Exam Changes

Parents,

Please note the following exam date changes:

The Varsity Baseball team will be playing in the State Championship series this Thursday at 4:00pm and on Friday beginning at 10:00am.  Due to the start time of game two, we will postpone our Middle and Upper School 2nd period exams until 10:00am Wednesday, May 20.  Students will take their first period exams as scheduled on Friday, May 15 from 8:00-9:30am.  they will then be dismissed so that they can attend game two at Riverwalk Stadium,

Note - These changes to not affect the 6th grade.  Students in 6th grade take exams from 8:00-9:30am each day of the exam period.

Revised Exam Schedule

Friday, May 15 - 1st period exam only - 8:00-9:30

Monday, May 18 - 3rd period exam - 8:00-9:30; 4th period exam - 10:00-11:30

Tuesday, May 19 - 5th period exam - 8:00-9:30; 6th period exam - 10:00-11:30

Wednesday, May 20 - 7th period exam - 8:00-9:30; 2nd period exam - 10:00-11:30

Thanks!

Middle School Notes

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Friday!

I hope you enjoy the video posted above.  This new feature, entitled "This Week at Trinity," will be seen frequently on this site during the school year.  Pictured in today's montage are scenes from our Science Olympiad party, the induction of our "TPS Corporation" AR program, the "Great Flood of 2009," and a guest speaker, Dr. Lynn Stallings from Kennesaw State University, in our math department.

Exam Prep 101

Exams are introduced at the middle school level here at Trinity to help your child prepare for higher-stakes testing in upper school and beyond.  With one week to go before the first test, it is certainly not too early to begin daily preparation.

Look carefully at the upcoming exam schedule, outlined at the end of today's blog post.  Work backward from each exam day, and plan your study time carefully.  Start today -- cramming doesn't work.

Here are some specific study tips to remember when preparing for important tests:

As was mentioned in this post from a couple of weeks ago, select a specific study time and place each day.  While you want your child to learn how to study alone, it doesn't hurt to help your student organize his materials and plan his study sessions.  Guidance in this area is a good thing, and will allow for more independent work in future years.

Take some time to help your child by quizzing the material studied in those solitary sessions.  You may simply call out questions from your child's notes, or you can create flash cards to aid with this.  Use a variety of question styles, thinking of the possible ways you might see a question phrased on a test.

Allow for breaks if your child becomes frustrated.  A frustrated student will not retain much material.  To that end, provide encouragement to your student.  Positive thoughts, a "can-do" attitude, and the expectation that one will do well are all certainly helpful when taking a high-stakes test.

Use the following acrostic to help you remember some basic tips for exam preparation:

S - T - U - D - Y

S - Sleep at least 8 hours a night leading up to exams.  Also remember to eat well.  Good nutrition and adequate rest will boost performance.

T - Take Careful Notes during upcoming review sessions.  If the teacher mentions something in a review session, you can bet your bottom dollar it will be on the exam!

U - Understanding  Check for this when helping your child study.  It is not enough to simply remember facts.  Material that is thoroughly understood can be applied to a variety of exam question types.

D - Don't Procrastinate!  Waiting until the last minute to "cram" for exams is a terrible mistake.  You have time now - use it wisely!

Y - You Can Do It!  Lift your child up with encouragement.  They need to enter the exam room with confidence!

Here is our upcoming test schedule, including our exam schedule, for the next two weeks:

6th Grade:

No tests before exams

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Science

Wednesday - Keyboarding

8th Grade:

Monday - English

Tuesday - Pre-Algebra

Wednesday - English

Exam Schedule

Friday, May 15:

1st and 2nd Period Exams

6th Grade Science Exam

Monday, May 18:

3rd and 4th Period Exams

6th Grade English Exam

Tuesday, May 19:

5th and 6th Period Exams

6th Grade Math Exam

Wednesday, May 20:

7th Period Exam

6th Grade Social Studies Exam

Make-Up Exam Day

Have a Great Weekend!

Middle School Notes

Good Afternoon!

I hope you had a great week, and I hope you have some exciting things planned for this weekend!

Today was a wonderful day here at Trinity.  We started things off by honoring several of our best and brightest with the National Junior Honor Society induction ceremony.  I'll try to post a picture sometime next week.  However, here are the names of those inducted this morning:

Ashley Ann Adams, Austin Adams, Holly Bellenger, Abby Betts, Dow Birchfield, Josh Brooks, Melissa Chambers, Will Clements, Chris Colee, Nick Conversino, Tanner Cox, Blair Davis, Kristian Duraski, Cole Farris, Anna Fatzinger, Elizabeth Franklin, Win Grice, Francie Hogan, Dylan Ingram, Payne Jennings, Brinkley Jones, Lauren Kingry, Jacqueline Morris, Jacey Morrow, Hayden Payne, Stone Phillips, Kennon Pouncey, Bailey Richards, James Rinehart, Candler Reynolds, MaryAugusta Slawson, Nina Smith, Marley Sport, Thomas Stallings, Brock Stevens, Brady Taylor, Caroline Ward, and Emily Alston Wiatt.

Congratulations to each of these fine students for a job well done!

Please remember that exams are approaching quickly.  Students should be preparing for these tests even now.  Encourage your child to plan ahead, study "smart," and avoid cramming.

Watch How Much You Watch TV!

Being from the "Sesame Street" generation, I was floored when my parents told me that they did not own a television set until after they had graduated from high school.  Even then, they didn't get a color set until the late 1960s.  

Most of us grew up with TV.  We see shows from the past and they bring up a host of memories from our younger days.  My generation could especially identify with the likes of Rick Schroder, Kirk Cameron, Justine Bateman and other teen stars of the '80s.  It is interesting to see them as thirty-somethings (or maybe even forty-somethings!) today.

While TV is certainly not bad in and of itself, it can become quite time consuming.  Consider the following statistics provided by the A. C.  Nielsen Company:

Ninety-nine percent of all US households own at least one television set.  The average number of sets per household is 2.24, while 66% of homes include three or more sets.

A television set is turned on in the average household more than six hours every day, and this adds up to some 250 billion hours of television watched annually by Americans.  Sixty-six percent of families in the US watch TV while eating dinner, and the percentage of people in this country who pay for cable TV stands at 56.

Some of the numbers can become quite disturbing, especially when you consider that 54% of four-year-olds  who, when asked to choose between watching television and spending time with their fathers, chose television.  Or if you consider that the average child has seen some 8,000 murders on TV by the end of elementary school.  By the age of 18, that same young person will have seen over 200,000 violent acts on the tube.

As stated earlier, television is not necessarily a "bad" thing.  In fact, it can be quite wholesome and educational -- when utilized properly.  It is up to you, the parent, to set the boundaries.  Don't be afraid to do so.

Consider cutting off the TV during dinner time each night.  Use the time to enjoy one another's company and catch up on the events of the day.  As has been suggested in public service announcements, declare one night of the week to be "Family Game Night."  Reading books would also be a good substitute.

The idea is to strike a balance and make the most of the time you have with your kids.  The years have wings, and your little ones will be walking down an aisle with a cap and gown on before you know it.  Let's make sure we've made the most of our time with them!

Tests - Week of May 4:

6th Grade

Thursday - Social Studies

Friday - Math

7th Grade

Tuesday - Geography

Thursday - Math, Pre-Algebra

Friday - Science

8th Grade

Monday - History (Franklin), Treasure Hunt Day!

Tuesday - History (Weeks)

Wednesday - Science, History (McLemore)

Thursday - Algebra I

Have a Great Weekend!

Middle School Notes

Good Afternoon!

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Friday, and I hope your week was a good one.

April and May seem to be some of the busiest months of the year if you are around a school, and Trinity is no exception.  Please pay careful attention to the school calendar, located on the front page of our website , for a listing of events.  Additionally, here are some important middle school-specific dates of note:

- Friday, May 1 - National Jr. Honor Society Induction.  This ceremony begins at 8:15 am in Willett Hall.  You should receive a letter shortly if your child is up for induction.

- Monday, May 2 - Our 8th grade students will be participating in a scavenger hunt around campus as they conclude their study of Treasure Island.  Although this event does not include parents, I thought you would find it interesting to see how creative our teachers are as they provide educational activities that are fun and move the kids out of the "daily grind."

- Tuesday, May 5 - Awards Day.  This ceremony begins in Willett Hall at 8:20 a.m. and should last roughly forty minutes.

Pictured here are our two latest winners of the "Who's the Best?" contest in the 7th and 8th grades.  Ms. McLemore's 7th period and Mrs. Pirtle's 4th period claimed the honors this time around.  These kids are not in uniform because they received a dress-down day as a reward for winning.  In the coming weeks, the 7th and 8th grades will be competing against one another in the final round of "Who's the Best?"

Organizing Your Child's Spaces

In last week's post, we began looking at ways we can help middle schoolers get organized by making maximum use of the 24 hours we have in each day.  Today, we will discuss how you can help your child organize his personal spaces.

The school locker is "home base" at school.  It should be free from clutter, so it is important that your student clean it out regularly, keeping only what is necessary.  Many of our students now clean the locker out completely on Friday afternoons, packing everything into the backpack for the "purge" at home over the weekend.  

It is helpful for students to keep books and notebooks in the order of the school day, from left to right in the locker.  Additionally, students should have a "locker plan," carefully deciding just when to visit the locker each day.  For example, a student could grab supplies for first and second periods at the beginning of the school day, and wouldn't have to return to the locker until our break period just prior to 3rd period.  This type of schedule would minimize locker visits, making more time for socializing, visiting the restroom, and making it to class before the tardy bell.

It is also very important to determine what all will be needed at home each evening by making notes in the daily planner.  Students may then refer to the planner and retrieve the needed books before leaving for the day.

Other helpful locker hints include posting the daily schedule on the inside of the locker door, and keeping the combination in a safe place just in case it is forgotten over a long break.

The planner, mentioned above, is provided by the school and is absolutely essential for organizational survival.  In his book, Get Organized! Time Management For School Leaders, Dr. Frank Buck describes the planner as the "signature tool."  This simply means that the planner is the one place to trap all of the important information that comes our way during the day.  In the case of the student, this will include homework assignments, upcoming tests, and critical due dates.  In addition to marking important dates on the calendar in the planner, students should put reminders in place a day or even a week in advance depending upon the nature of a particular project.  The planner should always be with the student, available to "trap" that important information during any class.

For more information on the signature tool, see this post in Dr. Buck's popular blog on organization.  You might find this information useful for yourself as well!

Most teachers give very clear instructions as to the organization of the notebooks required for their classes.  However, there are some universal tips of which we should all be reminded from time to time.

As has been said before, get rid of the clutter!  Useless clutter creates stress and should be removed on a daily basis.  Create the habit of removing that which is not needed from all notebooks, books, and the backpack itself daily.  Finding things will be easier and stress will immediately be reduced.

Organize with tabs.  No one likes flipping through page after page looking for something when sections can be divided with inexpensive tabs.  Some companies even provide a table of contents that can show what each tab represents when the notebook is opened.

Keep relevant papers in the pockets provided.  School can be fast-paced, and with that comes the tendency to shove papers in the first place available.  Encourage your child to take the extra time to put loose papers in the pockets of subject-specific notebooks.  Investment in a good hole-punch would allow these papers to be bound in a particular section at a later date.

It is also very important that you provide a good work space for your child at home.  This area needs to be dedicated to homework and study, and should be neat and attractive.  Make sure you stock the space with a variety of school supplies, and ensure that it is located in an part of your home that is free from distractions.  If the space is neat, has good lighting and ventilation, and is comfortable, your child will be more inclined to use it for those daily homework and study sessions.

Remember that teaching our children organizational skills is a process.  While anyone can learn to be organized, some will take more time and support to achieve success.  Consistent effort, reinforcement, and modeling during the middle years will produce a person who enjoys the fruits of good organizational skills for a lifetime!

Tests for the Week of April 27:

6th Grade:

Tuesday - Social Studies

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Math

Wednesday - Keyboarding

8th Grade:

Thursday - English

Have a Great Weekend!

 

Middle School Notes

Good Afternoon!

Please note -- this blog has been updated with new test information since the original publication Friday afternoon.

I hope you have had a great week!

Beginning today I will be using this weekly blog post to discuss timely matters for middle school students and families.  I will still include important announcements and the tests for next week, but the idea of partnering with you in your child's education has prompted me to expand things a bit.

Today's entry:

Helping Your Child Get and Stay Organized

Believe it or not, getting organized is one of the most important steps one can take toward reducing stress.  Think about it.  How much of the stress that you deal with each day comes from wondering whether you've forgotten to do something important?  How many times have you been awakened in the middle of the night with the terrifying thought that something has slipped through the cracks?  How often have you found yourself searching for that little slip of paper with the important phone number scribbled on it?

Can you imagine how much better your child would perform in school if we could dramatically reduce the stress in his or her life?  Let me show you some ways we can make that happen!

Rule number one: Manage your time, not your work.

Most of us would agree that we could probably work 24 hours a day and still find more to do.  In short, work will always be there.  However, time is the valuable commodity that we can't afford to waste.  We all have the same amount of time each day.  It is how we choose to use that time that makes the difference.

Start by helping your child structure his time.  Let's look at the typical day of a middle school student at Trinity.  We could divide the day into the following categories (not including the time they sleep through the night):

- Time before school

- The time school is actually in session each weekday

- Time immediately after school

- Dinner time 

- Time before bedtime

- Bedtime

It is important that you and your child decide together how the above time slots should be best used.  Here is a sample day:

- Time before school: Eat a good breakfast, make final preparations for the day, and check that your child has everything needed for the day before leaving the house.

- School day: Structured by the school.

- Time immediately after school: This time slot could include sports or some other type of practice, play/free time, or homework time, depending upon the situation.

Note:  When you begin homework, it is very important that you empty the backpack and decide what needs your attention, what needs to be thrown away, and what needs to be done in the way of homework.  Help get your child into this routine as early as possible and you'll never have that "bottomless pit" backpack that we've all seen!  It is also important to do homework in a place free from distractions.  Homework time should be sacred time.  

- Dinner time: This should be a time to forget about school work for awhile, cut off the TV and iPod, and focus on family.  Fellowship together.  Share interesting stories from your day.  But most of all, enjoy time with your kids without any other distractions.

Time before bedtime:  This time could be used for free time, reading or watching TV if homework is already done.  Some may choose to do homework during this time slot.  When you do homework really doesn't matter.  The important thing is to schedule a time for homework and devote that time to homework each day.

Before heading for bed, help your middle-schooler check over everything that is due on the following day.  Are there important forms requiring your signature that need to be turned in?  Is there a paper that needs to be printed and bound?  Are all of the next day's books and folders in place?  It is much easier to handle these details the night before than it is when making the mad dash out the door the next morning.

Bedtime:  This really should be etched in stone.  Research is constantly telling us that "tweens" need lots of sleep.  The more good, stress-free sleep they get, the better they will perform in school.  The time just before bed is also good for family devotions.  This has become a special tradition in our house, and I encourage you to consider it as well.

Bottom line:  We need to use these years to teach our kids how to structure their time.  Develop a system and stick to it.  This will take a good bit of direction on your part, especially on the front end.  But the result of consistency in this area will be a healthy, confident, organized young freshman who makes the 8:00 class fully prepared.  That day is coming faster than we would care to think about.  Let's make sure we're ready for it!

Next week we'll talk some about managing your physical resources for school: notes, notebooks, binders, pencil pouches and lockers.  Stay tuned!

Tests - Week of April 20:

6th Grade:

Tuesday - Science

Friday - Math

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Math/Pre-Algebra

Friday - Geography

8th Grade:

Tuesday - Science, Pre-Algebra

Wednesday - Algebra I

Friday - History (McLemore)

Have a great weekend!

He is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter!

I hope your family enjoyed a blessed Easter weekend.  I always come away from this special time renewed in the faith, having a greater appreciation for what my Savior did for me, and a greater awareness that I need to serve Him daily.

Please be mindful of the upcoming tests in the middle school this week:

6th Grade:

Math placement tests for 7th grade will be this week

7th Grade: None

8th Grade:

Tuesday - History (McLemore)

Wednesday - History (Weeks)

Friday - English

Have a great week!

Middle School Notes

Happy Friday!

Enjoy the pictures below of our Junior Youth Legislature participants in action.  Several of our middle school students are participating in this outstanding program at the State Capitol this weekend.  Sarah Grace Stone was elected chaplain (on her birthday!!), Erin Williams was elected clerk, Lauren Kingry was elected assistant presiding officer, and Lee Madison was elected assistant floor leader.

Congratulations to these students for a job well done, and many thanks to Miss Rebecca Helms, our middle school public speaking teacher and Junior Youth Legislature sponsor.

Congratulations to Mrs. Kirtland's 6th grade class for winning the student council penny drive this week!  These fine students are now entitled to a dress down day -- more info to that coming up soon.

Here are our tests for the week:

6th Grade:

Tuesday - English, Math

Wednesday - Social Studies

7th Grade:

Thursday - Geography, Math 7/Pre-Algebra

8th Grade:

None

Have a great weekend!