Opinions on JGMS Grading Policies

By Reagan Puhak and Mila Maricic

As the first quarter comes to an end, it’s valuable to understand different teachers and their grading policies. Throughout the school, there are differing opinions on how students should be graded. 

Teachers have contrasting beliefs when it comes to grading. Some teachers placed a higher value on testing than others. In 8th grade English teacher Mrs. Breakall’s class, tests are only worth 10-12% of a student’s grade. When interviewed, she said, “Grades should be more about recognizing growth and progress than one average grade.” Similarly, 7th grade science teacher, Mrs. Noferi, places more of a focus on projects than tests. In contrast, 6th grade math teacher, Mr. LoPresti, grades students on 2 categories, which are classwork / homework and tests / quizzes. This means that tests make up about 50% of a student’s grade. 

At JGMS, it is a school wide policy that students must end the term with at least a 55%. The teachers that were interviewed had conflicting opinions on this as well. Some teachers, like Mrs. Breakall, disagree with this policy. On this topic, she said, “I disagree with a student getting at least a 55 because improvement in a grade might not show due to grade inflation, and discourage the student because they can’t see their own progress.” In addition to not recognizing a student’s progress, this policy may leave students unprepared. If they move on to the next grade without an understanding of the material covered, they will most likely continue to underperform. Mr. LoPresti believes that middle school grades are often inflated, and students might see a change in their grades when they enter high school. On the other hand, Mrs. Noferi agrees with this policy. She said, “I think it’s a good idea because it makes it possible for kids to pass for a year even if they don’t pass for a term.” It is true that students may be discouraged if there is nothing that can possibly be done to improve their grades for the year.  

Another way that students are assessed on their knowledge of the content covered is standardized testing, like MCAS. Most teachers agree that they are a useful tool to analyze students’ progress and hold school districts accountable. However, teachers also agree that there shouldn’t be as much weight placed on testing. Mr. LoPresti believes that kids already take too many tests, and that it can interfere with their learning. Mrs. Breakall said, “ It shouldn’t be the primary requirement for graduation and there shouldn’t be as heavy emphasis on it as there is.” Mrs. Noferi has a specific issue with the way the science MCAS is taken, saying, “I’m not a big fan because kids are tested on 3 years worth of topics, which is hard to remember. It’s also hard to take the science MCAS after the math and English MCAS.” In the end, standardized testing may be a helpful indicator of students’ success, but there are definitely changes that could be made to the way they are taken at this time.

On the topic of improvements that can be made to the grading system, teachers have their own thoughts on how it can be made better. Mrs. Breakall would like to see a portfolio of students’ work throughout their time at JGMS. Mr. LoPresti thinks that students should use grades as motivation, and that they should be made an incentive to try their best rather than to get the perfect grade. Some teachers are happy with the school’s policies, while others are hoping for change or consistency. 

Nature's Classroom

By Ava Blackburn

Nature’s Classroom was an enjoyable and exciting experience for us. On the first day, we took the bus up to Camp Cody, and we played games on the bus with friends. We also airdropped pictures. When we got there, we had an introduction and then went to our cabins. Since we could pick our cabins, I was in a cabin with most of my friends. 

In the cabins, we stayed up latehaving fun and playing Uno. We made videos and we had a pillow fight that ended up getting intense. We had gossip circles, and we also played a game where we would throw a plushie from the top bunks and try to make sure that a girl on the floor didn’t catch it.

We also got to do electives. I chose to do dissection, and we got to dissect a shark. It was fun, but also kind of gross and it smelled really bad because of all the preservative chemicals. I also did build a civilization, which ended up with war breaking out between the three cities.

Finally, we practiced the 4 C’s, which are like HEART. They stand for Cooperation, Care, Commitment, and Care. There were 4 C bracelets passed out, which were given to each other among the students attending if they saw someone showing the 4 C’s. There were 4 final awards, and there was a ceremony at lunch on the last day.

In conclusion, Nature’s Classroom was a really fun experience and I became so much closer with my classmates and peers. We appreciate the teachers and staff volunteering their time to give us this experience, it was all fun and I wish I could go back.