Hey Parents!

Parent-Teacher Conferences

2011-11-14T15:18:00.001-08:00

Listed below is the official information from the district regarding parent conferences. The first round starts this Friday. Hope to see you all there.

PARENTINFORMATION:

Thefollowing schedule provides an opportunity for parents to pick up report cards,meet with teachers and to review first quarter progress of their student.Parents of seniors are encouraged to speak with Ms. Lucking, CulminatingProject Coordinator, if they have any questions or concerns regarding theirstudents E-folio Project and Presentation. Additionally, parents will be givenpasswords for accessing on-line teacher grading and updating your email addressfrom the Counseling Center. Please use Library computers to check your accountfor contact information.

Teacherswill be available in the Mount Si High School Commons, Wildcat Court andLibrary areas. Parents will have the following dates and times to visit withteachers according to the last name of your student.

FRIDAY, November18 LAST NAMES: O-U 11:45 AM -2:45 PM

MONDAY, November21 LAST NAMES:V-Z 11:45 AM -2:45 PM

TUESDAY, November22 LAST NAMES:H-N 11:45AM - 2:45 PM

TUESDAY, November 22 LASTNAMES:A-G 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Parentsmay show up at any time according to last names at the above noted conferences.

Pleasenote: If you are unable to attend theassigned section above, you may attend an alternate session. However, we arehoping to keep these changes to a minimum. Thank you.

STUDENTINFORMATION:

Studentswill have early releases and classes on the following schedule:

Friday, November 18 Periods 0,1,2,3 Release Time 10:48 AM

Monday, November 21 Periods 7,4,5,6 Release Time 10:48 AM

Tuesday, November22 Periods 0,1,2,3 Release Time 10:48 AM

Wednesday, November 23 Periods7,4,5,6 Release Time 10:48 AM

Studentsare reminded not to be on campus during the parent conferences unless under thesupervision of a staff member. Teachers need to be available for the parentconferences.

iPads!

2011-10-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let all the parents out there know that room 303 is about to get a bit more tech-savvy in a very hands-on way. Thanks to a recent grant, we've got 10 iPads coming in that we'll get to experiment with this year! There's a lot of interesting possibilities to explore with these--eBooks, interactive presentations, methods to study vocab, film and photo projects, digital quizzes, student collaboration, even writing itself. It will be great to get these into the hands of your students and see what they can do with 'em.

I'll be sure to keep everyone posted with how they are being used and the results I see in student learning. Be sure to check back here for updates. We should be 'plugging in' (wait! these are wireless!) within the next few weeks.

Baby Update!

2011-10-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

Just a heads-up to all parents/guardians that I am going to be out of the classroom for a bit. Johanna was born on 10/5, weighing in at 8lbs 6oz. All is well and everyone is healthy and happy.

As for subs, lesson plans, and your student's LA experience, I want everyone to know that class is still happening, work is still being assigned, and the expectations for your student are still high. Each day, I am posting unique lesson plans to The Daily Post that align directly with what we've been working on in class and where we are headed. Things are certainly slowed down a bit, but rest-assured, important learning is still happening and your student is still engaged in valuable work.

For details about what your student is up to each day, check The Daily Post.

Sophomores: PSATs

2011-10-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

If your student registered for the PSATs during Wild Cat days, he/she should have already brought home an information booklet for the test. The booklet contains test info, sample questions, and even what he/she should be reviewing in the weeks before. While all Mount Si juniors are actually taking the test during class in a few weeks, sophomores are forced to come in on Saturday 10/15 (8am).

For more information, contact your student's counselor.

Open House Follow-Up

2011-09-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to offer a big THANKS to everyone who was able to stop by during open house. Every study out there clearly indicates that parent involvement is directly linked to student achievement. The simple act of making it to to open house, making connections with your student's teachers, checking class websites, being involved, and simply asking your student what he/she is up to in their classes matters so much...so, please, don't hesitate to be in touch with me directly if anything comes up.

For those who couldn't make it, the same applies--it'd be great to hear from you and make a connection. Feel free to drop me an email or schedule a time to swing by and chat.

Thanks again!

Open House!

2011-09-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a quick reminder that Open House is happening tomorrow (Tuesday 9/27) at 7pm. It's a great chance to see the school, meet your student's teachers, and make some valuable connections for the school year. Since there's a direct and proven link between parent/guardian involvement and a student's academic success, I encourage everyone to make the effort to swing by.

Here are the official details from the school that were sent out a few weeks ago. Your student should bring home a customized schedule for you to follow:

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend Open House, on Tuesday, September 27. We will begin in the gymnasium at 7:00 pm. Following the welcome from John Belcher, our new principal, we'll dismiss you so that you can visit each your sons/daughter's classrooms and teachers. We believe your participation is important and hope that you will reinforce the importance of education by attending this event. See you there.

One quick note: As some of you have probably already heard from your student, my family is expecting a new addition any day now. Assuming that our new baby doesn't arrive before then (and it could!...due date was last Thursday), I'll be there. Please make sure you drop into room 303, say hello, and find out everything you need to know about your student's LA experience this year.

If baby does arrive and I can't make it, still be sure to swing by the room and sign in. This way, I can be sure to get in touch with you once the shock of having a newborn and a two year old wears off. I'll also be sure to post all the details from Open House--regardless if I am there or not--right here on the Hey Parents! section of the website for those who can't make it.

I'm looking forward to meeting all of you and, please, don't hesitate to get in touch.

LA 10H Vocab

2011-09-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to write a quick post to let all the folks at home know that all LA 10h students have begun a fairly intense vocabulary program to help get them ready for the demands of future AP classes and college--the program is cumulative, with weekly words and literary terms, quizzes every Friday, the need to keep an up-to-date list, and a bit of freedom for each student to decide how they plan to organize and study from their personalized vocab system.

In short, you should be seeing your student studying their vocab/lit terms regularly. Quizzes are on Friday, with new words given out after the quiz. An updated list (with definitions, samples, etc) is due every Monday. Most have created flashcards or some kind of way to quiz themselves--be sure to get involved and help 'em study!

Click here for the link to the official list (it's updated every Friday with the new words).

Welcome to the 2011-12 School Year!

2011-08-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Hey Parents! and this year's first, official newsletter. My guess is that if you've found this part of the website, you've probably had a little chat with your student about the first few days of school and his/her homework--which is to get you to review the syllabus (click for: LA 10h, LA 9), check out the website, sign a little form saying you've done just that, and hopefully get you talking a bit about the class and what he/she should be expecting this year.

So, let's talk about the website...by now you've most likely had a chance to poke around a bit and explore some of the tools that are available to help you better stay up-to-date with what's happening in the classroom and with your student. Essentially, that's exactly why penguinsandtoast.com exists--there are daily updates, links to assignments, useful handouts, etc. that are all designed to make life a bit easier, organized, and manageable for both you and your student. I'm a firm believer that parent/guardian involvement is directly tied with student achievement and I am working to make that as streamlined as possible for you...in short, the more you know about your student's Language Arts experience, the more accountable he/she will have to be. The website's designed to help everyone out with exactly that.

In addition to checking The Daily Post section of the website as often as you need, be sure to check back here at the Hey Parents! section of the website semi-regularly (I typically try to write an update at least once a month) as I usually use this forum as a way to keep everyone informed regarding major assignments, upcoming events, what to be looking for at home, ways to get involved, as well as specifics regarding your student's LA experience.

If any questions come up, be sure to let me know. I am definitely looking forward to a great year!

Thanks for being involved,

Eric Goldhammer

LA Teacher &

Department Chair

Mount Si High School