Some helpful tips and advice from your 7th grade team in
preparation for surviving middle school with your child.
HOW MANY CLASSES AND TEACHERS DOES MY CHILD HAVE THIS YEAR?
Your child has four core classes (Science, Math, Language Arts, Social Studies), survey classes (such as Human Body, Art, Computers, etc.), and PE. That’s a lot of teachers and classes to juggle! 7
th grade is very much a transition year. To help your child be successful, please feel free to contact us if you ever have any questions or concerns.
Michelle Inskeep: Principal michellei@coos-bay.k12.or.us 541-267-1471
Jason Goodson: Social Studies goodsonj@coos-bay.k12.or.us 541-267-1468
Alea Nortness: Language Arts alean@coos-bay.k12.or.us 541-267-1468
JenMarie Frangopoulos: Math jenmarief@coos-bay.k12.or.us 541-267-1468
Jacqueline Gamble: Special Education jacquelineg@coos-bay.k12.or.us 541-267-1468
Scott Banks: Physical Education scottb@coos-bay.k12.or.us 541-267-1468
Michael Minks: Music minksm@coos-bay.k12.or.us 541-267-1468
HOW DO I KNOW HOW MY CHILD IS DOING IN HIS OR HER CLASSES?
ParentVUE is an online program that allows you to view your child’s grades in all of his or her classes at any time during the semester. Students have a similar program called StudentVUE. There is a link to it on our district’s website under the “Parents & Community” tab. If you have never used ParentVUE before, you will need to contact our office to receive your username and password. Please help your child get in the habit of checking his or her grades.
Frequently Asked Questions
DO TEACHERS USE NUMBER GRADES OR LETTER GRADES?
All our team members use proficiency based grading, which calculates a final grade based on what your child shows us they understand in relation to our state standards. Numerical rubrics are used to grade classwork (with a 2 being proficient), and a final letter grade is calculated based on the combination of rubric scores. The majority of your child’s grade is based on summative assessments (tests, quizzes, projects) with a small portion attributed to classwork/homework.
DO YOU HAVE HOMEWORK? vs. WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR HOMEWORK TONIGHT?
Most assignments will be started in class with time given to complete them; however, if your child does not finish the assignment in class, it then becomes homework.
How do I know what homework they have? Students fill out a Mustang Planner every day with the activities and homework they have in each of their classes. We expect students to fill it out every day AND get it signed by you once a week.
What if they say they don’t have homework? One big difference between elementary grades and secondary grades is the increase in study skills required to be successful. Instead of simply doing something in class, your child will also need to start studying independently. Examples of independent study skills to encourage include making vocabulary flash cards, re-reading class notes, and talking to family about what they have learned.
Students will also be working on building reading comprehension skills using our AR (Accelerated Reader) Program. We are asking every student to have a reading book to be read during Homeroom and at home. Our expectation is for your child to read at least 20 minutes, five days a week at home.
WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 THINGS I CAN DO TO HELP MY CHILD BE SUCCESSFUL?
Help your child stay organized and stay caught up on classwork.
Encourage your child to develop independence in checking on his or her academic progress AND asking for help if needed.
Don’t be a stranger…we are all part of a team, here to support your child and help him or her have a successful 7th grade year. Please let us know if you ever have questions or concerns.