapter 7 Over Central America, Test on Friday

Tuesday, we finished up our notes on Chapter 7 - Lesson 3 over Central America. This concludes our notes and work for this chapter. We will review on Thursday and the students will take their chapter test on Friday. The lesson 3 notes are below. Notes on lesson 1 and lesson 2 can be found by scrolling down to earlier blog posts.

Please make sure your student studies and is as ready as possible for the exam on Friday.

Maps/Art Assignments Due, Week at a Glance

The map of Central America was due today at the beginning of class. Students were to have labeled and colored the map provided on Wednesday of last week.

As I'm sure you all know, this Wednesday is the Veteran's Day holiday and there will be no school.

The week sets up like this:

Tuesday: Chapter 7 Lesson 3 Notes over Central America
Wednesday: Holiday
Thursday: Chapter 7 Review
Friday: Chapter 7 Exam over Central America

Please encourage your student to get any late and/or make-up work turned in ASAP and to start studying for the test this Friday.

Multiple Items...

There were several things going on today. I'll give you the run down.

First, a map assignment was given to the students. Basically, the job is to label and color a map of Central America. The student were instructed to make it look as close to the map on page 233 of their book as possible. The map can also be found in the online textbook in Chapter 7, Place and time section. This map will be due on Monday 11/9.

The students also received their Chapter 7 Vocabulary Builder worksheet assignment. The vocabulary builder will be due on Friday 11/6.

Finally, the students began copying the notes from Chapter 7 - Lesson 2. This is a long section so they likely did not finish in class. They were instructed to finish the notes at home. The notes and the map assignment can both be found below.

Chapter 7 - Lesson 1 Notes, Chapter 6 Test Corrections, Chapter 7 Vocabulary Due

Today, we completed the notes from Chapter 7 - Lesson 1. The notes are below in their entirety.

The Chapter 6 Test over Mexico was returned to the students. Students may make test corrections in order to recapture half of the points they missed on the test. Corrections should be done on a separate piece of paper and stapled to the original test and turned back in to me. The corrections will be graded and test scores adjusted accordingly. Students will need to make corrections on their own time as no class time will be available for this activity.

*HOMEWORK ALERT*- The Chapter 7 Vocabulary assignment is due tomorrow at the beginning of class. Please make sure that your student has completed the assignment and is ready to turn it in tomorrow. The vocabulary terms are available on the post from yesterday.

Chapter 7 - Central America, Vocabulary Assigned

Today, we started our journey through Central America (Chapter 7). We read Lesson 1 in class together and will start summarizing the information with notes tomorrow.

I did assign the Chapter 7 Vocabulary. The terms and full instructions are below. The vocabulary assignment will be due on Wednesday 11/4 at the beginning of class.

Chapter 6 Test Complete

Today, students took their exam over Chapter 6 - Mexico. The test grades for all students who were present and took the test have been posted. Also, all make-up/late work that has been turned in to me to this point has also been grades and posted.

Next week, we will get to work on Chapter 7, which covers Central America and the Caribbean.

Have a happy and safe Halloween.

Chapter 6 Test Tomorrow

The exam over Chapter 6 - Mexico is tomorrow. Please make sure your student studies and is as prepared as possible.

Study!

Chapter 6 Test Moved to Friday, Make-up/Late Work Due

Today, we finished up the Chapter 6 - Lesson 3 Notes on Mexico. They are attached below. This is the final section in the chapter and we will be taking the exam over it this Friday. Tomorrow, I will review the kids and do my best to get them prepared for the test on Friday. Please make sure your student studies and is as prepared as possible for this test.

As mentioned yesterday, failure to turn in work has reached disturbing levels. Please check with your student to see whether or not they are caught up (you can also check the grades online). If they owe work, please stay on them to get it done and turned in ASAP as "0's" kill their average.

*TEST ALERT* - The Chapter 6 Exam over Mexico has been bumped to this Friday 11/30.

Zeros and Apathy, Chapter 6 Test on Friday

Today the Chapter 6 Vocabulary Builder assignment was due and I was shocked at the sheer number of students that failed to turn it in and received a grade of "0." I must say that I have been fighting the apathetic nature of this group of 6th graders since day 1. It has been like pulling teeth to get them to do and turn in their work. They just do not seem to care about their grade and do not fear any sort of consequences for failing to do their work either here at school or at home.

I need you, the parents/guardians to partner with me and make sure these students are keeping up with and turning in their work. Please grill them DAILY on what is due and when. Check the grades online AT LEAST 2-3 time per week to make sure you know where they stand. Simply put, if they perceive you are not involved or do not care about their grades, then they will not care about them either. Honestly, I have not seen such apathy from a group since I started teaching in 1992.

Let's get this taken care of ASAP.

The final sections of the Chapter 6 Notes from Lesson 2 are below. The Chapter 6 Exam over Mexico is scheduled for Thursday. Please do your part to make sure your student is prepared.

Ancient Civilizations of Mexico, Chapter 6 Vocabulary Builder Due Tomorrow

Today, we discussed and took notes on Chapter 6, Lesson 2 which covers the three major ancient civilizations of Mexico. The three civilizations covered were the Olmec, the Maya and the Aztec. We discussed just how advanced these civilizations were, watched a short video on them and looked at examples of architecture

After touching on these civilizations, we discussed the fall of the Aztec Empire at the hands of the conquistador, Hernan Cortes and how this changed life in Mexico forever.

Below is a link to the video we watched, a few photos I shared with the students and the Lesson 2 notes.

*HOMEWORK ALERT* - The Chapter 6 Vocabulary Builder assignment is due TOMORROW at the beginning of class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy42Uzl7sAc

Chapter 6 Notes and the Gallup Poll

I apologize for not updating the blog yesterday. I will spare you the details but it was "one of those days."

The last two days have been spent on reading and taking notes over Chapter 6 - Lesson 1, which is about Mexico. The full notes for Lesson 1 are below for any student that was unable to finish them in class.

The other activity we have been involved in is the annual Gallup Poll Survey. With the exception of students whose parents sent back a "do not participate" note, the kids went online and took the brief survey.

The 2nd 9 weeks is now underway and the students have already had two assignments for my class. I am currently in the middle of grading them now and they should be posted soon. If you notice one or both assignments missing from the grade book, you might ask your student about that. We want to make sure everyone gets off to a good start this grading period.

Chapter 6 - Mexico Introduced, Vocabulary Assignment Due

The first item of business today was to take up the Chapter 6 Vocabulary Assignment that was due. This assignment was originally assigned on Thursday of last week (see previous blog entries). Many students had already turned this assignment in to me but today was the due date.

We are opening the new grading period in Chapter 6, which covers Mexico. We reviewed the reading from Chapter 6 - Lesson 1 while also getting a reminder on how to use the various tools available in the online version of the textbook. Students should be familiar with Lesson 1 when they come in to class tomorrow

*HOMEWORK ALERT* -  Assigned reading, Chapter 6, Lesson 1 (boxes 1-5 online), pages 194-198 in the hard copy of the textbook.

1st 9 Weeks Wrap-up and 2nd 9 Weeks Kicks Off

As hard as it is to believe, the first 9 weeks grading period has now come to a close. We are now 25% of the way through the school year.

I apologize for the lack of posts over the last couple of days. There was some sort of issue with the blogger server and I was unable to log in. Hopefully, it is all straightened out now.

This week was all about the 9 weeks testing in the core subjects. We took our test on Wednesday 10/14. With the exception of a few students who were absent and missed the test, all tests have been graded and the report card averages figured. Each student was notified of the grade they will receive on their report card today.

With the first 9 weeks ending, I kicked off the second 9 weeks with a vocabulary assignment. I gave the students part of the class period to work on it. The assignment and terms are below. The vocabulary is due at the beginning of the period on Monday 10/19. Please check with your student to make sure they have this first assignment of the grading period ready so that they can get off to a solid start.

I will be out tomorrow and will have a sub in the room. The students will watch a video on the Spanish Explorers who were the first Europeans to set foot on the New World/Texas. The kids will have a short assignment to complete as they watch the video. The assignment will be turned in to the sub before they leave. Please discuss proper behavior with a sub to your student.

*EARLY OUT ALERT* - Students will be released tomorrow at 1:35.
*HOMEWORK ALERT*- Chapter 6 Vocabulary is due on Monday 10/19.

9 Weeks Testing Begins, Time Running Out to Turn in Make-up/Late Work

9 weeks testing began this morning with the students taking their math exams. The kids will take their English/Language Arts test tomorrow, their History exam on Wednesday and their Science tests on Thursday. It is my understanding that any make-up tests will be administered on Friday. Please make sure your student spends some time in preparation for these very important tests.

Also, I will be out on Friday. This means any make-up/late work that still needs to be turned in will need to be given to me no later than the end of the day on Thursday. The report card grades will be entered this weekend. It will be too late to turn in any work for the current 9 weeks at that point.

9 Weeks Test Review is a Kahoot!

We continued our reviews and preparation for the 9 weeks test next Wednesday today. We did go about it a bit differently than usual.

Today, the class took a review quiz via Kahoot. Kahoot is an online program, and app, that allows student to connect to a review, quiz or survey online via their phones, tablets or other devices. Those who had smart phones were allowed to use them to connect and do the review while those without teamed up and used iPads I have here in class. The format is more fun and engaging for the kids as it is also a game that you can "win." A correct answer earns points. The first person to log in the correct answer gets more points than the second to do so and so on. The student or group with the most points at the end of the Kahoot wins.

The Kahoot review also allows for instant feedback for me as I can see immediately how many kids are missing certain questions or struggling with certain concepts. This allows me to go back and reteach any gaps the students have with the material.

I'd encourage you to go to the Kahoot site and try it out yourself. It is actually a lot of fun.

Limited vs. Unlimited Forms of Government, Civic Responsibilities

Today, we started a mini-unit on types of government and civics. It is not very in depth at all but should serve to help the students understand the two basic types of governments out there: limited and unlimited. We also discussed some civic duties all good citizens should practice. I had the kids take the notes in a foldable format today. I'm hoping the ability to open and close the "flaps" will help them study before their 9 weeks test next week. Full notes from today can be found below.

Please note, any late/make-up work needs to be turned in ASAP as the first 9 weeks grading period is quickly coming to a close.

Chapter 4 Test Information, Test Corrections

Today, I returned the graded Chapter 4 Tests to most of my classes. The grades were not bad, overall, and I allowed the students time in class to earn back some of the lost points due to missed answers by doing test corrections. The test corrections are due at the beginning of class tomorrow (most finished in class). There will be no late test corrections accepted.

The exception to all of this was my 1st period class. Due to copier issues the test was not run off in time to administer to this class yesterday. As a result, the test was given to 1st period today. The tests have been graded and entered into the grade book. 1st period will also be given the opportunity to make test corrections and recapture some lost points but they will likely have to do this on their own for homework as I cannot take another class day so close to the end of the grading period.

Tomorrow, we will be starting a mini-unit on government, economics and immigration. We will also be starting an abbreviated unit on Canada.

Chapter 4 Test Tomorrow

The class period today was spent reviewing for the Chapter 4 Test, which is scheduled for tomorrow. Students will need to be familiar with their notes and vocabulary in order to make a good grade on the test. The Chapter 4 Test will be a Summative grade, so it is very important. Remember, Summative grades make up 55% of a student's total average.

Please make sure you prompt your student to be prepared for the test tomorrow.

*HOMEWORK ALERT*- Chapter 4 Test on the United States is tomorrow.

Math University, Early Out and Catch Up Day

Today was an early release day for the students. The school administration decided today would be a good day for a "math university" exercise. Basically, we took the first 2 hours of school and worked math problems in every room. The students were broken into small groups and worked problems using different concepts as a sort of "scrimmage" for the standardized math STAAR test in the spring. The kids resumed a normal early out schedule beginning with 4th period.

Since I did not see every class today, I made today a catch up day where the students could finish up any late or make-up work they might have had and finished up the chapter notes. Some still are not quite finished with the chapter notes and that will need to be done before they get to class tomorrow. The full chapter "notes with holes" can be found in the post from yesterday.

Please note, the grading period is rapidly coming to a close and students who are behind or failing do not have much time to get their assignments in or their grades raised. Please stress the importance of studying for the summative assessments and getting any make-up work done to your student.

Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 Continued, Notes with Holes

Due to my having to attend a day long meeting yesterday, we are a little behind in our work on Chapter 4 and need to play catch up. I will need the students to copy or print out the notes on Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 below.

You will notice a change in the format. I am trying the "notes with holes" technique. Basically, the students will need to listen to/read their text (online or hard copy) and fill in the blanks on the notes.
The notes can be printed or copied but the blanks will need to be filled in by the student.

The notes are below:

Practice Quiz, Chapter 4 - Lesson 2 Notes, Make-up Work

We started the class period with a practice quiz over Chapter 4 - Lesson 1. There were 10 questions (available to view in the online textbook) that we discussed orally. The class actually seemed to do ok on the quiz but, as it was practice, no grade was taken. These practice self-quizzes are available at the end of every lesson in the online textbook. They are a great study tool.

After the practice quiz, we briefly discussed the first Native Americans and how they arrived on the continent via the Bering Land Bridge. From there we went on to discuss the European powers that raced to the New World to make claims on the land and resources found there before just beginning to discuss the American Revolution. Notes on this lesson will be posted on the blog tomorrow.

All late/make-up work in my possession has now been graded. If your student still has failing grades or a 0 it is because I have not received the assignment. Please be vigilant and check your student's grades and make sure they are keeping up. We are quickly approaching the halfway point of the 9 weeks.

Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 Notes Continued, Physical/Political GeoQuiz Turned In

We opened class today with a quick discussion on some of the natural hazards people face and live with in the different regions of the U.S. I explained that we live on the extreme southern edge of the Great Plains region which is plagued with tornadoes during the spring and summer. I showed a video which documents the F5 tornado that struck Jarrell, TX (only 25 miles south of Harker Heights) 20 years ago.

After the video, and a brief discussion on what to do in case of a tornado, we moved on with the remainder of the notes covering the regions of the U.S. (Chapter 4 - Lesson 1).

The students also turned in their Chapter 4 GeoQuiz assignment they have been working on the last couple of days. The grades for this assignment have now been posted in the grade book.

The students do not have any new homework for this weekend UNLESS they owe me make-up or late work.

Chapter 4 GeoQuiz Turned In and Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 Notes

The Chapter 4 GeoQuiz assignment was due today at the beginning of class. While most of the students turned in this assignment, far too many did not. Please double check with your student and make sure they turned in their GeoQuiz and that they are keeping up wit their work.

After the GeoQuiz was turned in, we continued the Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 notes. Specifically, we started to discuss the regions of the Unites States. I stared by showing the students a video made by a teacher laying out the regions on a map and then moved on to actually jotting down and discussing the regions. The video I showed the kids is below,  in case you are interested. The full notes for the regions of the U.S can be found below the video.

   

Wrapping Up Notes, Turning in Vocabulary and Political/Physical GeoQuiz Assigned

Today, the Chapter 4 vocabulary assignment was due at the beginning of the period. I realized pretty quickly that many students had not completed it and decided to give them an additional 10-15 minutes to work on it before taking it up.

After taking up the vocabulary, we finished up our discussion on the notes over Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 which covered large/important bodies of water and waterways in the United States (Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, etc.). The complete notes for this section can be found below embedded in the post from yesterday.

Finally, I assigned a Political/Physical GeoQuiz. This assignment basically consists of two maps and the student is to locate critical features and places located in North America. I feel it will be beneficial for the kids to have a knowledge of where these places are located as we continue to discuss the United States and North America. The GeoQuiz is due tomorrow at the beginning of class.

*HOMEWORK ALERT*- The Political/Physical GeoQuiz assignment is due at the beginning of class tomorrow.

Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 (The United States), Vocabulary Due Tomorrow

Today, we started our work on the North America Unit. We started with the United States. Today's notes discussed how the abundance of water was critical to the growth of the U.S. We touched on the importance of access to the oceans for trade, the Great Lakes and how they were formed, the Mississippi River system and some of the major western lakes. Today's notes are located below. Please make sure your student gets them completely copied and adds any details missed in class.

*HOMEWORK ALERT*- The Chapter 4 Vocabulary assignment is due tomorrow at the beginning of class. Please make sure your student has the assignment completed and ready to turn in as this is a chance to earn a good grade fairly easily. The vocabulary assignment and instructions can be found on the post from yesterday.

North America Unit Introduced, Chapter 4 Vocabulary Assigned

Today, I introduced the North America Unit to the students. We watched a short presentation featuring landscapes, cityscapes and other physical and man-made features in North America. I stopped the video and had the kids examine clues in each photo which might hint at their location on the North American Continent. We then took a look at various thematic maps of North America. I wanted to familiarize the students with the countries on the continent, the resources found there, the areas that are the most populous and the general climate.

I assigned the Chapter 4 Vocabulary Terms to the students. The terms and full instructions are below. Vocabulary is due on Wednesday, 9/22 at the beginning of the period.

All Make-up Work Graded & Entered

All make-up/late work has now been graded and entered into the grade book. Your student's average is now up to date. To see your student's current average (not the week old progress report grade) for my class and any others, follow the steps below:

1. Go to the Killeen ISD website at www.killeenisd.org
2. At the top of the page, click the "Schools" link
3. Click on the link for Eastern Hills Middle School
4. Once on the EHMS home page, click the "Grade Access Center" link in the left margin
5. Enter user name and password
6. Grades should now be available to view

Progress Reports Coming Home Today

Parents/Guardians,

Your student will be bringing home progress reports today. These reports will show the grades your student had as of last Friday, September 11th. In the case of my history students some of these grades are going to be very low. This is due to the high volume of late/make-up work that still needed to be turned in to me at that time. Since last Friday, things have improved considerably for almost all of the students. Many of the 0's and other failing grades have been made up and the averages are now closer to where they need to be. 

If your student's grade is unusually low on the progress report it is likely because late/make-up work had yet to be turned in or graded. I would encourage you to check online and look at the current average. It is a much more accurate number than what you are going to see on that progress report.

Also, I still have a lot of make-up work to grade. I should have it all done by the end of the weekend. Please double check your child's grade online on Sunday evening as everything I have should be entered into the grade book by then. If you still have a question about your student's grade at that point, feel free to contact me.

Test Corrections and Make-up Work

Today, the students got their graded Chapter 1 tests back. Overall, I was pleased as most of the kids made a pretty good grade on this important first Summative grade. I allowed the students to work together in class on their test corrections. Once they finished their corrections I had them turn the tests back in to me. I regraded and awarded the kids partial credit for each question answered. This allowed them the opportunity to raise their grade fairly significantly. Any student that did not finish their test corrections in class was to take their test home and finish them there. The corrections are due at the beginning of class tomorrow (NO EXCEPTIONS). This is not late or make-up work so the normal 10 day window does not apply. Please check with your student and make sure they have their corrections done and ready for class tomorrow.

Also, progress reports are sneaking up and the final deadline on a lot of the Chapter 1 work is fast approaching. Please check with your student and get them to turn in any late/make-up work they owe.

Test Day, Make-up Work and Impending Progress Reports/Contacts

The students took their first major test today over Chapter 1 - The Geographer's World. For the most part, the grades were good and I was pleased. There were a few students, however, who did not do well and failed the exam. The test is a Summative grade and the Summative average counts as 55% of a students entire grade. A failing grade on a major test can be devastating. Because of that fact, students who received a failing grade need to do their test corrections ASAP in order to get their grade up to passing. Students who failed with a grade below 50 will be sent to The Learning Center here in school tomorrow during my class time in order to begin working on these test corrections. Please encourage your student to complete these test corrections as soon as possible. The sooner the tests are corrected, the sooner that bad grade can change.

I have been inundated with late/make-up work over the last few days. It is good that the students are taking action and making an effort to get caught up. I will need all of you to be patient as I wade through it all and get it graded and recorded. I spent today grading tests so I will be able to start the process of grading the make-up work tomorrow. If the grade book shows a failing grade for your child under a particular assignment but they swear to you they have made it up and turned it in, that may very well be true. Give me a day or two to get caught up and everything should show up in the grade book as it should be. I reminded the kids today that it was unfair of them to have not turned in an assignment they had several days to work on, then take 5-6 more days to finally turn it in late and then be upset that I don't have it graded overnight. Everything will be up to date by the end of the week.

Finally, I will be sending out some emails and making some phone calls over the next few days to the parents/guardians of student who are failing the course, have 0's for assignments, etc. I have tried to give the students ample to time to readjust to the school schedule and get their act together but some are still struggling to do so and may need some additional encouragement  on the home front. There is still plenty of time to get things right but no time to waste. Your help and support is appreciated.

One fun thing, I posted the picture below as a bonus question today for the kids. Any student that was able to correctly identify this animal earned a 5-point bonus on their test. Can any of the parents/guardians out there identify this creepy-looking little guy?