Rolling into October

And just like that we are five weeks into the school year! Our fall modified sports seasons are starting to wind down, most of our clubs and activities have had initial meetings and are underway, and rehearsals for our annual musical that takes place in November are in full swing. If you are a middle school student and not getting involved in activities after school then you’re not trying very hard. Please continue to encourage your kids to get involved! Sign-ups for Winter 1 and 2 modified sports seasons are now taking place in our Health Office and this link is an overview of the different clubs and activities that take place at different times throughout the year. Please contact me directly if you need some help getting your middle school student involved and engaged with something outside of the classroom. It's that important!

Progress Reports and Report Cards

The first progress report of the year is now available for viewing on SchoolTool. This is a terrific opportunity to log on with your child so that together you can monitor their academic progress, set goals and adjust habits early in the school year. Once you log into Schooltool click on the Grades tab, select Progress Report Grades and make sure you are looking at Marking Period 1. Progress reports and report cards will no longer be printed and sent home with students. We will send an email notification that grades and comments have been finalized for viewing every five weeks. The dates for progress reports and report cards can be viewed through this link. If you need a SchoolTool password or have any questions related to Schooltool please contact our Guidance Department at 487-4622. 

If this was the Jeopardy answer the question would be: 

What is the number of books every student should read outside of school during the year? 

Why 10? Well, the generally accepted rule of thumb is 20 books per year – for every student – every year. And that’s the minimum. If we read the equivalent of 10 books per year in school then that leaves the other 10 books for reading outside of school. We need to continue to increase the amount of time our students have with eyes on text. Reading and writing are the most critical aspect of student growth and learning in preparing them for their future. Our students need to make reading a habit and we need to support, encourage and model it for them.

A great way to help our children is to create a literature rich household. Sometimes the biggest obstacle to this is just finding some book titles that interest the young adult reader. Click here for some really good suggestions on books to include in your home library. Ten books in a school year - it’s non-negotiable and it is the most important thing we can do to set all of our students up for success. We need your help at supporting this and promoting reading as a part of every student’s daily life. This isn't rocket science -  it’s simple, but we have to do it!

Continued Success,
Steve Dunham
sdunham@westgenesee.org
@Sdunhamwgms