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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

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

13. Questions?