In order for the middle school student to grow intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically, home and school must cooperate in the student’s best interests. In order to cooperate, parents/guardians, teachers, and staff members must communicate. Many methods of communication exist, both formal and informal.
Reporting to Parents/Guardians
Students receive a report card at the end of each nine-week grading period according to a schedule published and distributed to parents in September. Each week during the grading periods, each student receives an emailed interim report indicating the student’s current progress for all enrolled courses. In addition to these formal methods of reporting to parents, many teams and individual teachers communicate through newsletters, notes, and student work, which are sent home.
Conferences
All families are invited to confer with representative teachers on a designated non-student day in the fall and in the spring. In addition, a parent/guardian or a teacher may request a conference to discuss a child’s progress at any time. A parent/guardian may meet with a student’s core team to discuss a student. Frequently, the counselor organizes parent/guardian/teacher conferences.
Telephone Calls and Notes
A parent/guardian may contact through email or leave a telephone message for a teacher (who is generally in the classroom during most of the school day) or send a note regarding academic progress. Teachers will make every effort to respond as soon as possible. Counseling staff are also available to answer any questions or concerns regarding student academic progress and/or facilitate contact between the parent/guardian and teaching staff.
Visits and Volunteering
Parents/guardians can become more involved with the school and thus more aware of the student’s environment through a number of avenues. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and volunteer services are two ways parents demonstrate interest and commitment. Students especially appreciate it when their parents or guardians attend student performances, athletic events, or particular meetings because such attendance demonstrates personal support.