Dear Parents,
I am excited and ready to begin another year at BMS! I am privileged to have your child in 8th grade Science. Our goal is to learn about the world and universe around us and prepare for both the state STAAR test and upcoming high school science courses. In the 8th grade, students will study atomic structure and the periodic table the first six weeks. Students are expected to master the terminology, understand basic concepts, conduct hands-on investigations in a safe manner, draw conclusions from their results, and predict future outcomes. You may follow our daily lessons by viewing the lesson plans posted on my district teacher web page. This year, lessons can also be found in Google Classroom.
In order to have the optimum learning environment, your child must follow classroom rules as stated in the student handbook, and I encourage you to review those rules and consequences with him/her. In our classroom, disruptions of the teaching and learning processes are not allowed. Any student who repeatedly disrupts will receive discipline consequences and can even be removed from the classroom if the problem is not resolved. This applies to virtual classrooms as well. Parental support of these policies is essential. I believe in keeping in close contact with parents. If you ever have any questions, you can schedule a conference at (979) 478-6814 and my school e-mail address is ksabrsula@brazosisd.net. It is often easier to e-mail me as I am in class the majority of the day and it can be difficult to return phone calls in a timely fashion.
I follow BMS grading policies. I will always have a minimum of two grades per week during the grading period and no one grade will count more than 20% of a student’s six-week average. I separate my grades into daily grades and major grades. Daily grades are things such as warm-ups, quick activities, quick summary, and minor lab activities. Major grades are comprehensive exams, or long-term extensive lab activities. All daily grades will count once and all major grades will be averaged in twice. Students scoring below 70 on a major exam will be given the opportunity to raise the grade using a procedure I determine. These may include such things as retesting, corrections, or alternate assignments. Students who fail to turn in assignments will follow our Late Assignment Procedures as outlined in the handbook. Students who are absent will follow the absentee policy as outlined in the handbook. Be sure to review these sections thoroughly with your child so he/she understands the requirements that affect final grades. Parents may submit a request through the office for the code which allows them to view all of their child’s grades at any time online and provide alerts when a grade is below 70. We strongly encourage parents to do so. It eliminates any surprises at progress report or final report card time. It is essential to stay on top of students’ grades and communicate regularly with your child’s teachers if there is a concern. In addition, you may sign up for Remind, which will send text messages to your phone alerting you that your child has an assignment due or an upcoming test. This is quite valuable in staying on top of what your child should be studying at home. The information on how to subscribe to Remind is attached.
Please provide the required materials for class. Your student will need them immediately so he/she can begin the year in an organized fashion and not fall behind. I am looking forward to a challenging and exciting year. I know that with your help your child can be a success in 8th grade Science.
Kara Sabrsula