Dear Parents,
The kids were happy to be back together after the summer and showed some excitement and wonder at what their eighth-grade year might look like. I told them that they can expect it to be their best year yet! We went over what each class might offer this year and talked briefly about grading expectations. I told the kids that their eighth-grade year is a time to prepare for high school and that they should fasten their seat belts and get ready to work hard. We’ve got lots of learning ahead and they should expect to work a bit more than they did in seventh grade. School guidelines are that they have up to one and a half hours of homework nightly, and while they might sometimes have that (and rarely even a bit more during busy times), I try to keep what I assign to one hour, knowing that they may have work from other teachers, too.
One change from last year is that the kids will have fewer teachers. I teach four of their seven subjects: history, religion, language arts, and literature, so they will be moving less throughout the day and will have fewer teachers to “figure out”. This consistency should help them to feel more settled and able to get right to work. The students have planners again this year. All middle school teachers are training them to use them consistently to keep track of their daily and long-term assignments. These should come home each night and for some, will be a way for parents to keep closer track of what has been assigned and whether it has been completed. I will show you other ways you can check homework on Curriculum Night, September 11th.
I spoke to the kids about middle school expectations around late or missing work (most know these from my literature class last year). These expectations are also listed in the Family Handbook. Please take time to review the Family Handbook and policies around uniform expectations, too, this weekend. This includes things like hair length, make-up, and jewelry. There are a few changes this year, so be on the lookout. I will be enforcing these policies, although I really hate to be the “boogeyman”, so would you please be that for me before your student even gets to school?
Your child was given a document about reading requirements. The main difference between this year and last is that the kids must now read 250 pages per week (combination of class and home reading). If your child didn’t share this with you, you can find it under “Resources” on the eighth-grade page. To get there, go to the school web page then Parent Resources→Classrooms→8th Grade→Resources. You will find several different resources there in addition to a homework page (which I update nightly), and access to the Parent (Friday Class) letters. One item that has not yet been updated in the Resources list is the Legacy Project document (I have not yet set the dates for this year). I will update that by October.
Our service-learning project this year is to work in the WeGrow Garden, a community garden one block south of Bellingham High School. WeGrow provides low-barrier training to youth and adults who plant, grow, harvest, and distribute produce to those in need. Most of what we grow goes to the Bellingham Food Bank, right across the street from the garden, or to the Lighthouse Mission. The garden serves as an educational space for school groups, non-profit youth agencies, and the public. It showcases how food is grown, managed, and harvested. We will begin our visits to the garden next Wednesday, so look for a permission slip and SignUp Genius for volunteer opportunities (we can’t go without at least one volunteer). The “learning” part of our service-learning project will begin next week when we study several topics including the benefits of community gardens, sustainable and organic gardening, food insecurity, and at-risk youth. We will make display boards about these topics to hang in the garden. The WeGrow Garden is participating in the Whatcom Farm Tour on Saturday, September 14th from 10-4. I told the kids that they would receive service hours if they came to the garden for any part of the tour (optional, of course). Bring them on the 14th to see where they are serving this year (and so they can get some extra service hours.
Please mark your calendars to attend our Washington, D.C. trip meeting at 5:15PM in my classroom on September 11th. It will take place immediately before Curriculum Night September 11th which is from 6-8PM. Those not signed up yet will get a quick preview of the D.C. trip. For others, we will talk about how fundraising is progressing and where we still need help. We will then head over to the gym to begin Curriculum Night. If we have at least ten people attend the D.C. meeting, we will receive another $1,000 towards our trip! At Curriculum Night you will learn about what is coming in eighth grade, and I will answer questions you might have. Feel free to email me with any questions that can’t wait until then.
Have a great three-day weekend!
Chris Eusebio