Middle School Notes

Good Afternoon!

We have had a fantastic four-day week here at Trinity, but next week looks to be one of the biggest yet this year.  Here is a snapshot of what will be going on:

Monday, we will welcome Mrs. Edwina Rogers to our school to kick off our emphasis on Trinity's Accelerated Reader program.  Mrs. Rogers has worked for two presidents and four U. S. senators, and is seen regularly as a political analyst on the Fox News Network.  The title of her presentation will be "It Pays to Read."  Mrs. Rogers will be speaking during our activity period in the sanctuary of Eastwood Presbyterian Church, directly across the street from the school.  We are asking that middle school students wear chapel dress on Monday for this important event.

Monday also marks the beginning of campaign week for our upcoming student council elections.  Candidates will be making speeches during lunch each day, and we will vote on our new student council Friday.  Please encourage your children to take this election very seriously, as we will expect a great deal out of our student council representatives this year.

Please give your students a very big pat on the back.  As of today, we have no office referrals for this school year!  Our new discipline plan is working and your kids are cooperating nicely.  Please encourage them!

Here are some further announcements:

1. Chapel dress for Monday -- very important

2. Please remember to support Stella's House.  Collection cans went home this week and are due Friday.  If you would like further information on this ministry, you may find it here.

3. Please mark September 22 on your calendar.  This will be College Day in the upper school, and our middle school will dismiss at 12:00 p.m.

4. Please remember that due to the high number of absences, we are now posting assignments to Edline. 

5. We now have a new test make-up policy which we are putting into place because of the high absentee rate we have been experiencing.  Make-up tests will now be given on designated days as follows:

Monday - Math

Tuesday - English

Wednesday - Science

Thursday - Social Sciences

Friday - Bible/Foreign Language rotation/Electives

If there are conflicts with the Friday slots, they will be worked out with the individual teachers.

Here are our tests for the coming week:

6th Grade:

Tuesday - Social Studies, English

Wednesday - Science

Friday - Math, Social Studies

7th Grade

Monday - English

Tuesday - Old Testament

Wednesday - Science

Friday - Math 7

Reminder: 7th grade cell project is due Sept. 25

8th Grade:

Tuesday - History (Weeks)

Have a Great Weekend!

Middle School Notes

Happy Friday!

I hope your pre-Labor Day week has been a good one!

Here are some important announcements:

1. Beginning today, teachers will be posting assignments to Edline.  If your child is sick, please check Edline for all assignments.  Teachers who use Wikis for this purpose will post a link to their Wiki on the Edline site.

2. Please keep your child home from school if they are sick with flu-like symptoms.  This is the best way that we can contain the spread of any illness here at school.  We will work with you with respect to make-up work.  Our primary concern at this point is the health and well-being of all of our students and employees.

3. Please remember that requests for excused absences (trips, etc.) should be made in writing at least one week prior to the date of the absence.  You should direct your written request to me, and, if approved, I will forward it to the teachers.

4. It is important that we remember that Trinity does not send weekly folders home in grades 6-12.  Instead, grades are posted on Edline every second and fourth Monday.  Additionally, as stated above, assignments are posted on Edline now as well.  If you have concerns about a specific class, please contact the Guidance Center to schedule a conference.  You may reach Mrs. Ramsey at 213-2201.

5. I am happy to report that our students are conducting themselves in an exemplary fashion!  Our middle-schoolers are a delight to work with, and are following our guidelines and procedures very well.  The sixth grade seems to be adjusting to middle school life, the seventh-graders are helping underclassmen as needed, and our eighth-graders are exhibiting tremendous leadership qualities.  We have a great deal of interest in our upcoming student council elections, and everyone seems to be taking the whole idea of student government very seriously.  In short, your kids deserve a big pat on the back!

Here are our tests for the coming week:

6th Grade:

Wednesday - Social Studies

7th Grade:

Thursday - Math

Friday - Pre Algebra

8th Grade:

Wednesday - Earth Science, Spanish

Thursday - Pre Algebra, Latin

Friday - History (McLemore, Weeks, Franklin), English

Thanks so much for your help as we work with you to educate your child.  I hope you and your family enjoy a fun-filled Labor Day weekend!

Middle School Notes

Good Afternoon!

I hope this has been a good week for you and your middle-schooler!

With the outbreak of H1N1, the regular flu, and other illnesses, I figured it would be a good idea to share some information with you that I hope will be helpful.

One of our parents is a registered nurse at a local hospital, and has been sharing information with us regarding the H1N1 outbreak.  Following is a quote from a recent email she sent me.  It is used with her permission:

Some people think that Tamiflu is like an antibiotic and after 24 hours you are not contagious, but this is not true.  We need to educate our parents that the flu is still contagious until you are totally fever free for 24 hours even if you are on Tamiflu.

It is also important to note that some children with H1N1 have a very mild case, and are not presenting with very many symptoms.  If you are the parent of such a child, I encourage you to keep your student out of school until he/she is fever free, without Tylenol, for 24 hours.  This is the very best way for us to contain the virus and to keep it from spreading here at school.

On that note, we are doing everything possible to keep our campus clean and to remind our students of proper hand washing technique as well as what to do when they cough or sneeze.

Thanks so very much for your continued cooperation in this matter.  

Here are our tests for the coming week:

6th Grade

Friday - Math

7th Grade

Wednesday - Civics

8th Grade

Monday - English

Tuesday - Latin, Earth Science

Wednesday - Bible

Friday - Algebra I

I hope you and your family enjoy a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Middle School Notes

Happy Friday!

Well, we've made it through the first full week of school, and your kids have been outstanding!  Please congratulate them for me.  Our 6th graders are navigating the campus well, and things are settling in nicely.

Here are a few announcements:

1. Please make plans to attend our PTO night next Tuesday, August 25 at 7:00 p.m. in Willett Hall.  Our teachers are looking forward to meeting you!

2. Everyone is concerned about the spread of the Swine Flu, and we are doing everything we can to keep things as clean as possible on our campus.  Please help us out by reviewing with your child proper hand washing techniques, as well as coughing/sneezing etiquette.  If your child is coming down with flu-like symptoms, or is running a fever, please keep them home from school.  This is our best shot at containing this disease.  Thanks so much for your help!

3. Thanks for your help with our carpool line after school.  We're managing to clear everyone out a little faster than we did last year.  Your cooperation with our guidelines is most helpful and greatly appreciated.

4. I strongly encourage you to check our this blog site by Dr. Frank Buck, an expert in the area of organization.  He has recently posted a series of articles entitled "Managing School The Easy Way" that I think you will find very helpful.  Dr. Buck will be a guest on our campus when teachers return to school after the Christmas holiday, and we are looking forward to learning how we can all be more organized in our work with your children.

Here are our tests for the coming week:

6th Grade:

Friday - Social Studies

7th Grade:

Tuesday - Civics, English

Thursday - Science

Friday - Pre-Algebra/Math 7, Old Testament

8th Grade 

Tuesday - Earth Science

Wednesday - Public Speaking

Friday - History (McLemore)

Have a GREAT WEEKEND!

Middle School Notes

Good Afternoon!

I hope your first week of school was a good one!  We had a very smooth start to the school year, and your children are to be congratulated making everything work so well.

Here are some important reminders as we begin thinking about week two and beyond:

1. Please make sure that your children label all of their belongings.  With class changes and locker stops, we tend to find misplaced items in the hall.  However, it is impossible for us to match an item with the owner when there is no name written anywhere.  If your child is missing something, have them stop by the front office and look through the lost and found box.

2. In an effort to help your child learn valuable organizational skills, we are using student planners in all of our classes.  Teachers are working to ensure that homework assignments are written in planners each day, and we are asking that you check these at home each evening.  Tests will continue to be posted on this blog each Friday afternoon.

3. Please note that our tutoring fees have increased this year from $25 per hour to $30 per hour.  You may contact Connie Cantey, our middle school tutor, if you are interested in tutoring services for your child.  She may be reached at ccantey@trinitywildcats.com . 

4. Please continue to help us with carpool.  Middle school students may be picked up in front of Willett Hall.  It is very important that you pull forward as far as possible in the carpool line so we don't overflow onto Trinity Blvd.  Thanks so much for your cooperation!

Tests next week: None

Have a wonderful, restful weekend!

Ready, Set, Go!

The "Halls of Trinity" are abuzz as we work to get things ready for the 2009-2010 school year.  Our Guidance Center sponsored a locker orientation day Wednesday, and we welcomed our new teachers to campus today for their first official day on the job.  

We have three new faces in the middle school this year:

Lisa Smithson will be teaching 7th grade English.  Mrs. Smithson comes to us from Southside Middle School in Tallassee where she has been for the last couple of years.  She has also worked in the Montgomery Public Schools, Lee County Schools, Auburn City Schools, and Marion Military Institute in a teaching career that has spanned some 14 years.

Kelly Long will be teaching 7th grade math.  Mrs. Long has been the computer teacher in our Lower School for the last 15 years.  She has also taught junior high math in the Montgomery Public Schools.

Tim Bethea will be teaching middle school boys PE, in addition to serving as an assistant varsity football coach and head varsity golf coach.  Coach Bethea has coached and taught at The Montgomery Academy for the last 23 years.

As you prepare for the new school year, locker organization might be at the top of your list.  Getting the year started off right in this important area will make things run much more smoothly for everyone.  To that end, you might want to take a few moments to read and discuss this post from last year.  It includes some great tips for getting and keeping your locker neat and functional.  (Note: You'll have to scroll down a bit to get to the locker info)

Enjoy your last weekend of summer, and I'll see you next Wednesday!

Welcome, New 6th-Graders!

Earlier this morning I had the privilege of participating in the first-ever "5th Grade Moving-Up Ceremony" at Trinity.  Mrs. Shelley and I both had the opportunity to speak to the current 5th grade class and present each student with a wonderful book.  Following is the text of my remarks to this outstanding group of young people:

Good morning rising 6th graders!  Today you officially begin your journey toward adulthood.  You will experience as much growth and development during the next three years as you did during your first two years of life.  You will essentially look and act less and less like a child, and more and more like an adult over the next several years, and we are going to be here to guide you through those changes.

The middle grades are an exciting time.  For the first time in your school-life, you will have a tremendous amount of freedom.  Classes will change seven times in a day, and you will have some choices as to what your areas of study will be.  At Trinity, you will be able to choose between many different, exciting courses in the fine arts, study three foreign languages, and engage in competitive athletics.

In the middle school, we strive for Christ-like excellence.  We like to think of this endeavor as shooting for "Straight As."  We want you to excel, to the extent of your God-given abilities, in the areas of Academics, Athletics, the Arts, your Appearance, and your Attitude.

Let's look at each of these areas briefly:

Academics - This heads the list because it is the key to your future.  Excellence in the academic arena will open countless doors for you, and will allow you to pick and choose among colleges and universities, as well as your career.  There is no substitute for a solid academic background, and we are committed to giving you the sound foundation you need in order to build a bright future.

Athletics - Many of you are gifted in this area and Trinity has a stellar reputation for outstanding athletic teams headed by gifted, committed coaches.  When participating in competitive sports at Trinity, you will be taught how to win with humility and handle defeat with grace and dignity.  Our coaches are Christ-like men and women who will shape you into true winners, both on and off the competitive field.

Arts - In ancient Greece, a person was not considered to be educated unless that education included instruction in the fine arts.  Music, dance, and art classes are every bit as academic as English, math, science, and social studies, and are treated as such here.  You are encouraged to pour yourself into the arts during your middle school years.  You will find the experience to be very rewarding.

Appearance - The way you dress and carry yourself has a direct impact on how you feel about yourself as well as how others feel about you.  We take our dress code very seriously in the middle school for this very reason.  Our Accelerated Reader program is taking this ball and running with it next year as we implement "Dress for Success" days.  We want you to care about how you present yourself because it will directly impact your future.

Attitude - This may be the most important thing upon which we focus in middle school.  Your attitude is everything.  While you can't always control your circumstances, you can control how you react to your circumstances.  In short, we want to be Christ-like in our attitudes, demonstrating the Fruit of the Spirit each day, and treating each other with utmost respect at all times.

Students, I congratulate you on your accomplishments thus far, and I welcome you to our middle school.  It is my hope that the next three years will be some of the happiest and most meaningful in your life.  I pray that the Lord will begin to prepare your hearts for this transition even now, and that He will guide your every step during your middle school journey.