Focus: Preparing Students for High School 8th Grade Focus: Preparing Students for High School

8th Grade Teachers Eighth grade teachers strive to implement strategies to offer students a foundation in order to be successful in high school. Our goal is for your child to learn how to become a Productive Citizen, Self Advocate, Responsible Student, Independent Decision Maker.

Transition from 7th to 8th Grade Reading  Spanish (most students) ITSLEARNING updated daily Phasing out study guides One retake per semester per class High School Credit Classes: Physical Science, Spanish, Accelerated Math

Students are expected to… Check ITSLEARNING daily. Complete assignments and turn them in on time. Be willing to work. Come to class with a positive attitude. Make mistakes and learn from them. Persevere when faced with challenges. Develop self directed behaviors.

Academic Classes: Math: More abstract topics Moving away from concrete thinking Homework/Practice nightly Accelerated: High school credit class & End of Course Test 20% Problem solving & critical thinking skills Multi step problems Science: High school credit class & End of Course Test 20% Faster pace; more standards Focus on writing lab reports Stronger math component focusing on calculations

Academic Classes: Social Studies: Focus on writing Move away from Geography into Georgia History focusing on economics and government Language Arts: Independent analysis of content Faster pace Spanish: High school credit class 1st full year of foreign language Time management with due dates Faster pace; more standards

Behavior Conduct marks… …help prepare students to become more self directed and responsible for their behavior …are written communication between student/parent/teacher about how a student can improve their actions. Behavior Disrespectful vs. Choice Reasons for conduct marks No homework Late/Incomplete assignments Disrespectful Late to class Unprepared

Events 8th Grade Dance Savannah Over Night Trip 8th Grade Picnic Awards Night

Advanced: Not For Everyone It’s unrealistic to expect all kids, even those who have always excelled in school, to be ready for such high-level work in all subjects. Advanced/Accelerated Problem Solving Process: ~ Students are confronted with an engaging problem and then give time to allow them to grapple with solving it. ~ As students’ ideas emerge, take form, and are shared, the teacher orchestrates the student discussions and explorations towards a focused goal. ~ As conjectures are made and explored, they evolve into concepts that the community of learners begins to embrace as effective strategies for analyzing and solving problems

Parent support can help students succeed Review and discuss homework Communicate with teachers Attend public meetings to learn more Create a routine for your child after school Help you child make decision about balancing their schedule with extracurricular activities and class workload Celebrate your child’s success in school Address poor performance with your child Practice responsible and self directed behavior at home

Encourage your child to… …have a positive attitude. …make mistakes and learn from them. …take advantage of morning/study hall time. …balance their workload. …use their agenda to aid in time management skills. …practice their skills at home. …acquire about how things work. …explore various careers.

Remember Eighth grade is still a time for exploration, and parents should encourage their child to try different things.

Questions?