ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
Important Parent/student Information
All students will begin the day by reporting to their homeroom for attendance, then report to their first class. To ensure that each student is prepared for learning activities, students are required to come prepared for the day, with all homework, books, journals, pencils, paper, pens, planners, etc. at the beginning of the class.
Attendance Policy
Five tardies of less than one half hour equals one half-day absence.
Tardy minutes will be added together. A total of 3 1/2 hours equals one half day absence. A total of 6 1/2 hours equals one full day absence. If a student reaches the equivalent of 10 days absence, we are required by law to report that student truant unless a valid doctor’s note is received. If a child receives 10 tardies, a notice of possible truancy will be sent to parents.
Homework
Homework is assigned if work has not been completed in class, or to improve skills. All homework is to be turned in to a designated place upon entering the room. Homework will be checked in daily.
Daily schedule
Homeroom: attendance is taken.
First Elective Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Gym or Art Wednesday and Friday.
Organized Physical Education is a component to our curriculum, and supports our school improvement goal of health and wellness for all community members. Students are expected to participate in all team activities, as well as individualized exercise. Students will have a checklist of required skills to complete over the course of the year. All students are expected to bring gym shirts, shorts and shoes and change each day. Students are also expected to bring a wash cloth and towel to use after gym as well as deodorant.
Upon return from PE, elective or art, students report to Math or Language Arts for 50 minutes. A 15 minute break allows students time to interact and build social skills. Students then report to Language Arts or Math, whichever they did not have prior to break.
Language Arts: Journal writing will occur during the first 10 minutes of Language Arts most days. This improves writing skills, as well as presentation and listening skills as journals are shared. It also gives Mrs. Kreiner the opportunity to check progress toward mechanics and grammar goals. On Mondays students will have lessons to improve reading comprehension in narrative and expository text. On Tuesdays students meet with literature circles to discuss the books they are currently reading. Wednesdays will be directed toward writing process, using the 6 Traits Writing model. Thursdays will focus on building Vocabulary and spelling. Fridays will focus on other topics such as handwriting including cursive, keyboarding, use of Windows word processing and spreadsheet programs, etc.
Math lessons occur with students with similar skill sets, giving Ms. Kuhn an opportunity to teach new skills and check on stundents'progress on new skills. Class time is given to work on assigned practice sets.
Lunch will be taken in the lunch room.
Following lunch will be science for Mrs. Kreiner's homeroom and Social Studies for Ms. Kuhn's homeroom. We are working on several themes in science this year, including hydrosphere, atmosphere and weather, cells, motion of objects, gardening, constucting and reflecting on scientific knowledge, and a science fair. Each Monday will be designated for work on Junior Master Gardner certification.
Homerooms are then switched for core content. In social studies, we are learning about Michigan and U.S. History.
On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Electives will take place for the last two period of the day. These will include Concert Band, Art elective, Library, Newspaper, etc.
On Friday, the afternoon schedule is different. After lunch, we will have middle school lessons focusing on community building, teamwork, character building, bullying prevention, safe choices, and so on. Following this we will take part in our all-school Community Meeting. Parents are invited to join us at this time. It is a time when students are given a chance to intereach other across grade levels, doing activities relving around a chosen theme. Following community meeting, we take part in a unique experience. Enrichments are special interest classes taught by AALC teachers, board members, studnets, parents and interested community members. Topics range from foreign languages to archaeology, origami to biking, and everything in between. Please consider volunteering for a session, which lasts 3 weeks.
The final 5 minutes of each day will be spent cleaning up, receiving important notes, filling out planners and gathering materials needed for homework. Students engage in silent reading while waiting for dismissal.
Academic requirements
Students will be required to create four cross-curricular based projects, designed to enhance students’ ability to effectively manage deadlines and projects. These will include a graphic organizer, written report with bibliography, visual display, and a craft or food item, as well as an oral presentation. These projects will include a modest amount of homework.
Students are expected to read 30 minutes per day or 2 1/2 hours per week outside of school, preferably in their literature circle books. At the start of the year, a written summary of the reading is expected. This can be daily or weekly. After lessons in paragraph and essay writing, students will be expected to turn in one 5-paragraph essay per week on the non-fiction topic of their choice. At times when a larger project is being written, these essays are suspended. Students are also expected to read, summarize and comment on one relevant current event article per week.
Students and parents are encouraged to use the middle school and AALC websites weekly or more.