Waggoner’s Word
December 5, 2014
Dear Parents,
Calendar of Events for the Week of December 8th-12th:
Monday, December 8th: Girls BBall vs. Walsh @ Walsh, 7th Grade Girls BBall vs. Walsh 5:30PM
Wednesday, December 10th: 8th Grade Boys BBall @ Walsh, 7th Grade Boys BBall vs. Walsh 5:30PM
Thursday, December 11th: A team Girls BBall Tournament-8th Grade @ Grisham, 7th Grade @ Walsh
Thursday, December 11th: Band, Orchestra and Choir Holiday Tour
Friday, December 12th: 6 weeks Awards Assembly during each grade level advisory in the cafeteria
Friday and Saturday December 12th & 13th: Region Band Concert @ Leander PAC/Running Brushy MS
Saturday, December 13th: A team Girls BBAll Tournament-8th Grade @ Grisham, 7th Grade @ Walsh
Middle School 101 will be held the evening of Wednesday, February 11th from 6:30-8:00PM in our cafeteria for current 5th graders that attend Teravista, Herrington, Union Hill, and Caldwell Heights Elementary schools that feed into Hopewell MS. We will have presentations from our counselors, elective staff, and will have time for parents to mingle and ask specific questions with the Hopewell elective staff. Tours of the building will be conducted by current Hopewell 6th graders as well. It should be a great evening to get oriented with Middle School and Hopewell specific programs. The 5th graders will be coming over to Hopewell that day to hear the band, orchestra and choir and take a mini-tour of Hopewell. Course sheets will be given to all 5th graders that same week to take home, fill out, sign, and return to their child’s elementary school. We will collect all choice sheets, tabulate the choices, and determine the number of sections per course we will need for next year. More information will be coming your way and through our feeder elementary schools when we get back from Winter Break.
The second phase of High School 101 is being held this week with counselors talking to our 8th graders about four year plans, high school courses, and other high school specific programs. More information on transitions will be coming your way after Winter Break.
Our next 6 weeks awards assembly will be held during each advisory before each lunch in the cafeteria. Instead of taking a full period each six weeks for each grade level and losing all that instructional time, we have modified the event. Students will still be recognized by their teachers for excellence in the classroom and for perfect attendance in front of their peers but we will not be pulling them from an actual core academic class or elective anymore this year. We also will be posting student names that make the A and the A/B Honor Rolls in the upper commons and the cafeteria each six weeks. It’s important that these incredible accomplishments are recognized and displayed throughout the year for all students to aspire to. Our next Awards assembly will be next Friday, December 12th.
As a reminder, we are expecting all our students to have their cell phones turned off and put away during instructional time except for times when teachers are having students use them for research or other class reasons. Instructional time is from 8:20AM-3:30PM. If you need to get a hold of your child, please call the main office and we will get them your message. Please do not text or call them during the school day as that can be disruptive to instructional time. Thanks for your help and support with that!
Reminder that Game Night (formerly the 6th Grade Tailgate Party) has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 15th. We will be playing games, showing school pride, face painting, etc. and the concessions stand will be open. We encourage all 6th graders to then attend the basketball game with admission being only $1.00!! More information will be coming right after Winter Break.
As many of you know, we have been having our students take Benchmark Tests throughout the first semester. This data we gain from the assessment results will give us valuable information regarding the direction we need to go in order to ensure that our students are best prepared for the upcoming STAAR exams later spring semester. We are not specifically teaching to the STAAR tests but we are ensuring that the Texas Essential Knowledge Skills or TEKS are being thoroughly taught and specific objectives are effectively hit. Our teachers are working very hard each and every day to ensure that your children are getting the best education possible. With our increase in rigor, our focus on making learning relevant, and mission to build positive relationships, our students are being given the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the TEKS.
As we strive to successfully transition our middle schoolers from 6th grade to the high school, it is imperative that we allow them to learn the life skill of self advocacy. Please encourage your 6th -8th grader to talk to their teacher if they have an assignment question, or a question regarding a test or quiz. Allow them the take the step to work out their problem or issue. As parents, (and I am one!) our tendency is to solve these issues for them. Please help us help them to build self-confidence by advocating for themselves. If you have a specific question regarding an issue after your child has tried to work it out with their teacher, please contact the teacher prior to contacting an administrator. Allow the teacher to explain the situation first by a face to face meeting or a phone call. Thanks!
Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season. It’s certainly a magical time of the year for your children and our students.
Karl
