Bobcat Tracks
Spring Newsletter- South Junior High Boise, Idaho
Bobcat Tracks
Bobcats Tracks has arrived! This quarterly publication will feature information about upcoming events, student achievements, and extracurricular activities taking place at South Junior High and in the surrounding community. Our goal is to maintain this newsletter as a resource and method of communication between the school, our students’ parents, and South community. Bobcat Tracks will be available on the South website for students, parents, and community members to view.
ISAT Testing - Coming Soon!
ISAT Testing Dates
Students test best with adequate sleep and nutrition! Please make sure your student gets what he or she needs to maximize their testing potential
8th Grade ELA
Achaeans: Tuesday, April 4th
Danaans: Monday, April 5th
8th Grade Math
Achaeans: Tuesday, April 17th
Danaans: Monday, April 19th
7th Grade ELA
Champions: Thursday, April 6th
Titans: Wednesday, April 7th
7th Grade Math
Champions: Thursday, April 20th
Titans: Wednesday, April 21st
Science – 7th Grade only
Champions May 1st
Titans- May 2nd
Students Must Be Prepared to Learn
Research shows the following 5 factors are crucial to academic success:
1. Sleep - 8 hours a night is best for brain processing and restoring energy. “Loss of sleep hurts attention, executive function, working memory, mood, quantitative skills, logical reasoning, and even motor dexterity.” http://www.nasponline.org/publications/periodicals/communique/issues/volume-35-issue-8/childrens-sleep-academic-performance-
2. Exercise - Exercise is crucial. It increases blood flow and strengthens neurons in the brain. Daily exercise is the best, but aerobic exercise least twice a week is crucial. www.brainrules.net/exercise
3. Stress - Brains are built to deal with stress that lasts for 30 seconds. Stress damages memory and can hurt your motor skills and immune system. The emotional stability of the home is the single greatest predictor of academic success.
4. Diet and Hydration - Brain food is key. Kids need a variety of nutrients regularly and to stay hydrated.
Excess sugar, especially processed, should be avoided in order to maximize consistent energy on a daily basis.
5. Screen Time - Screen time should be limited prior to bedtime. No games or devices in the sleeping space!
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/21/health/screen-time-media-rules-children-aap/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/screen-time/art-20047952?pg=2
*Much of the info above comes from John Medina’s book Brain Rules. Brought to you by Tyler Bevis our Achaean 8th Grade English Teacher.
District Expands Google Apps for Education to Include 7th & 8th Grade Students
During the 16-17 school year, the Boise School District is expanding the use of Google Apps for Education Accounts (GAFE) by providing email access to 7th and 8th grade students.
Last school year only students in grades 9-12 have email access in their student accounts. K-8 students currently have access to Google Drive, Calendar and Classroom. Allowing students in grades 7 and 8 a District Gmail account will enhance security and safety for both children and staff.
Click here for further information about Boise School District’s GAFE Practice and to review an FAQ for students and parents.
Student participation in this program is encouraged. If you do not want a Boise School District Gmail account activated for your student, please fill out the Boise School District GMAIL Opt Out Form for Students. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the your student’s school principal.
What Students Need to Know
To be in compliance with district policies and state laws, all students are expected to maintain security of usernames and passwords for themselves and students. Please review district policies 2513 (Internet Filtering) 3239 (Student Technology Use) 3241 (Personal Electronic Devices) 3620 (Student Data Privacy and Security) and 5235 (Employee Technology Use).
Initial Usernames and Passwords are set at the district level.
The username is: last two digits of grad year firstname.lastname@boiseschools.net
Sample User Name: 21john.doe@boiseschools.net
password: uppercase firstname initial + uppercase lastname initial + 6 digit birthdate
Sample Password: JD122503
As determined by building leadership, Students will have an option to reset password by going to https://myaccount.boiseschools.org to register for self service password reset
From the time you reset your password, your credentials to log in to Microsoft Active Directory (access to district network), and Google (GAFE), sync together and your username firstname.lastname@boiseschools.org and the password you selected during the reset process are the same for all accounts listed above.
Bobcat Character Traits
What is Character? The mental and moral characteristics of an individual.
Each Month South Staff members will teach one character trait and will be on the lookout for students who exhibit each trait. So far, this year we have taught and identified students who have exhibited Optimism, Gratitude, Self-Control, and Social Intelligence. Students who staff members identify as having demonstrated these traits are given a character card. These cards recognize students for their demonstration of positive character and when students turn character cards into the office they are entered into a drawing for donations from local businesses such as Dutch Brothers and McDonalds.
April’s Traits are Social Intelligence & Zest
Social Intelligence: Understanding the feelings of others and adapting actions accordingly.
Zest: Enthusiastic and energetic participation in life
South Junior High Student Electronics Device Policy
1st offense: electronic device taken and returned at the end of the day, 30 minute after school detention
2nd offense: electronic device taken, parents required to pick up device, 60 minute after school detention
3rd and Subsequent Offenses: electronic device contract, 90 minute after school detention
The possession of electronic devices by students on school property, or while attending school-sponsored activities is a privilege, not a right. This privilege may be denied or cancelled in response to student misbehavior. If a student violates the policy and refuses to give their phone to a staff member will receive a major disciplinary violation for insubordination.
South Future Cities
The student design engineers with the Future City Team worked daily after school for months in preparation for their Regional competition at BSU. There were over 30 teams representing Idaho and surrounding states. The model was creative, colorful and came together with surprising clarity, given all the snow days. Our team crushed their presentation and had a stand out model. A small grant was awarded to our team and we have commitments from our awesome engineer mentors, Kurt Norrell and Nicholas McDowell, to support another team next year of 7th and 8th graders.
Career Café
Ms. Comstock- 7th Grade English & French
Champion Team
During 7th and 8th Grade lunch a professional from our community volunteers their time to present information about their career to South students. Professionals volunteers range from lawyers, the veterinarians, to video game testers and they give students information about the educational requirements, and the day to day job duties of their profession.
Career Café is announced to students through our Bobcat Network during morning announcements each week.
Mathematics Adventures at South Junior High
Ninth grade Integrated I Algebra students explored the real world of car-buying this month. They shopped for a wide variety of vehicles from practical, fuel-efficient family cars to million-dollar dream cars and found the best interest rates available at a variety of lender institutions. After calculating their loan amounts using exponential equations, they learned how much money they could save by finding lower interest rates, paying off loans more quickly, and making down payments to avoid paying interest on part of the car’s price. They discovered that cars depreciate (lose value) exponentially, so new cars lose value much more quickly than older, used cars. So the next time you’re in the market for a new car purchase, ask your ninth-grader to help you make wise financial decisions!
South Junior High
Email: jeff.hultberg@boiseschools.org
Website: http://south.boiseschools.org/
Location: 3101 Cassia Street, Boise, ID, United States
Phone: (208) 854-6110
Facebook: facebook.com/boiseschools
Twitter: @SouthBSD