It is hard to believe but Parent night is next week!

6th grade families, stop by MacArthur anytime from 6-7:30 p.m. on Monday, August 28th!

7th and 8th grade families, your night is Tuesday, August 29th, 6-7:30 p.m.

The format is informal and a chance for you to get to know our teachers on your own time. There is not a formal presentation that starts at a specific time so you can come at 6, 6:30, or 7:10, whatever works in your schedule. Pleas review the important information in the links below before coming for the background on this year's teachers and their plans! See you next week!

Sixth graders have come a long way in eight days! Day One began with a tour of the school and learning how to open a combination lock. One week later, they can travel to their classes all over the school and open their locks many times a day. All of this skill will culminate in a morning contest on Sept. 1 called Be True to Your School. On this day, each advisory will compete against the other in a test of skill, nerve, and memory. First they will run a school relay race to find building locations. Next, they will open combination locks, one at a time in the hallway. And finally, they test their knowledge of their teachers in an online game. Welcome to MacArthur Sixth Grade!

With the start of the year, we have also started our diagnostic testing in Reading and Math. These tests help us to determine where students are in their learning at the beginning of the year so we can match our instruction to their needs. Depending on the grade level and the test, this test can take multiple class periods to complete. In a few weeks, we will analyze the school-wide data to see how we can improve across the grade levels. Any questions, let me know!

This year, we are using Second Step as our Social Emotional Learning curriculum. Second Step is a program designed to create a brighter future for kids everywhere through a holistic approach to social-emotional learning. While lessons are tailored to each grade level, they focus on the following topics:

*Mindsets & Goals

*Recognizing Bullying & Harassment

*Thoughts, Emotions, and Decisions

*Managing Relationships and Social Conflict

Our district teams have been working on our processes for intervening and supporting students as we work through student accountability and discipline. Our interventions are intended to address the root cause of behaviors and include social-emotional, academic, and behavior interventions. Please refer to. the three guiding pillars below that frame the Student Accountability Framework (SAFe).

How do you like the new website?

We have re-organized it based on your feedback. All of the frequently needed information pieces are readily available with tabs on the right. MacArthur Information can still be found under the School section. I am excited to announce that we also have a "Safe2Help" button on the main screen for anonymous reporting of issues related to school safety. This is monitored by a state-wide agency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

As the year starts, we want to share practices we have found to be effective for keeping students safe and engaged when using the internet at home, whether they are using the District-issued iPad or a home device, like a phone, gaming console, or tablet. As educators and parents, we know the value and importance of having strong routines and practices, and we hope this information can help you and your household start this new school year off well!

1. Take extra steps to protect your child. Encourage your child to use and store the iPad in an open area of your home, such as the kitchen or family room, so you can monitor what your child is doing online. Review the parental controls available to you via your internet provider.
2. Go where your child goes online. Monitor the places that your child visits. Let your child know that you’re there, and help teach her/him how to act as s/he works and socializes online.
3. Review your child’s contacts list. You may want to limit your child’s online “contacts” to people your child actually knows and is working with in real life.
4. Balancing the time your student is on the iPad. While the iPad is a very engaging device, it is important to set reasonable limits for your child.
5. Report unwelcome or malicious online threats. Report immediately any online interactions that can be considered threatening.
6. Help your child develop a routine. Many parents have found success by helping create a routine for their child’s device use. Define a routine as to how the iPad is cared for and when and where its use is appropriate.
7. Familiarize yourself with the apps and programs. It is important that parents have a working understanding of the programs and student work found on the iPad.

If you are interested in learning more here, the following is a great resource for parents and families: Common Sense Media - Family Guides.

For the safety of all, please use the yellow striped sidewalk in front of the building for pick-up and drop-off.

No other place is acceptable!

The lines are shorter before 7:55am and after 3:00pm!

8th Grade Parents! You found the special place for your transition to high school in this area throughout the year.

More information coming soon!

-Institute Days: 10/16, 1/8, 4/2

-School Improvement Days: 5/0

-Holidays: No School

-Labor Day: 9/4

-Thanksgiving Break: 11/20-11/24

-Winter Break:12/25-1/5

-Martin Luther King Day: 1/15

-Presidents' Day: 2/19

-Spring Break: 3/25-3/29

-Memorial Day: 5/27

-Additional Non-Attendance Days: 9/25, 2/16, 4/1

-8th Grade Promotion (tentative): 5/24

-Last Day of Student Attendance (if no emergency days used): 5