Minidoka Jr. High Parent Newsletter

We look forward to getting to know our parents/guardians, and support you in the education of your child.

• We are offering parent support with the Summit Platform every month. You are invited to come to the school on the first Wednesday of each month between the hours of 3:30 and 4:30 as needed- for support with the Parent Portal of our Summit Program. We want you to be proficient at checking your child's work, progress, and observe any gaps or address concerns.
• We are also offering a monthly parent meeting and encourage you to attend as you can to provide input on decisions as to how money is spent, activities that interest you and your child, and potential volunteer opportunities. These meetings will be the third Wednesday of each month from 3:45-4:45.

• Students are not allowed to wear or bring costumes
• There will be a student Halloween Celebration at 2:30 on October 31st.
• Students may bring prewrapped candy for the preschool costume parades.

We need parent volunteers -please let us know if you can help.

• Cooking class
• Career skill
• Photography
• Technology
• 4-H/Animals
• Craft
• Sport
• Your ideas

In Mr. Bruns' class we have been doing more group work this year as a result of the "Whole Student Math Trial" through Summit Learning. Students have been growing more comfortable with participating in class, and I am teaching the importance of participation, because every student has something valuable to add and can help their peers to grow as a result of their ideas.

How to resolve conflicts at school.

We have finished our second project - We can RESTART! Students have learned about character development and some have taken a good look at their own personal character development. None of us have fallen off a roof and had amnesia (like the main character, Chase) but all of us have things in our lives that we wish were different. We have learned it is not easy to make positive changes, but the effort is worth it.

All students will be starting a new project on October 2nd. If you have any questions about understanding the Summit Learning Platform, please come to the Summit Support Night held at the beginning of each month - the upcoming event will be on Wednesday, October 4th right after school.

Two students (Anaie and Tessa) have worked very hard and completed ALL of their Power Focus Areas for English for the semester! There are many more who are close! I am really impressed by the number of students who have really stepped up and are asking great questions this year. Asking questions is the best way to learn, and learning that skill has lifelong benefits.

Cozy Coffee came and set up their mobile coffee stand last Wednesday, and parents and students were treated to a free cup of coffee! Thank you to all of the parents who joined us that morning!

October 2: Bubbles and Bubble Gum Student Responsibility Reward Activity-for qualifying students

October 3: Picture Day

October 4: 3:30 Summit Parent Portal Support-please come and learn how to check your child's progress!

October 5: Minidoka Dam -Career Tech Ed: Careers, local history, human change in environment

October 12: 3:30-7:30 Parent Teacher Conferences

October 13: 8:00-12:00 Parent Teacher Conferences

October 16: French Fry Frenzy Student Responsibility Reward Activity-for qualifying students

October 18: 3:30-4:30 Parent Input Meeting

October 30: Halloween Escape Room Student Responsibility Reward Activity-for qualifying students

Students are eligible to participate in the current Responsibility Rewards Activity if they have met the following criteria:

1. Attend at least 90% of classes since the last reward activity (must be on time to count as attending unless previously excused)

• ANY student who has perfect weekly attendance will earn one entry each week into a drawing for random prizes that the winner can choose

2. No more than two incomplete checkpoints or projects in any core class

3. No unresolved student responsibility sheets behavior concerns

4. No more than two responsibility sheets since the last reward activity

***Students are expected to pass at least one PFA each week in order to be eligible to participate in each Responsibility Reward activity.

South Central Public Health will be at the District Building on Oct. 3rd from 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. to offer flu mist to the students and the flu shot to staff. It is completely optional. If you want your student to receive the flu mist, you must fill out and send the parent consent form with them that day complete with signature and insurance info (if applicable). You may obtain this form from the office or from the following links:

ENG: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zr3brKcjtJC-Vud_tW56A_koL7ePlxwC/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113569148095812025777&rtpof=true&sd=true

ESP: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jbe3cYA2gnWE3bNleZEf9VM6ApoxvUeI/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113569148095812025777&rtpof=true&sd=true

Please contact the Heyburn SCPHD office for questions re: cost for the flu vaccine at 208-678-8221.

Attendance is a crucial piece for success in school! It is always vital for students to attend all classes. This year, it is even MORE vital-our state funding is determined by attendance. Please make sure that students missing school for appointments bring excuse notes from the doctor/court/counseling agency. The district has a 90% attendance policy.

• Students can miss a maximum of 7 days in a semester (August 21-December 20).
• Doctor's/court/counseling notes need to be delivered to the school within 5 school days after returning to school.
• When a licensed physician or psychiatrist shall state in writing to the board of trustees that physical, mental or emotional condition of a child does not permit attendance at school, and a petition is filed with the board by the parent or guardian of the child requesting such child be exempt, the board of trustees may at its discretion grant the requested exemption during the existence of such condition.
• Click link to view policy. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16gXdG2iHucMfD0G9H1inlIVDPMxfn7FX

• All students attending MJH need the signed "Statement of Cooperation" form turned in to the secretary.
• No backpacks/binders
• No open drink containers
• Cell phones will be turned in to staff at the beginning of the day and returned as students leave the building. Students who do not turn cell phones in will receive graduated consequences: warning, parent only (no siblings) pick up the phone from the office, not allowed to bring a phone for the remainder of the year.
• No dropping off students before 7:30-students need to be dropped off in the back of the building by the gym doors. We do not have supervision earlier than that.
• Students will go home on their assigned bus unless you contact the school (preferably by noon if possible). Please do not send notes, and we do not allow students to call home to change transportation plans.
• Click Link for Statement of Cooperation. https://drive.google.com/file/d/16LDAXmNpc04mSIwifE5RTokNt96NQ5Fm/view?usp=sharing

How do I log into the Summit Learning Platform?

To log into the Summit Learning Platform as a parent/guardian:

1. Go to https://www.summitlearning.org
2. Click Parents Login in the upper right
3. Sign in with your username or email address, as well as your password

If you’ve forgotten your password:

1. Click Forgot Password? on the login screen, under Password
2. Enter your username or email address, then click Reset Password. You’ll receive an email with further instructions to reset your password
   

If you don’t receive the email, or if you’ve forgotten your username or email address, your child’s teacher should be able to provide you with that information.

If you don't have a parent account, please reach out to your student's teacher or principal and provide them with your name and email address for them to create an account for you. They will provide you with a username and password, which you can later update.

If you have additional questions or need more help, just contact our help desk.

Where can I see my child’s work?

As a parent/guardian, you may want to see what your child is working on at school. From the menu on the left, you can explore this through 3 different avenues:

• Week
• Year
• How do I see my child's specific assignments?
• Progress

Week

In the Week section, your child can plan and set goals for focus areas and checkpoints they are working on. Clicking on a goal will take you to the corresponding focus area or Project it is associated with.

Year

The Year section shows your child’s progress across all subjects. Scroll down to see each of your child’s courses, as well as the Projects and focus areas for each course.

The vertical blue line is the pacing line, and it indicates where your child should be today in order to be on track, or on-pace, to complete a given course by the end of the school year. Projects and focus areas to the left of the line are either completed or behind schedule, while all Projects and focus areas to the right of the line are upcoming in the school year. Students are free to work on focus areas ahead of time or return to previous focus areas for review at any time. You can toggle to past or future school years by clicking on the left or right arrows at the top right of the page.

Note: Projects that have been assigned are sized proportionally, depending on the start and end dates of the Projects. For example, a longer Project will take up more space than a shorter Project. Projects that are unassigned, as well as all focus areas, are spaced equally and are presented at the same width.

How do I see my child's specific assignments?

You can view your child's specific assignments by clicking into a project. Once you are viewing a project, you can click into the individual assignments to see your student's progress as well as the teachers' written feedback.

1. Go to your child's Year Page
2. Click into a project
3. Click into a checkpoint or final product

4. See your child's progress and the teacher's comments

Progress

In the Progress section, you can view everything your child recently worked on, a summary of his/her goals for each week, and a space to view notes from teachers and mentors.

You can also view your child’s grades in each of their classes based on their current pace. Keep in mind that these grades are not final until the school year ends and may change whenever students complete Projects or pass Content Assessments. By clicking into each course, you will receive a detailed grade summary.

• Federal Programs Information - English

• Federal Programs Information - Spanish

• Parental Rights Annual Notices - English

• Parental Rights Annual Notices - Spanish

• Parents/Guardians have the right to request professional qualifications of teachers and paraprofessionals.
• Parents/Guardians are invited to monthly meetings-They will be held the third Wednesday each month from 3:45-4:45 (latest)
• Parent/Patron Advisory Committee meets monthly at 12:30 here at our building. Lunch is provided, and parents/guardians have the opportunity to be part of the decision making process for our schools. We would love to have you participate as you can.