Dear Parents and Guardians,
Thank you for your interest and concern regarding your child’s education. While perhaps not
always evident, I’m sure your child will come to appreciate all the care and support you’ve shown
through the years.
I’ve found that 8th grade is a pivotal experience in the lives of your children. As the capstone of
their middle school years, the habits and behaviors acquired and practiced during this year can be a
springboard to success in High School, College, and Life.
Over and above subject specific content, skills are an essential part of your child’s education.
Success in education is largely dependent on acquiring the habits of preparedness, attentiveness,
focus, inquisition, organization, industry, diligence, persistence, logical thinking, and responsibility.
These skills, or “habits of mind” allow for the easier accumulation of subject content.
You may have read that:
Education is not teaching children what they do not already know.
Education is teaching children to behave in a way they are not already behaving.
“Children learn, not what they are told, but what they do”
To this end, we make use of:
• The Socratic Method
(answers are rarely supplied by the teacher)
• True scientific inquiry
(we never know the results of our experiments prior the class conclusion)
• Team data collection
(every team contributes to our data pool)
• Class discussion and resolution
(Conclusions are reached by the class after considering all team data)
Our reliance on the Honor System when reporting the completion homework fosters an atmosphere
of both trust and responsibility.
Student self-assessment and required guided record keeping further places responsibility on the
students.
Open notebook tests and quizzes underscore the importance of note taking.
Six ways to help your child stay on track:
1. Ask your child what he or she learned in science class today. (“Something about atoms” is not
acceptable!)
2. Ask to see today’s class notes.
3. Ask him or her to explain the notes to you.
4. Check for a daily WIL statement. (a one sentence summary at the bottom of the page)
5. Check at the Homework Record Sheet (in the back of the notebook)
6. Ask for his or her secret code and look up the test and quiz scores on
www. teacherweb.com/nj/parkmiddleschool/rminerley
Your child will get I D U I (I Don’t Understand It) occasionally.
This is normal, expected, and predicable.
Your child will almost invariably think this is a crisis and will want to call out the
SWAT Team (Stop Working – Ask Teacher)
I D U I is not the signal to stop working but to START working!
(The cure for IDUI is to get busy)
Your children should know that when we get IDUI,
We’ve Got No Time For Par Ties
That is, they should consult the Web, their lab Group, their Notes, the Textbook, Friends, Parents,
and, as a last resort, the Teacher.
While not as quick and easy as calling the SWAT team, with no other option, your children soon
realize their resourcefulness and start to enjoy the challenges 8th grade science presents.
In science class, we repetitively move from perplexity or confusion to a resolution.
We think we know - until we encounter a discrepant event that challenges our assumptions. Critical
thinking begins at this point.
By working together during this transition time, I believe we can empower your children to realize
and attain their highest potential.
Sincerely,
Dr R Minerley
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
12 Ways to keep your child on track:
Parents’ Daily Dozen Checklist
1. Ask your child,
“What did you learn in science class today?”
(“Something about atoms” is not quite acceptable)
2. Check notebook for today’s D2AT box:
(Date, Day And Topic box)
3. Check notebook for class notes (or completed worksheets)
4. Ask your child to explain the notes / worksheets to you.
5. Check notebook for a daily WIL statement.
(What- I - Learned statement)
6. Is Homework recorded on the Homework Record sheet? (in back of notebook)
7. Are any missing homework assignments recorded on the Homework Record Sheet?
(Parent signature is due Monday for missing assignments during the prior week)
8. Does homework match homework on TeacherWeb.com?
9. Did your child complete homework for tomorrow’s class?
10. Did your child formulate written questions about any unclear concepts?
11. Did child arrange for after school help?
12. Did your child sign a Student Action Plan?
(see Forms on teacherweb.com)
