Social Studies Grade 7 Mrs. Wisnefsky

Welcome to the Middle School For some of you, this is your first experience with a child in middle school. I hope the information here will answer some of your questions. For others, this is familiar territory! No matter which category you are in, please feel free to contact me when you have questions. I would be happy to try and answer them for you.

7th Grade Social Studies Included in all units: History Culture Geography Units Current Events (ongoing) Africa Russia and the former Soviet Union the Middle East Asia

Projects There will be long term projects for some of the units. Some in class work time. Work outside of class may be needed.

Grading 50 % daily work / quizzes 50% tests/ large projects Some assignments graded on five (5) point scale. Late work accepted for partial credit up to the end of the unit in most cases.

Five Point Scale 5 points Well done, on time with correct answers / shows understanding 4 points Work is complete / some errors / show basic understanding 3 points Most of the work was done on time/ Few correct answers 2 points Your work was not handed in on time. 1- 0 points Your work wasn’t handed in at all. This score will remain a zero until your work is turned in and then it may be given a score of 1 or 2 based on the quality of the work.

Homework Web Page You may use the middle school website for assignment information daily. This site is meant to be a reminder and not a replacement for use of the assignment notebook. We expect students to be using their assignment notebook every day for every class.

Teacher contact E-mail is the most efficient method to contact us through the Waunakee Community School District website. Follow the prompts for the middle school where there is a listing for staff e-mail. Click on the name of the teacher you would like to contact. If you do not receive a response in a reasonable time frame, contact us by sending in a note or calling the office. (The server screens incoming mail—sometimes it screens out your email. Once we know, we can get it taken care of. )

If your child is absent, you have three options. If you want to pick up his/her homework after 3:30 PM on the day of the absence, you must call the office and request it in the morning when you call the school to notify them of your child’s absence. Homework will be placed on the table near the office for pick-up at your convenience. The front entrance to the building is generally open until around 7 PM. If you do not plan on picking up the homework that day, your child can get his/her assignments the next day from each of their teachers. You can also reference the GEMS team website listed below.

Contact information Waunakee Community Middle School website: http://www.waunakee.k12.wi.us/middle/ GEMS team website: http://www.waunakee.k12.wi.us/middle/gems_team.cfm GEMS team homework page: http://www.waunakee.k12.wi.us/middle/gems_homework.cfm GEMS homework calendar

Team Expectations Students will come to class prepared and ready to learn. They will have all needed materials. They will be in their seat and quiet when the bell rings. They will be positive and give 100% effort.

Keys To Success…. Middle school is a wonderful time for students to explore their world in more depth and with more personal choices available. It is also a time when more responsibility must be taken to keep up with all that is going on. Many students will for the first time have up to eight different classes each day and move every hour to different classrooms.

Keys to Success continues…. To help make this transition, the teachers from the seventh grade teams have discussed key responsibilities of students and parents that will help them be successful in this exciting time. Please read on for some hints!

Communication… The “Key To Success” We love to hear from parents. If you have any questions or concerns, we are always here for you and your child. However, here are a few key points to remember: Encourage your child to talk to their teacher. Self advocacy and responsibility is one of the main skills stressed in middle school. Be positive and kind; we are working hard for all of our students. Help your child to consider all points of view. Be open- minded and give others the benefit of the doubt.

Student Keys to Success Use an assignment notebook daily and consistently. For each class, write the assignment’s name and due date. Check off assignments turned in and circle assignments not turned in.   2. Discuss all progress reports and grade sheets with your parents/guardians. 3. Take personal responsibility to work appropriately and cooperatively with those around you. 4. Appropriately seek help from teachers, tutors, parents, or peers when needed. 5. Use class, study hall, and homeroom time to complete all assignments on time.  6. Bring necessary and appropriate materials to class each day.

Parent Keys for helping at home 1. Check assignment notebook daily. 2. Discuss a variety of methods of cooperative behaviors and work methods. 3. If necessary, review, discuss, and sign behavior or learning contracts daily.  4. Assist, support, and encourage students to seek help in appropriate ways. 5. Encourage and support child’s use of time, check progress of work completion and accuracy. Make homework completion a high priority and a positive experience. 6. Appropriately contact teachers via email, phone calls to school, or notes to discuss your child’s progress or schedule a meeting after thorough discussion with your child about the situation.

Welcome to the Middle School Thank you for taking the time to view this presentation. Please remember we are here to help your child learn. We try to encourage personal responsibility and will allow students to handle situations. Please give them that learning opportunity. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.

Once again…. Welcome to the Middle School Thank you for taking the time to view this presentation. Please remember we are here to help your child learn. We try to encourage personal responsibility, please try to support the same at home. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us. Let’s work together to make it a great year!