THE PANTHER PRESS
WOODLAWN MIDDLE SCHOOL 14939 Tiger Bend Road Baton Rouge, LA 70817
June, 2009
Dear Woodlawn Middle School Parents, We hope each of our families are having a restful summer and will be eager to begin a new school year on August 7th, 2009. Orientation for our 6th grade students will take place July 30th from 8:00-10:00 AM. 7th and 8th grade students will have orientation July 31st from 8:00-10:00 AM. We will begin with a short meeting in the gym and then students will have an opportunity to pay their school fee of $20.00. This fee will cover the cost of the student planner, student ID and lanyard, locker fee and school newspaper. We will take school ID pictures during orientation. Students will also have the opportunity to purchase school spirit shirts ($10/$12), school sweat shirts ($12/$14), and PE uniforms ($20). We are very proud of all of the hard work our students and teachers did last year! Test scores came up and so will our school performance score! Over the last three years we have continued to decrease the number of students scoring unsatisfactory/approaching basic, while increasing the number of students scoring in basic/mastery/advanced. It is with the support of our parents that we have been able to move in a positive direction each year. Parental support is a key factor in the success of children. This year we will host four Family Engagement Nights to help engage all of our parents in the learning process. Family Nights will take place on these dates: September 29, November 3, January 12 and March 9. Each Family night will focus on one of the four content areas; math, science, social studies or English Language Arts. Teachers will work with our parents to illustrate the techniques parents can use to help their children excel in each content area. Please take time out to read the news letter, mark your calendar with important dates and please be involved with the education of your children!
Sincerely,
Shelly Colvin Principal
Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) Thanks goes out to all of our PTSA members and parent volunteers for all they did for Woodlawn Middle School this school year! Parents, please be involved and join the PTSA this year! You may reach Michelle McNicoll, the president of the association at michelle.mcnicoll@morganstanley.com.
Grades Do Count!
East Baton Rouge grading scale for the 2009-2010 school year has changed; note the changes below. East Baton Rouge Grading Scale (Starting the 2009-2010 School Year) 100-90 A 89-80 B 79-70 C 69-60 D 59 and below F Please remember for a middle school student to pass to the next grade level a student must pass 7/8 courses or 13/16 semester credits for promotion. Eighth grade students must pass both the LEAP and the 8 th grade to be promoted to the 9th grade. Middle School Promotion Scale (example) 9 wks. F D B C C 9 wks. D F C B F + + + = Semester Grade = = = = = D F C B D
1st semester F D
2nd semester = YEAR D F = PASS = FAIL
F B A, B, C
+ + +
C C F
= PASS = PASS =PASS/FAIL
D
+
B
= PASS
New Technology for Our Parents
Parents, beginning this school year, you will have access to a web based site called eSchool plus. This web based site will allow you to view your child’s progress in each class on a daily basis. You will know if they are missing assignments and what grades they have made on all of their graded work. You will also be able to view their attendance and discipline records. This will be a valuable tool for you to not only know your child’s progress, but what you as a parent can do to help your child during the school year.
Dates to Remember July 30 6th grade orientation 8-10 July 31 7th and 8th grade orientation 8-10 August 7 School begins(first day for students) August 24 Liberty Card Kick Off August 27 Open House 6:00 September 7 Labor Day holiday September 24 Picture Day September 29 Family Engagement Night October5 Sally Foster Kick Off October 9 End of 1st nine weeks October 12 Columbus Day holiday November 3 Family Engagement Night November23-27 Thanksgiving holiday December 18 End of the 2nd nine weeks December 21-31 Winter Break
READ, READ, READ Each Woodlawn Middle School student needs to READ this summer. Attached is the summer reading list for our students for 6th, 7th, 8th and Gifted/Great Scholars. Woodlawn Middle School’s Sixth Grade All incoming 6th graders are required to read at least one of the following books during the summer. Additional reading is suggested as all books are part of our school-wide Accelerated Reader program. Students will be accessed during the first weeks of school. ENJOY!
1. Basketball (or Something Like It) by Nora Baskin 2. Double Identity by Margaret Haddix 3. The Egypt Game by Zilpha Snyder 4. Heat by Mike Lupica 5. I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly and Joyce Hansen 6. Shug by Janny Han 7. Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata 8. Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn 9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 10. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day 11. Football Genius by Tim Green 12. Gabriel’s Horses by Alison Hart 13. Kimchi and Calamari by Rose Kent 14. Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury 15. Schooled by Gordon Korman 16. So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee
Woodlawn Middle School’s 7th Grade Students must read at least two books from the reading list. The first assignment that they will receive in August for a reading grade will be a project over a summer reading selection. Black Duck, Janet Taylor Lisle Crossing the Wire, Will Hobbs Bud Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis Hidden Talents, David Lubar Schooled, Gordon Korman Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O’Dell
Old Yeller, Fred Gipson Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls Heat, Mike Lupica Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City, Kirsten Miller Secrets of My Hollywood Life, Jen Calonita Shug, Jenny Han Storm Thief, Chris Wooding The Teachers Funeral, Richard Peck Tales of Despereaux, Kate DiCamillo A Long Way From Chicago, Richard Peck Star Girl, Jerry Spinelli
Woodlawn Middle School’s 8th Grade Choose one of the following: The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark, meets a new teacher with a birthmark on her face and makes some discoveries about how to love who she is and what she looks like. Somewhere in the Darkness by Walter Dean Myers A teenage boy accompanies his father, who recently escaped from prison, on a trip that turns out to be a time of discovery, often painful, for them both. Lost and Found by Anne Schraff Sophomore Darcy is having trouble with a school project and must deal with her long-absent father who wants to become a part of her life. When her sister goes missing, can she rely on the man she has learned not to trust?
Gifted/Great Scholars Summer Reading List
2009-2010 *Please note gifted students should read a minimum of three and great scholar students should read a minimum of two books from this list and be ready to discuss and take an AR test earning an 85% or higher when they return to school in the fall. 6th Grade
1. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt 2. Tangerine by Edward Bloor 3. Free the Children by Craig Kielburger 4. The Wanderer by Sharon Creech 5. Witness by Karen Hesse 6. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton 7. Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkein 8. Switcharound by Lois Lowry 9. Taking Sides by Gary Soto 10. Coraline by Neil Gaiman 11. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 12. Football Genius by Tim Green 13. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
7th Grade
1. Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata 2. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd 3. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher 4. I Have Lived a Thousand Years: Growing up in the Holocaust by Livia Jackson 5. Crash by Jerry Spinelli 6. I am Cheese by Robert Cromier 7. Within Reach, My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer and Jack Galvin 8. Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen 9. Girlhearts by Norma Fox Mazer 10. Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare 11. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
8th Grade
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger Dracula by Bram Stoker Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier One More Day by Mitch Albom
7. The Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Green 8. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 9. Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan 10. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver 11. The Best Little Girl in the World by Steven Levenkron 12. Slam by Walter Dean Myers 13. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen 14. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
School Supplies Below is a list of school supplies students will need at each grade level. Parents if you are shopping at Office Depot, let them know that you are a Woodlawn Middle School parent. We will be awarded 5% of your purchase. If you go to Target and use your credit card, a portion of your purchase will also be rewarded to the school. 6th Grade Supply List 2009-2010 2- 12 pack Crayola colored pencils 2- Non-electric small covered pencil sharpener 1- Trapper Keeper with zipper 1- doz. No. 2 pencils 1- pack of No. 2 pencils (math teacher receives) 1- pack mechanical pencils 1- doz. red ink pens 1- doz. black ink pens 1- 500 count wide ruled loose leaf paper 1- ream of white copy paper 1- pack Hi-liter (any color) 1- pencil bag (for 3-ring binder)
2- boxes of Kleenex (Homeroom) 1.-pack of paper towels (Homeroom) 1- box of Band-Aids 1- set of five-subject dividers with colored tabs 4- packs of index cards 2- journals (composition books) 1- purple folder (three brad with pockets) (social studies teacher receives) 2- glue sticks 7th Grade School Supply List 2009-2010 1 doz. No. 2 Pencils 1 doz. Red Ink Pens 1 doz. Blue or Black Ink Pens 2- Non-electric small covered Pencil Sharpeners 1- 500 Count Wide Ruled Loose leaf paper 2-Packs of 3x5 Index Cards (lined) 1-Box of Kleenex ( for homeroom teacher) 1-Ream of White Copy Paper ( for homeroom teacher) 1-Five Subject Spiral Notebook with pockets (Soc.Studies) 1-trapper keeper with zipper or a 3 ring binder 1-Set of Five-Subject Dividers WITH Pockets and Colored Tabs 1-12-Pack Assorted Washable Colored Markers 1-12” Ruler/Metric 4-Journal (composition notebooks) 1-Memory Stick Colored pencils Crayons Pencil bag Band aids (for homeroom teacher) Sticky notes(homeroom teacher) High Lighters Pencil top erasers 5-Manilla folders Packet of folders with pockets & brads (5 folders total) $7 lab fee for science Dry Erase Markers ( 1 multi pack for homeroom teachers)
8th Grade Supply List 2009-2010
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
2- Red Pens Pencils Blue or Black Pens 5- Two Pocket Folders 1- File Folder 4- Composition Notebooks 1- Five Subject Notebook 2 Inch Binder Loose-Leaf 10. Covered Pencil Sharpener 11. Notebook Hole Puncher 12. 2 Rolls of Paper Towels 13. 2 Packs of Graph Paper 14. Colored Pencils Gifted Students Supply List 6, 7, and 8th Grades 2009-2010
For All Classes, you must have the following: Loose leaf Paper college rulePens blue or black Pencils Red pen for correcting work Flash Drive attached to ID
_____________________________ English class only Binder Dividers: 5 2 marble composition notebook
1 ½ inch Three-ring binder with pockets 1 pack of construction paper- all colors Box of Kleenex- girls only bring Markers- girls only bring 1 Pack of Sticky Notes-girls only bring Roll of Paper Towels- boys only bring Pack of poster boards- boys only bring 1 glue stick- boys only bring
Social Studies class only Binder Dividers: 5 1 inch Three-ring binder with pockets- social studies 1 Pack of poster Boards- boys only bring 1 box of Kleenex- girls only bring
Science class only 1 marble composition notebook: 1 inch Three-ring binder with pockets- science Manual Pencil sharpener with a pencil shaving holder cup -science 1 pack gallon size Zip-lock bags - science $7.00 class lab fee for science supplies
DRESS CODE POLICY The purpose of the Woodlawn Middle dress code is to ensure a safe and orderly environment that is conducive to learning for all students. Students are to be dressed in a modest and appropriate fashion at school and at all school functions.
1. Standard uniform khaki pants or shorts (no jeans, skorts, skirts, jumpers, biking shorts,
tight fitting/stretch pants, sweat pants, wind suits, Capri pants, cargo pants, flair pants, or overalls), not more than 5" above the knee, must be worn. (NOTE: Dark to medium khaki only) NO LARGE POCKETS!! 2. A collared navy blue shirt/blouse with no visible logo must be worn. Navy turtlenecks are acceptable in winter. Uniform shirts can have no more than 4 buttons. 3. White undershirt sleeves should not be longer than sleeves of uniform shirt. NO COLORED undershirts may be worn. Undershirts will have no collar and no color on neck or sleeves. 4. Only Woodlawn Middle’s School Official Purple Sweat Shirt, PLAIN white or navy blue sweatshirts, light weight parkas, jackets or sweaters with no visible logo and without a hood may be worn over the navy tops inside the building. Uniform shirt collars must be worn out with sweatshirts, sweaters, etc. All other outerwear must be kept in the student’s locker until dismissal.
5. Plain brown, black or khaki belts are acceptable. NO DESIGNS/DECORATIONS – no rivets, no holes, no jewels/stones, no embroidery. Belts must be worn on bottoms with belt loops. Belt buckles are to be no more than 2 inches by 2 inches. Shirts and blouses must be tucked in. 6. Woodlawn Middle School ID badge must be visibly worn around the neck at all times. ID’s are not to be altered in any way including writing on the ID or placing stickers on the ID. Altered ID’s, where a student cannot be identified with his/her ID, must be replaced at a cost of $5.00. I D’s will be required to attend extra curricular activities and games. 7. Excessively tight/skin tight apparel is prohibited.
8. Excessively loose clothing or clothing allowed to sag below the waist is prohibited. Jackets may not be tied at the waist. All wearing apparel will be worn above the crest of the hip bone, at or near the waist. Pants should not have holes or be cut-off with frayed edges. The grungy look is UNACCEPTABLE for Woodlawn students. 9. Approved club uniforms (Scouts, 4-H, etc.) may be worn on club days. 10. Approved spirit shirts (band, cheerleader, Beta, etc.) may be worn on designated days.
11. Traditional tennis shoes with closed toes and closed backs that can be secured with matching colored shoe laces that are tied must be worn in all school facilities and on school grounds. Only plain white, black or navy solid socks are acceptable. Socks that come above the calf or socks with any print are unacceptable. (slip on, boot like tennis shoes, and boat shoes are not permitted) 12. The bringing or wearing of hats/caps to school, including school buses, is prohibited, as is any other head covering such as bandannas, hoods, scarves, neck ties, hair pics, hairnets, curlers, visors or sunglasses. 13. Use of hair brushes, combs, lotion, perfume, makeup, etc., is restricted to the PE locker rooms. Remember, these items are to always be in a student’s locker.
14. Female students are permitted to wear stud earrings only, and then only in their ears. There will be no ear apparel for male students including straws and toothpicks. Watches are the only acceptable wrist wear for ALL STUDENTS. Necklaces are not acceptable. 15. Only moderate sized purses, no larger than 5” X 8” are acceptable in classrooms. Back pack purses and drawstring athletic bags are not allowed in classrooms. 16. Items that can be used as a weapon are prohibited, i.e., wallet chains, chokers, and rat tailed combs. 17. Profane/obscene language, mature themes, cults, whether direct or inferred, on t-shirts or other clothing is prohibited at all school functions. Reference to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products on clothing is prohibited.
18. Gum and candy products are prohibited on campus. 19. Any hair style, color (other than natural color) or adornments/decorations (including art designs, Mohawks, Afro-Mohawks) that may cause an interruption/distraction to the learning environment of students is prohibited. Hair styles should be cut such that students’ eyes are clearly visible with out request. 20. Male students must be clean shaven at all times. Facial hair is not allowed.