Grading for Online Courses

I have had several parents wondering about viewing grades from online courses offered through APEX at the middle school. If you would like to see your student's grade or progress reports, you can view them live on the student's account. Ask your student to log in after going to www.apexvs.com Once you are logged on, you can go to your students grades and view all assignments, quizzes, and any other topics. You can also track your student's daily progress and time spent on his/her course. To figure your child's grade, add up the points earned and divide by the total points possible. Keep in mind, students are only graded on what was completed. Zeros are not awarded for skipped assignments as many students purposely do so. I will transfer final grades from your student's APEX account to Parent Online at the end of each exploratory.

7th Grade Reading
Monday: Inference vs. Predictions - a review using prose
Tuesday: MAP testing
Wednesday: Begin Unit #1 - Prose
Thursday: "Fish Cheeks" predictions
Friday: Free Read Day

Advanced 8th Grade Reading
Monday: Short Stories critiques
Tuesday: Finishing touches on short stories
Wednesday: Read short stories
Thursday: Begin "The Giver"
Friday: Free read day

AP/CE Preparatory Courses Online
Students are progressing well. It has been interesting to see students progress or decide to digress from their classes according to interest. Please feel free to have your student show you their work at home. The classes are fully accessible anywhere Internet is available.

RAPP
This week we are working on the Homecoming float and door decorating. Our RAPP created a door that is circus themed since the Homecoming Theme is "Under the Big Top". We also made a poster that says "Stomp the Blue Demons" with our footprints on it. Our RAPP will work on the float on Wednesday during our time. Please ask if you student has decided to walk with the float and, if so, what he/she is doing.

7th Grade Reading
Monday: Predictions and Generalizations (moved because of MAP testing)
Skills Review
Tuesday: Myths, Folk Tales, and Legends Exam
Wednesday: Review of Exam and corrections (MAP testing)
Thursday: Begin Collection #1 - Prose
Friday: Read "Fish Cheeks" and "Amigo Brothers"

Advanced 8th Grade Reading
Monday: Discuss informational texts: treatment, scope and organization of ideas
Tuesday: Writing with a purpose - beginning short stories
Wednesday: Writing short stories
Thursday: Writing short stories
Friday: Writing and critiquing short stories

AP/CE Preparatory Courses Online
By the end of the week, all students should be in their second unit. Biology students will complete their second lab this week which emphasizes the use and function of enzymes. Spanish students visit Senor Pace's class to participate in elevated discussions in Spanish with the 8th grade students. Government students are analyzing the various forms of government. We will have a debate of direct vs. representative democracy on Thursday.

RAPP
This week we are working on the Homecoming float and more testing strategies. Since the middle school is about half way through MAP testing, these strategies could come in handy very quickly. :)

7th Grade Reading
Monday: No School
Tuesday: Begin discussing legends
Wednesday: Merlin and the Dragons
Thursday: Making generalizations
Friday: Predictions vs. Generalizations

Advanced 8th Grade Reading
Monday: No School
Tuesday: Free Read Day
Wednesday: Begin Unit #2 on Characterization
Thursday: Reading contracts and comparing characters
Friday: Creating a character

AP/CE Preparatory Courses Online
By the end of the week, all students should begin their second unit. If they have not, it is okay. If they have, I hope to have grades for their first units up on parent online by Friday.
The purpose of these courses is to expand knowledge at the students' personalized pace. Several students have already found topics of particular interest to them. These students may not complete the first unit for another week as they work on enrichment projects of their design.

RAPP
This week we are focusing on testing strategies. The middle school is completing MAP tests this week. Hopefully kids can gain some last minute strategies.

7th Grade Reading
Monday: Vocabulary Work
Tuesday: Is it a folk tale or a myth? Trivia review
Wednesday: Vocab and unit skills review
Thursday: Unit Exam
Friday: Free Reading Day

Advanced 8th Grade Reading
Monday: Free Reading Day
Tuesday: Vocabulary and unit skills review
Wednesday: Unit Exam
Thursday: Start The Giver
Friday: The Giver chapter 1 discussion

AP/CE Preparatory Courses Online
By the end of the week, all students should complete the first unit. If they have not, it is okay. The purpose of these courses is to expand knowledge at the students' personalized pace. Several students have already found topics of particular interest to them. These students may not complete the first unit for another week as they work on enrichment projects of their design.

RAPP
This week we are focusing on bullying and coping strategies. Please make sure you student has returned the handbook form.

Following the examples of my colleagues, I have decided to start a teacher blog. I hope this will help keep parents and students informed about the happenings with our ELP program, AP/CE preparatory classes online, and advanced reading. I hope to post class activities on a weekly basis for those that may be absent or parents that may be interested. I will also post websites and other opportunities to grow your creative and critical thinking skills. I hope you use them as individuals and as a family. Please feel free to contact me at any time if the information you are looking for is not available online.

New Classes at the Middle School Designed for College Preparation

from the Tigerhawk Talk May Newsletter

Colfax-Mingo Middle School’s Extended Learning Program (ELP) is going to begin offering online classes next year to prepare students for Advanced Process (AP) and Concurrent Enrollment (CE) classes at the high school. These are challenging high school classes taught at a college level. AP and CE classes allow students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously. The goal of the new online ELP options is to create a multi-level district college preparatory path beginning in sixth grade. Qualified sixth through eighth grade students will be eligible to enroll in the AP/CE preparatory classes as a supplement to their regular core curriculum.

Students enrolling in C-MMS AP/CE preparatory classes require a mentor. The ELP teacher is assigned to mentor these students. Students wishing to enroll in a preparatory course must replace one semester of exploratory courses with the preparatory course of choice. Some exploratory courses are required and cannot be replaced. Sixth: Skills for Healthy Living and Computers. Seventh: Family and Consumer Sciences and Art. Eighth: Shop and Careers. The AP/CE preparatory courses are designed to extend learning for students, not replace courses and curriculum already offered at C-MMS. Enrollment in comparable courses does not count as core curriculum credit. In example, a student enrolled in Introduction to Biology during his/her seventh grade year does not earn credit for seventh grade Science. It counts as an exploratory credit.

The AP/CE preparatory classes are designed to help students develop the study skills and knowledge base necessary for success in high school dual-credit classes and, eventually, college courses. In addition to gaining extended learning opportunities, students will work on technology literacy, organization, time management, and developing academic reading and writing skills.

These courses are especially valuable to self-motivated, intelligent students who are preparing themselves for a college or university career. Because of this, these classes are challenging, demanding, and exceptionally rigorous. It is likely these courses will be some of the most difficult, time-consuming courses students will experience while in middle school.

C-MMS will be sending out letters to qualifying student regarding enrollment in the new program in the 2nd week of May. The letter will include enrollment information and provide details on a meeting in the end of May.