ELECTIVES FOR FALL 2016-2017: I have mailed out a selection form for electives that will be offered in the fall. These forms must be returned to the Middle School Office by Tuesday, May 24. You may fax (214-360-6446), email (aheck@hockaday.org), mail, or have your daughter bring them to Alexa Heck by that date. Electives are offered to give girls a chance to explore areas beyond their regular classes. Each girl takes one elective that meets two times in each rotation. Some electives require a year-long commitment and others will run until the end of January, at which time the students may choose a different elective for the remainder of the year.

 

The majority of electives are offered on Day 1 and Day 5 during Flex (11:10-11:40) before lunch. Fifth and sixth grade choir and some orchestras meet twice during each rotation during a portion of D period study hall or Flex Period on days other than Day 1 or Day 5. I’ll provide the specific meeting times on the selection form. If your daughter chooses choir or orchestra, she does need to be aware that choosing an additional elective will reduce her study time during the school day. Once you receive the details, please call me if you have any questions or have your daughter stop by my office for clarification.

 

MATH PLACEMENT: During the week of in-service in June, all Middle School math teachers and I meet to confer about next year’s math placement for our students. All incoming fifth graders are placed in the same level class. However, we do offer an enriched section of math in grades six, seven, and eight and also a concrete-approach section in eighth grade. Students in these enriched sections follow the same curriculum as the other students in their grade; however, the pace is quicker and the scope and depth of concepts are broader. Our concrete approach offers a more comprehensive, detailed approach when introducing new concepts. Movement into the enriched sections is reviewed at the end of each school year so that the enrollment usually grows to two sections in eighth grade. In our meetings, the math faculty and I analyze a wide variety of criteria: the results of each child’s end-of-year math inventory, report card marks, ERB scores, ability to comprehend new and more abstract concepts quickly and confidently, frequency and accuracy of work on enrichment/bonus (higher level) problems, and comfort with taking risks in class. Most students are placed in our regular sections of math (which are actually advanced in comparison to other math programs). If your daughter appears to be well-placed in an enriched section or the concrete section in eighth grade, I will call you in June to talk about her choices. Again, please note that math placement for any given year is based on your daughter’s current cognitive development in this area; her growth is repeatedly analyzed by our math teachers, and through differentiated instruction and the fluidity of our program, we fully expect to meet her math needs.

 

GREEN AND WHITE DAY: All Middle School students will participate in Green and White Day on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 25. See below for attire guidelines for this event. I thank our PE faculty for working so hard to provide the girls with this LOUD, fun, spirited field day that celebrates sportsmanship, physical activity, and our year together. You may pick up your daughters at 3:15—expect them to be wet and a bit dirty though!

 

LOCKER CLEANOUT: As the girls clean out lockers this week and next, we have some reminders that will be helpful for them and our housekeeping staff. The expectation is that they will leave their lockers in the condition received. We will provide cleaning products for them when their grade level is scheduled to clean out lockers. There will be trash, recycling and collection containers in the hallways, and we encourage the girls to take advantage of the recycling and donation boxes as they clean out. Heavily-written-on 3-ring binders and notebooks cannot be donated. They need to be trashed if a child doesn’t want to save them to use next year. We have encouraged students to start taking items home this week so there is less to carry on the scheduled clean-out day. They might want to bring in a rolling suitcase for easy transportation to your car on that day. Otherwise, they should bring in sturdy totes. Most trash bags will hold up to 40 lbs., and most locker items weigh more than that when carried in one bag. Cleanout times are scheduled for fifth, sixth, and seventh grades on May 23. Eighth graders cleaned out their lockers today due to exams. The girls may use their lockers after clean-out. The goal when cleaning out is to get almost all of their belongings out and home. The only items left should be those needed for classes and activities next week, including blazers for year-end assemblies. All lockers, 5/6 Commons, and 7/8 Commons will be checked on Tuesday, May 31, and any belongings found at that time will be donated to charity. A final reminder--the Lost and Found tables are up until the end of classes on Wednesday, May 25; items will be removed and donated after that time.

 

REMINDERS: Eighth grade parents, please remember that your daughters will not attend school tomorrow, Friday, May 20 as they are provided a review day at home for their upcoming exams on Monday, May 23. Once again, please remember that after-school care (Daisy Den and in Upper School Library) will end on Wednesday, May 25. The girls are dismissed at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 26 from our Middle School Closing Assembly and at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 27 from Eighth Grade Graduation. And…please add Monday, August 22 to your calendars for Middle School Registration (formerly Book Distribution Day). Specific times for each grade level will be sent to you later in the summer.

 

Have a lovely weekend,