• A Message from Dr. Clapp

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Dear HKMS Families,

A full five-day week was just what our students needed to burn off some of those amazing Thanksgiving meals and leftovers!

As most classes dove right back into the heart of important learning, our trimester-based FPA classes (Art, Health, and PLTW) rotated into the second trimester. This week felt like the first week of school for these courses, as teachers reset them for 60 days of intense study of their subject. You'll notice all three of these FPA classes featured in this week's Classroom Peeks Section.

As of the release of this newsletter, the Trimester 1 Report Cards are now available for you to view. Here are the directions on how to access them. Report cards are an important milestone in the journey through middle school. For our 8th graders, this is the 7th of the 9 report cards they will receive at Keller, while our 6th graders are receiving their first middle school report card. Talking to your middle schooler about their performance can be tricky, and I recommend you plan out what you might want to say or focus on before sitting down with them (which I strongly recommend). Having a 7th grader of my own, I like to script out the questions I plan to ask her. Focus on open-ended questions that encourage reflection rather than just grades. Here are some questions that I like to use:

• What do you observe about these grades?

• Are there any surprises here for you?

• How do you feel about your grades this time?

• What are you most proud of?

• What efforts did you make that really paid off?

• What would you like to do differently in the coming months?
  
  

One thing I recommend you definitely should not do is overly focus on, or get emotional about, any poor grades. No student wants poor grades; they do well if they can. Middle school is challenging, and it is the best place to struggle. Learning how to learn is essential to figure out before high school, where much more of the learning is independent of classes. Learning that we all struggle eventually, and knowing your love for them is not dependent on performance, is essential for strengthening your relationship through these tumultuous years. Here is some good advice from child psychologist, Dr. Arsalan Moin:

Report Card Advice 

"Before you react to your child's bad grade, pause and ask yourself: is my disappointment about their effort, or is it about how their performance reflects on me? You see the 'D' and your stomach drops. You feel a flash of anger or fear about their future. You see it as a reflection of your parenting, or their laziness. But your child is not just showing you a grade. They are showing you a moment of struggle, and they are watching your reaction. They are learning, in real time, if it is safe to fail in front of you. This is how you raise an adult who is terrified of imperfection. A person who will hide their struggles, fearing your disappointment more than the failure itself. So before you react to the grade, connect with the child. Ask, "How do you feel about this?" Show them your love is not on their report card."

Should you have any questions about the grades, start with your child, do a deep dive into Powerschool (there is a treasure-trove of data and comments many parents miss) and then reach out to the relevant teacher.  You'll be more informed and targeted when discussing your concerns.  

Tomorrow (12/6) we have TWO amazing events happening, one that loads up the calories, one that burns them off!  The 8th grade council is sponsoring the 50th Annual pancake breakfast from 8:30-10:30 a.m. with all the pancakes, breakfast meats, and beverages you can consume for only $10!  At the same time out garden club is installing our new greenhouse.  We could use a few extra hands.  If you can help us out, please let me or Kevin Rogers know (krogers@er9.org).  

Sincerely,

Steve Clapp, Ed.D.

Principal

We need your help!  Saturday from 8:00 a.m. - whenever we finish, we will be spreading stone and installing the new Garden Club Greenhouse!  Please consider coming to HKMS with a shovel and donating a little time to help us with this awesome project!

Before the launch of each free write, students randomly select types of sentences (simple, complex, noun phrases, adjective phrases) that they must incorporate into their writing.  This helps them to develop their skills as writers as well as fosters a better understanding of grammar.  Student also took time this week, as the new trimester begins, to update their reading logs and goals.  

Boodle Brigade, care packages for our active service members, on their way!

The HKMS Lost and Found