Urgent Message to Parents of Eighth Graders

10-26-15

Dear Parents,/Guardians,

As you may have heard, the School District of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are requiring that all volunteers that work with children obtain Child Abuse and PA State Police background Checks. This INCLUDES parents or guardians who accompany us on field trips. These clearances are free for volunteers. The 8th grade needs to have 4-6 parent chaperones apply for and get clearances in order for us to plan any kind of 8th grade field trip. We cannot begin planning until we have chaperones with clearances. Please consider obtaining these clearances so we can plan an enjoyable, educational, and rewarding end-of-year trip for our 8th graders.

Link: http://www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov/clearances/index.htm


Thanks, The Eighth Grade Team

BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT

Dear Parents/Guardians of 7^th and 8^th grade students,

            Welcome back to a new school year at Bache-Martin School. The seventh and eighth grade team is excited to begin the new school year with our students. We would like to invite you to attend Bache-Martin Back-to-School-Night on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM.

            During the evening, we will go over our course contents, explain the goals and expectations we have for our students, talk about homework and behavior policies and expectations, discuss with you the best ways for us to communicate with each other, and answer any general questions you may have.

            Please make every effort to attend our Back-to-School Night—it is an important opportunity for us to meet each other and get started on a productive school year! We look forward to seeing you on September 16^th.

Sincerely,

The 7^th and 8^th grade team:

Trina Allen (Math) tdallen@philasd.org

Jacqueline Bennett (Learning Support) jbennett@philasd.org

Kristin Luebbert (Reading and Writing) krluebbert@philasd.org

Jeffrey Rupertus (Science) jrupertus@philasd.org

Ashley Zimmer (Social Studies) azimmer@philasd.org

ATTENTION Parents of 8^th Graders:  We have scheduled a parent meeting to discuss

Eighth Grade Promotional Exercises and Culminating Activities. This Meeting will take place on Wednesday October 7^th, 2015—time 4:30 PM.  It is crucial that you make every effort to attend!

Classwork and Homework Goals and Expectations for 7^th and 8^th Grade Reading and Writing-- 2015-2016

In 7^th and 8^th grade, students will gain a deeper understanding of the common core standards through literacy. Our goal is for students to be able to read, respond to, discuss, deeply question, and write about all forms of text. This goal will be realized by improving their reading ability, their writing skills, and their critical thinking and questioning skills. (Please see the Pennsylvania State Standards on the reverse of this page).

How will we accomplish these goals?

·      We will be reading/interacting with (questioning), writing about and discussing many types of texts: fiction (short stories, plays, novels), poetry, non-fiction (essays, news articles, biographies, autobiographies).

·      We will be writing, editing, and performing all types of pieces: narrative, opinion, informational, fiction and poetry.

·      Student voice: students will often have a choice of types of assignments, which questions to respond to, and in guided reading—which books to read. For projects, students will most often have a choice of project topic and presentation type.

Classwork Expectations:

·      Work done in class is carefully planned to give students a supported opportunity to deeply engage with the texts we are reading and interpreting. This is not just “busywork” – the points possible are simply there to give the students a structure as they work to understand and master the skills and  content.

·      Upon entering the classroom, students will immediately do a short “grammar check” item (5 minutes) and then transition into a journal/quick write prompt (10 minutes). Both items are checked and graded daily—students receive either a ‘0’ or a ‘+’ for these two assignments.

·      We will then move into our main work for the class period. This may include shared reading (reading as a class), guided reading (reading independently in small groups), vocabulary work, and various writing prompts and assignments. All work is checked and graded for completion and mastery of content daily. Students will be informed of the number points each assignment is worth before they start. Point ranges for in-class assignments are from 10 to 25 points.  Students can only earn the highest number of points by demonstrating that they have engaged with the work by analyzing, synthesizing, critiquing, and/or applying concepts as they are asked.

·      Our goal is to have our students master skills, concepts, and content-- not simply finish work in a haphazard manner.

Homework Expectations:

·      Homework assignments will support the concepts and skills covered in class and will help the students gain mastery of the concepts.

·      All students are expected to do thirty minutes of choice independent reading EVERY night (weekends included).

·      All other regular homework assignments are given weekly. Homework is assigned each Friday and is due to be handed in the following Friday.  Because this system gives students plenty of time to complete homework, no late assignments are accepted. Each weekly homework assignment is worth 20 points. Even though homework is collected weekly, students should be working on the homework a little bit each day.

·      In addition to regular homework, students will usually be working on a long-term writing assignment or project. When these are assigned, students will receive an assignment explanation and timeline.  It is important that students keep up with these assignments as well as the regular homework.

Pennsylvania Standards for Reading and Writing

·  1.1: Reading Independently

·  1.2: Reading, Analyzing, and Interpreting Text

·  1.3: Reading, Analyzing, and Interpreting Literature - Fiction and Non-Fiction

·  1.4: Types of Writing

·  1.5: Quality of Writing

·  1.6: Speaking and Listening

·  1.7: Characteristics and Functions of the English Language

·  1.8: Research

·  1.9: Information, Communication, and Technology Literacy

To view and read about each standard in detail, please visit the PA standards page at http://www.pdesas.org/Standard/VerticalStandard#25991

September 8, 2015

Dear Parents and Guardians of Seventh and Eighth Grade Students,

                  Welcome back to the Bache-Martin School.  We are all looking forward to this coming school year.  My name is Kristin Luebbert and I will be your child’s Reading (ELA) and Writing teacher this year.

                  Seventh and eighth grade are important years for our students--they will be applying for and transitioning into high school; therefore, it is crucial that your child works hard all year to the best of his/her ability.

                  One of our goals at Bache-Martin is for all our seventh and eighth graders to have a choice of High Schools to attend.  In order to reach this goal, it is critical that we all work together.  Our seventh and eighth graders rotate between four teachers (plus specialists), receive many complex homework assignments, and are expected to manage time well and stay organized.  Please help your child be successful by helping him/her stay organized and on schedule with assignments. (Standards, classwork, and homework information are on the reverse of this letter).

                  A supply list will be given to your child today. Please have all supplies by Monday, September 14, 2015.  Please help your child get and stay organized.  Organization is critical to success in middle school.  Below you will find the classroom rules for our room.

CLASSROOM RULES:

1.     Respect yourself and others.

2.     Give your best effort at all times.

3.     Use kind and respectful language.

4.     Keep your area neat and clean.

5.     Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

6.     Eat in class ONLY with permission.

7.     NO gum.

****School starts promptly at 8:26 AM—attendance is taken in the Auditorium.  Any student arriving after 8:26 will be marked late. Students are expected to be in full school uniform every day (Gym uniform on PhysEd day)—see attached.  Lunch for your child is at 12:45 PM, dismissal is at 3:00 PM for grades 6-8.

Thank  you,

Kristin R. Luebbert M. Ed, MS.Ed.

krluebbert@philasd.org

School phone: 215-684-5450

Cell phone:  267-626-6455 (no blocked numbers accepted)

Class Blog:  http://bmgrade8.blogspot.com/

Tickets For Closing Exercises Coming Home FRIDAY 6-12-15!!!

Closing Exercises tickets are printed and will be given to students FRIDAY morning!  Please ask your child to give you the tickets on Friday when they return home

Also--yearbooks are here and are $15.00. Shout out to Ms. Smiles for all her great design work.

Looking forward to Tuesday!

Luncheon Details

EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATION LUNCHEON

Dear Parents:

We’re delighted to give you the final details of our upcoming luncheon for our graduates:

                                      Graduation Luncheon

                                    Wednesday, June 10^th

    12:00 – 3:00PM

                                     London Grill

                                     2301 Fairmount Ave

   Philadelphia, PA 19130

There will be NO COST for the luncheon as there was enough money left over from the

Graduation trip to cover this expense (due to the change of venue).

Please have your child dress nicely for this occasion: Girls- nice skirt, dress, or pants outfit; Boys – nice slacks, shirt & ties.

We’ve made every effort to make this a memorable occasion for our students and thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Cordially,

The Eighth Grade Parents Planning Team

Details for Bache-Martin Closing Exercises

June 2, 2015

Important Closing Exercise Details

For Bache-Martin 8^th Graders and Families

·      Closing Exercises will be held on Tuesday June 16^th at 9:30 AM

·      The Ceremony will be held at Franklin Learning Center (FLC)—located at 616 North 15^th Street, 19130

·      Students should arrive at FLC no later than 9:10 AM on the 16^th, please do not arrive earlier than 9:00 AM, no one from Bache-Martin will be there to greet you.

·      Please bring your 8^th grader to the Franklin Learning Center, NOT Bache-Martin.  No one will be able to transport students from Bache to FLC on the 16^th.

·      Please be advised there is no parking lot for parents at FLC. Please find street parking or use the pay lot at Broad and Spring Garden.

·      Students should wear their gowns to the ceremony. Boys should wear a collared shirt and nice pants, girls should wear a nice dress or pants outfit.

·      Please be aware that no balloons are allowed inside the school.

·      Each family will receive 8 tickets to Closing Exercises.

·      We will have a cake to celebrate immediately following the ceremony.

We are looking forward to a wonderful day!  Thank you,

           

The Eighth Grade Team

IMPORTANT! Uniform rules still in force!

June 1, 2015
Dear Parents:

Please be aware that students are still expected to come in full Bache-Martin uniform every day! Please do not let your child persuade you that we have a no uniform day or that they do not need to wear uniforms any longer.  On days they have Physical Education class they must be in the Bache-Martin gym uniform.  We keep track of uniforms every day.  Many students are coming to school out of uniform. Please remember that wearing a hoody anywhere in the building constitutes being out of uniform.  Please refer to the 8th grade agreement for the rules.  We would hate to see students unable to walk in Closing Exercises or  be excluded from other activities because they are not wearing the uniform on a daily basis. Most of our students have earned these privileges, so let's make sure they enjoy them.

Thank you all for your support,

The 8th grade team

Eighth Grade Luncheon Update

Dear Parents:

The 8th Grade luncheon is still being planned by our parents committee. Because we changed the venue for our class trip, we do have some money left over.  We thought that it would be a nice idea to put this money towards the luncheon--therefore, the luncheon would be very inexpensive (or maybe even free) for the students.

We will keep you updated about the luncheon as soon as we know.

Thanks!

Dear Eighth Grade Parents:

ALL MONEY FOR GRADUATION GOWNS IS DUE BY THIS COMING TUESDAY, MAY 26TH, 2015!

Gowns will be ordered for those who have paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Please therefore submit your payments to Mrs. Luebbert ASAP as most people have paid but some still have not.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Please send all money to school with your child to give to their homeroom teacher or Mrs. Luebbert.  Please DO NOT drop money off in the office or ask any other school staff to take 8th grade fees for you. Thank you.

IMPORTANT! Dress Code for 8th grade Trip

Dear Parents and Guardians,

            Our 8^th grade trip is coming soon (May 20^th).  We are going to have a relaxed dress code that day, but students will still need to be dressed appropriately.  Please make sure that your children follow the dress code below or they will be excluded from the trip.

GIRLS:

• ALL shorts/skorts/dresses/skirts must be fingertip length (when arms are held straight down at sides, shorts/skorts/dresses/skirts must be at the same length as fingertips).
• NO clothes with holes that show skin through them.
• No halter tops, NO a-shirts (beaters), NO strapless or tube tops, NO cleavage visible, NO midriffs, bellies, or backs visible.
• NO see through clothes.
• ALL students MUST wear sneakers. (Sandals may be brought along for after the hike).
• NO profane or inappropriate words or pictures on clothes.

BOYS:

• ALL shorts must be knee length.
• NO A-shirts (beaters), net, mesh or see-through shirts.
• NO clothes with holes that show skin through them.
• Pants MUST be at waist and belted (NO underwear visible).
• NO see through clothes.

• ALL students MUST wear sneakers.  (Sandals may be brought along for after the hike).

• NO profane or inappropriate words or pictures on clothes.

o   *****We stress the importance of following the proper, required dress code on the day of the trip. Students who arrive without appropriate clothes on will NOT be allowed on the trip. Refunds will not be given because all fees have been paid in advance.

Thank you.

Sincerely, Ms. Smiles, Mr. Rupertus, Ms. Bennett, and Mrs. Luebbert

Cc: Principal M. Vitvitsky

8th Grade Updates

UPDATES:

1. 8th Grade Trip: As you know, due to a School District Directive, we had to change our trip to Cape May Point Sate Park in New Jersey rather than travel to Baltimore. At the end of the trip, we will see if any refunds are due to students.
   *****Please arrive ON TIME (7:15 AM) and in the PROPER Dress Code for the trip on Wednesday.  The bus will leave PROMPTLY at 7:30 AM and students not observing the required dress code will NOT be allowed to accompany us. An extensive list of Dress Code rules was sent home with students several weeks ago. STUDENTS WILL NEED A PACKED LUNCH ON WEDNESDAY.

2.  Students will be measured for gowns on MONDAY, May 18th. Students may bring in their gown money on Monday ($20.00) if they have not yet paid it.

3. ALL transpasses are good for Monday 5/18. New passes will be given out on Monday.

4. Luncheon is being planned. You may hold money if you have not sent it in, because we may get refunds from our trip. More information will be forthcoming soon.

5. Remember, no school for students on Election Day, Tuesday 5/19/15. Remember to VOTE!

All 8th Grade Trip Money DUE!

Good Afternoon, 

Parents/Guardians:  Please remember that ALL 8th grade trips to Baltimore MUST be PAID IN FULL by Friday, April 24th. 

Thank You!

8th Grade TRIP MONEY DUE!

REMAINING TRIP MONEY DUE!

Parents/Guardians:

                  As you know, our 8^th grade trip to Baltimore is set for May 20^th, 2015.  Thank you for sending in your $20.00 deposit. The time has come for the balance to be paid.  Please send in the remaining trip balance on the following schedule:

DUE BY Friday 4/17/15-- $30.00

DUE BY Friday 4/24/15--$25.00

All trips MUST be paid in full by Friday April, 24^th.  You may pay all funds in advance if you like. Thank you to those who have already paid.

TIME TO FIND THOSE BABY PICTURES!

March 31^st, 2015

This note was sent home with students today:

IT’S TIME FOR BABY PICTURES!

Dear Eighth Grade Students, Parents, and Guardians,

           

            As we start putting our yearbook together, it is time to send in pictures of your 8^th grader as a darling baby or toddler. Please find those pictures, choose ONE, and send it to me ELECTRONICALLY at krluebbert@philasd.org.  Thank you for helping to make our yearbook great. All pictures must be submitted by Monday, April 13^th, 2015.

Thank you.

Have a great Spring Break!

Congratulations To Our New Yearbook Staff

 CONGRATULATIONS!

We are very excited to announce the 7th and 8th graders who have been named to the yearbook staff for the 2014-2015 Yearbook. Thanks to the parents who filled our froms and the teachers who made recommendations!

8th Grade:
Morgan Baynard-Long, Michai Carsile, Dajah Freeman, Tyasia Fuller,  Christina Gonzalez,  Jurnee Sheridan, Trinity Stephens, Kody Taylor

7th Grade:
Dunald Carbon, Mariana Clemente,  Angie Cordoba, Tyeshia Davis, Egypt Fagan

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

February 11, 2015

Dear Parents & Guardians of Eighth Graders,

Below is an estimate of the anticipated costs for Closing Exercises and 8^th grade activities. Please read carefully and sign the notation about non-refundable deposits at the bottom.

PROPOSED CLOSING EXERCISES & EIGHTH GRADE ACTIVITY COSTS

8^th Grade trip to Baltimore--proposed for May 20^th):                      $75.00

    ****$20.00 deposit due March 2, 2015

Yearbook (approximate cost—to be determined):                            $15.00

Gown for closing exercises (no caps):                                                      $20.00

Class Luncheon:                                                                                                 $20.00

*****If fundraisers are successful, we will reduce the cost of the gown and the luncheon accordingly.

IMPORTANT! Please sign below:

Because reservations must be made and paid for ahead of time, we will be UNABLE to refund any amount paid if a student is unable to participate in an activity because of poor behavior or absenteeism or any other reason.     

I, _________________________________, parent of  ______________________________________,

understand that all trip and 8^th grade activity funds are non-refundable.

Signature:  ________________________________________________