7th Grade Family Newsletter
February Edition
Elective Fair for next school year
6th and 7th grade students will get to attend an Elective Fair explaining elective classes for next school year on Monday, February 3rd. The hope is for this to be an interactive event to help students make more informed choices for the next school year in regards to picking their electives.
Mrs. Lundgren returns from Maternity Leave!
Important Dates for the month of February
Saturday, Feb 1st - KMEA, 6:30am-3:30pm @ JCMS
Monday, Feb 3rd - Elective Fair
Tuesday, Feb 4th - 7th/8th grade Bowling 2pm-3:30pm @ Gage Bowling Center, Topeka
Tuesday, Feb 4th 7th grade Boys Basketball 3:30pm-5pm @ Shawnee Heights Middle School, Topeka
Thursday, Feb 6th - 7th grade Boys Basketball 3:30pm-5pm @ JCMS
Tuesday, Feb 11th - 7th grade Boys Basketball 3:30pm-5pm @ JCMS
Wednesday, Feb 12th - 7th/8th grade Bowling 2pm-3:30pm @ Junction City Big Bowling
Counseling Corner with Frint
Greetings 7th Grade Families,
January was a little fuller than I anticipated particularly when it comes to schedules and the ever changing numbers situation. In case you are unaware, the 7th grade class is a very large class currently sitting close to 330 students. Due to those large numbers we have large classes - my goal for the core classes is to always keep classes at 30 or lower however we have really been struggling with that balance this semester. I very much appreciate your child's and your family's flexibility regarding classes get rearranged. I know change is never fun as we are creatures of habit but unfortunately I have had to change well over 100 schedules since we have returned from winter break.
The month of February I am hoping to get off the ground a lunch bunch group that meets sporadically to focus on getting to college. This will be a book study where we read stories from the Chicken Soup for the Soul, "Teens Talk Getting in to College." It's short story book that talks about a wide array of topics - the first few topics we plan to cover include: "Turning I Can't into How Can I?, Gaining a Competitive Edge and Under Pressure." Students will be contacted via email and there will be a sign up sheet via online communication. The first 20-25 students who sign up can attend. It will be very informal, students come and go during their lunch time. I am tentatively planning on trying this on Wednesday, February 12th and Wednesday, February 26th as my first trial run. Encourage your students to check their school email for an invitation.
February will be at the mid-way point for the 3rd 9 weeks and student led-conferences are not until mid March.
Some academic tips to try during the month of February:
- Sit down and make/re-evaluate the academic goals your child has made for this grading period. Are they on the right track? Do they need to make a mid-course correction? Come up with ideas and solutions together.
- Consider scheduling an appointment with teachers you have concerns about now that way in March you can check to see on academic progress then.
- Enforce deadlines. Remember we are getting closer and closer to high school, it's important students learn now about this issue.
- Don't rely on redoing of tests and assignments. If your child happens to need a "redo" on an assignment occasionally that's fine but don't rely on them. If it's something that consistently needs to be done re-evaluating what's going on in the class and your child's homework/study habits might be a good idea.
I will be in and out of the office a lot this month planning so I may be difficult to catch but please leave a detailed message and I will try to follow the 24-hour rule and get you called back in that time frame or as soon as possible.
Best wishes,
Michael Frint
7th Grade Counselor
(785) 717-4447
Dealing with the February Slump
It's cold, it's dark and gloomy outside and it appears like we continue this cycle of weather that forces us indoors. For a lot of us February is definitely a difficult month to get motivated. Remember all of those New Year's resolutions we made...and many have been broken already.
Below are some tips for helping each other through the seasonal slump:
- Reach Out for Help - don't go through this along and ask for assistance
- Keep Connections with Others Strong - it's very easy to isolate yourself when you are in a slump. Encourage you to find at least one person to connect with a day.
- Recognize Your Personal Patterns - we are creatures of habit, if you struggle during February and other winter months look to see if this is a new issue or a pattern.
- Find Healthy Ways to Deal with Your Slump - exercise, throw an impromptu gathering, etc.
State Assessments
State testing is coming soon. 7th Graders will take an online English Language Arts and Math assessment in their core classrooms with their computers. It is best for students to run computer updates on a routine basis and bring their tablets to school with a fully charged battery. Getting a good night's sleep, eating breakfast and drinking plenty of water will help their performance on these assessments. Please try to avoid pulling your child out of school or making any appointments on the dates listed below:
April 14 English Language Arts State Assessment
April 15 English Language Arts State Assessment
April 21 Math State Assessment
April 22 Math State Assessment
*There will be make-up days for students to finish testing if there is an illness or unforeseen situation that causes them to miss school.