Frequently Asked Questions

What supplies does my child need for your class?

What online learning platform do you use?

My partners and I all use Canvas to post our daily activities. Your child can access this through their IAM/NC EdCloud account.

Once your contact information has been updated in PowerSchool, I will be sending out an email invitation to become an observer in our Canvas so you are able to see all materials and assignments. (More information on this is linked here.)

One you have created an observed account, you can link your account to your student's account so you can see if they have turned in an assignment, or view the assignment itself. The directions to do so are here. 

How do I check my child's grades?

My partners and I do our best to make sure your child's grades are updated every Friday. Parents and students now have 24/7 access to grades through the Parent Portal app. The instructions to sign up are here.

Each assignment is coded with a specific category to help identify the weight of the grade. Please check the assignment's details and comments on PowerSchool for more information about the specific assignment, where it may be completed, as well as any individual feedback. 

What is your grading policy?

Koontz Intermediate has the same grading policy for all classrooms:

Each grade in PowerSchool is coded with one of these categories. Most of my tests are in the form of a writing piece, which I do offer for the students to do a reflection and one paragraph correction for partial credit back. Please check the assignment's details and comments on PowerSchool for more information about the specific assignment, where it may be completed, as well as any individual feedback. 

Will my child have homework?

Yes. Each week your child will be given a list of vocabulary that we will encounter in our daily classroom reading (Latin and Greek roots and stems, academic words, vocabulary we encounter in our novels, etc.). It is your child's responsibility to study these words each week, as there will be a quiz every Friday. 

The weekly vocabulary words will be posted on our Canvas page. A paper copy of the vocabulary words can also be provided upon student request.

How do I get in contact with Miss Grooms?

I love having parents involved in our classroom! My team and I have decided to use the TalkingPoints messaging system to send and receive texts directly. You were automatically signed up at the beginning of the year using the information provided in PowerSchool. If that information is not correct, please update it and let me know via email so we can add you to the list!

You may also email me, leave a message at the school, or use the Contact Me link. 

Can my child bring their grades up? Do you offer extra credit?

99.9% of the time, if a student is failing my class, it's due to missing assignments. Each Monday, my partners and I print out an individual "Missing Assignments" report for those who may have missing work. If your child receives one of these reports, they will work on getting these assignments turned in during their recess that week. If, by Friday, the assignments are not turned in, a new copy will be printed off for your child to take home and be signed by a parent or guardian.

Most of my tests (which count as 40% of your child's overall grade) are in the form of a writing piece. I do offer for the students to do a reflection and one paragraph correction for partial credit back. However, I only offer for these corrections to be completed within a week of your child receiving their writing grades back. 

If, after turning in all of their missing work and also taking advantage of the reflection opportunities, your child would still like an chance to raise their grade, I do offer one large extra credit option in the form of a PROBE research project and presentation at the end of each nine weeks. PROBE stands for "Possible Research On Basically Everything" meaning your child can pick any topic of their choosing and create a researched presentation for that topic. Please have your child come talk to me for the specific guidelines that are required for this project.

**Note that I only offer this extra credit opportunity to those who have no missing assignments and have also taken advantage of completing all writing reflections. Extra credit is just that, an extra opportunity on top of the required work. If your child has not completed the required work in class, they will not get the opportunity for the extra option.

My child was/will be absent. Where do they get the work that they missed?

We understand that life happens, and there's no reward for perfect attendance anywhere except school. The one good thing about COVID-19 is it gave us the ability to access almost anything from anywhere. If your child is absent for any reason, they can access all of their missing work and daily agenda on Canvas. Most of the work can be completed online, however, some assignments will have worksheets that need to be completed as well. If you don't have a printer at home, there is also an "Absent Work" bin located on the back counter of our classroom where your child can pick up a copy of the worksheets that are posted. 

If you know that your child is going to be absent for any extended period of time such as a family vacation, please let your teacher's know at least a week in advance so we have ample opportunity to get some modified work together for your child so they don't fall behind in class.

What will my child be learning this year? What books will they be reading?

Buncombe County Schools uses the Wit and Wisdom curriculum by Great Minds to help teach our North Carolina State Standards for ELA. The curriculum is broken up into 4 modules. Each module has 2 novels and an assortment of short articles that we will read both in class and as homework. Each module has an overarching "Essential Question" that we focus on answering throughout the entire study and will be answered in a final writing piece at the end of the module. Below is a list of each novel, as well as a parent resource that goes into more detail about what is studied in each module.

What are your classroom rules/expectations?

Koontz Intermediate is a Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) school. We believe in the power of positive interventions and reflections of our choices. We discuss what it means to respect others and ourselves, and how some choices can affect others. We don't expect perfection, but we do expect reflection and change. We try to help students by providing certain incentives such as our quarterly LEAD social for those who have made excellent choices in their behavior, academics, and attendance; as well as provide opportunities for reflection if a student is struggling in any of those areas.

I do my best to practice what I preach when it comes to my three main expectations, and expect the same from my students. I value honesty and communication, as we are all human, and not always feeling at 100% every day. I tell my students, "You're not always going to make the right decisions, and that's okay. I still don't always make the right decisions myself. But it's best to own up to your mistakes and accept the natural consequences of that choice, rather than making things worse for yourself by not accepting or denying your choices."

I'm known to be firm, but fair. I also try my best to teach that fair is not the same as equal, making sure to point out that not everyone needs the same things in life. I do my best to have fun, but also make it known that we are only able to do fun things if we earn it and can handle it. I live by the motto "Work hard, play harder" and try to show my students that hard work and good choices help you to earn big rewards.