Library Field Trip

      Yesterday was a fantastic field trip to the Main Branch of the Hillsboro Library! Most students were diligent and productive, and everyone was respectful. I received several compliments from the library staff regarding the behavior of our students. Way to go! Each class did something a little bit different, so ask your child what they did while at the library.

Library Field Trip - Monday!!

It's time for the library field trip! Here's what you need to bring:


6th Grade - Just come ready to listen and learn! We will be taking a tour of the library, learning how it all works, and enjoying an activity - all put together by one of the librarians.

7th & 8th Grades:

• Washington County Library Card
• Reusable grocery bag to help carry all your books back (you could also bring $2 to purchase one from the library if you'd like)
• File box with blank note cards
• 2-3 sharpened pencils

And don't forget good library etiquette:

• Talk quietly
• Move calmly
• No running, not even up and down that really fun staircase
• Leave the elevator for people that really need it
• Use the librarians as a resource
• Be productive

Welcome Atticus Maxwell!!

Dad, Mom, and baby Atticus are all doing well!

Auction Class Art Projects - Volunteers Needed!

Hello Middle School Families!

I am looking for a volunteer(s) from each middle school grade to lead the auction art project this year. Projects are created by the kids with project parent(s) and finished art is auctioned off at our annual fundraising auction in the spring. Project parents conceptualize, and create class art projects, with complete creative freedom. Project parents coordinate directly with the teacher to schedule the creative process/time in the classroom.

If this sounds like something fun, you would be correct! Working with the kids on these projects is an extremely rewarding process. They are so creative, get very excited, and love the art they create. Teachers support the process and are great to work with as well.

Projects can be painted canvas, ceramics, woodwork, glass, photography, quilting, etc. Check out Pinterest for some amazing ideas. There is a budget of $75, time spent counts as PAL hours, and all proceeds from the auction make a great difference at our school. Even if you don't have an idea but want to work with the kids, I will help you figure out a project.

If this is something you might be interested in, please contact me or your child's teacher.

Thanks,
Kelly Knoebel (bulakellyk@hotmail.com)

Library Cards

7th & 8th Graders - Bring your library cards to school this week!

Mango Languages Grading Procedure

We wanted to make sure the middle school parents and students are well-informed regarding our grading procedure for Mango Languages. We let the students know during their class on Thursday, but here is a reminder for them and an official notice for parents.

Mango is a self-paced programs which makes it extremely difficult to assign a letter grade to. The expectation is that a student will not move onto a new lesson until they have passed the quiz at an 80%. Thus, students are currently at different points in the learning program. As such, we have opted to put Mango on the E-S-N scale. E stands for Excellent, S stands for Satisfactory, and N stands for Needs Work. Mango grades will be assessed on time spent actively engaged in the program. Early on, we informed everyone of the expectation that the students should spend 60 minutes actively engaged with their language each week. Allowing for some leeway in that time for computer issues, bathroom breaks, and checking out books in the library, in order to earn an E, the students must reach 50 minutes per week (25 minutes per class session). Considering our classes are 40-45 minutes long, each student should easily be able to reach this standard. If a student is absent, forgets their Chromebook, or otherwise encounters issues that keep them from participating, they are expected to make up the time at home. (A side note - Mango is a smart program and will stop logging time when the student stops answering questions. They must actively use the program in order for it to log their time spent.)
The grading scale is as follows:

• E = 100%+ of expected time
• S = 80-99% of expected time
• N = 0-79% of expected time

Currently, to earn an E, 8th graders should be at 3 hours 45 minutes, and 7th & 6th graders should be at 4 hours 10 minutes.
As always, please contact us if you have any questions.