Trimester 2 Report Cards Distributed 3/24
Good morning,
This afternoon all Nichols Middle School students will be heading home with their second trimester report cards, which were issued today, Thursday, March 24. They will go home with your child with a receipt saying you received and saw the Report Card, which will need to be signed and returned to your child’s homeroom teacher on Monday, March 28.
I have said this before but I will say it again, that communication is a powerful tool in closing the gap between home and school and ensuring success for all of our students. The marks that you have found on this report card should never be a surprise to either you or your child. If you feel that discussion regarding your child’s progress or lack of it is needed, please call the school to talk to the teacher, to then make an appointment to schedule a time that would offer both you and the teacher enough time to adequately discuss your child's present situation.
Please make sure that you also pay attention to the comments section of the report card or even whole other sheets attached to the Report Card. Many of our teachers have been piloting standards-based reporting, where they will have a comment that says where your child is with the standards or, as I said, a whole other "report card" which shows how your child is progressing. In studying and researching better educational techniques, standards-based grading is a much better means to focus on "learning." This is our goal here at NMS: we want our students to learn the material, and not continue with a system that doesn't really explain where your child is with their learning.
Please follow this LINK to an excellent article on the reasons for changing to standards-based grading.
Please make sure that you also pay attention to the comments section of the report card or even whole other sheets attached to the Report Card. Many of our teachers have been piloting standards-based reporting, where they will have a comment that says where your child is with the standards or, as I said, a whole other "report card" which shows how your child is progressing. In studying and researching better educational techniques, standards-based grading is a much better means to focus on "learning." This is our goal here at NMS: we want our students to learn the material, and not continue with a system that doesn't really explain where your child is with their learning.
Please follow this LINK to an excellent article on the reasons for changing to standards-based grading.
Or even check out an article in this LINK in theMiddleborough Gazette by Mark Belanger on how we are piloting standards-based grading.
Also, check out this short VIDEO which explains what standards-based grading is.
Please also make note of our Spring Student-Led/Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up on Wednesday, April 6, from 4 to 6:30 PM, and again on Thursday, April 14, from 6 to 8:30 PM for you to see and discuss how your child is progressing.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thank you and have a great weekend,
M R Geoghegan
M R Geoghegan
