1. Surviving Grade Seven

2. What’s New in Grade Seven  Report card percentages  The Mathematics text  Rotary  Achievement and Engagement Tracker

3. Report Card Percentages Student achievement is reported by percentages on the Terms 1 and 2 report cards instead of by letter grades. The Progress Report uses the same format as that of Grade Six. A- to A+: 80-100% B- to B+: 70-79% C- to C+: 60-69% D- to D+: 50-59% Below 50: R Insufficient evidence to calculate a grade: I

4. The Mathematics Text The Mathematics textbook comes with answers in the back of the book. An important part of completing any assigned section is to ensure that it has been marked so any areas of uncertainty can be worked through during the next class.

5. Rotary Considerations: A homeroom teacher sees your child approximately 50% of the day and teaches a minimum of 2 other classes as well. Learning Skills levels are determined by all teachers who teach your child. Each teacher has posted extra help times that are meant for both homeroom and rotary students. The effects of absence can be minimized by checking teacher websites and having a reliable homework buddy to collect handouts. Missed assessments must be completed during the next available extra help time upon a student’s return to school to maintain timely feedback for the rest of the students.

6. Achievement and Engagement Tracker This program was created to promote and recognize student excellence and the development of citizenship, learning skills, and leadership skills. Students will be awarded points in a wide variety of categories. Those achieving a total of 400 points by the end of May will receive a West Oak shoe tag and be recognized at the end of year assembly.

7. Homework

8. Do You Have Any Homework? When homework is given in a rotary class, the students are asked to write it in their agendas right then and it is posted on the teacher’s subject website. Homework and upcoming deadlines for all subjects are reviewed at the end of each day in homeroom and posted on my website.

9. I Got A C+ On My Child’s Project.... Anything that will be assessed for a child’s report card must be completed at school. Appropriate homework tasks would be:  Preparation for the next day  Reflection on an activity from the day  Practice of a skill or concept that is developing  Review of new concepts

10. Honestly, I don’t have any homework.... This may be true! When no homework has been assigned, a new concept is being introduced or class time is being spent on demonstrating learning through presentations, projects, or written assessments.

11. However, s/he could be....  Practicing keyboarding  Reading aloud to an adult  Reviewing new vocabulary  Playing board games like Scrabble or Yatzee  Editing marked work with an adult to correct spelling and grammatical errors  Reviewing math facts through computer games  Developing vocabulary through websites like Freerice

12. How You Can Help  Check your child’s agenda and teacher websites daily  Help prioritize tasks and create a timeline  Monitor your child’s email and social networking sites  Help your child understand the meaning of plagiarizing when using internet sites  Establish and enforce a time for homework or studying  Help your child create a personal work area, free from distractions