August 6, 2007

Dear Parent(s),

I would like to welcome you and your child to Bueker Middle School. I hope we have a wonderful and successful year. I am including a class schedule so you know what your child will be doing during the day. We have early release every Wednesday at 2:09. Please take note of the assignment/homework policy. Your child and I will discuss this policy several times at the beginning of school. I have also included a grading scale so you will know how your child is doing on each of his/her papers. I would also like to mention that your child may bring a water bottle to school. It does need to have a lid that closes securely.

Class	Hour	Begins	Ends
Homeroom		7:54	8:02
Math	1	8:04	8:48
Science	2	8:50	9:34
Communication Arts (Art-Fri.)	3	9:36	10:20
Owl Time	-	10:22	10:47
Recess @ 10:49 Lunch @ 11:09 Agendas & DIRT @ 11:33	4	10:49	11:55
PE (A days)/Music (B days) @ 11:57	5	11:57	12:45
Reading (with Gibler)	6	12:47	1:31
Social Studies (with Gibler)	7	1:33	2:15
IS (Independent Study) or Orchestra	8	2:17	2:59

I.S., Independent Study, is a time for each student to complete any assignment that was not finished during class. It is a time when students may get extra help from a teacher in any subject in which they may need help. Students vary greatly in their abilities to work efficiently and quickly so some students may have to bring work home that they did not complete in I.S. Please contact me if your child is bringing home an excessive amount of work.

The following is the policy for students who experience problems in accepting the responsibilities of turning in assignments and/or homework. When an assignment is not turned in, parent will be notified in the agenda.

Late Assignment – turn in late with the grade lowered 20%
If not turned in the next day it will be a 0%

Progress reports are issued approximately every three weeks. We have recognition celebrations planned for those students who do not have any ninth hours, referrals, or more than 2 late papers or inappropriate behavior. This process will start over every three weeks.

Reading is a very important part of school, and we encourage students to read at least 20 minutes each night. I would like for all the students in my room to complete the requirements for a Reading Circle Certificate, which means reading 20 books – 13 fiction books and 7 nonfiction books for the year.

I hope you have taken the time to look over your child’s agenda. Each agenda has information on Bueker Middle School policies in the handbook section of the agenda. The agenda is one way that we can communicate each day. If your child is having problems getting his/her work done this is the first way that I would let you know that there is a problem. If your child continues having a problem I will contact you. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions or concerns.

I also have a website with additional information if you have access to the internet. You can find it at http://teachers.emints.org/fy05/kennedyb

I post the daily assignments and activities we do in class. You can also find a calendar, projects, notes, and links for extra practice. I will be sending home an internet and computer contract for you and your child to sign before the students may start working on the computers in our eMINTS classroom.

If you want to contact me at school, 660-886-6833, my plan period is from 12:50 to 1:20 each day. If you want to call me at home my number is 660-886-8068. If I am not at home please leave me a message with your phone number and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I will not return a call if I get home after 9:00 P.M. at night, I will wait until the next day.

Sincerely,
Beverly Kennedy

Grading Scale for Bueker Middle School

A 95-100%
A- 90-94%
B+ 87-89%
B 83-86%
B- 80-82%
C+ 77-79%
C 73-76%
C- 70-72%
D+ 67-69%
D 63-66%
D- 60-62%
F 59% and below