ACADEMICS

CORE CLASSES
There are four courses required for all students. These courses include science, math, social studies, and language arts (reading, literature, spelling, and grammar). Core teachers and students are assigned to a team. Currently there are six core teams, two at each grade level.

EXPLORATORY CLASS
Explo classes are designed to give students an opportunity to explore the content and general nature of each subject area. Our intent is to provide opportunities for students to discover new interests and to develop talents in areas not available through the core curriculum. Students will receive two scheduled hours of exploratory classes.

Students may choose band or orchestra as a yearlong course for one of their exploratory hours. Other explos are subject to availability at each grade level. Refer to the course content booklet received during pre-enrollment for explo choices. Eighth graders may choose a Foreign Language for a full year of study and high school credit. Yearbook is a full year and only open to eighth graders (limited to 20) after completing a competitive application.

STUDENT AIDES OR TEACHER ASSISTANT
Seventh and eighth grade students may request to be an aide for a counselor, the resource center, or a teacher during their explo hour. Aides are expected to be responsible and meet the high standards that the position of aide requires. Grades will be given for this class.

STEPS (10:35 - 11:00 a.m.)
STEPS is a very important part of the middle school curriculum. All students are assigned a STEPS teacher who will meet with them on a daily basis for twenty-five minutes. The focus is on the successful development of the middle school student. Teachers know their students and will work with parents and other teachers to promote both cognitive and social success of their students. Activities vary and may include, organizational and study skills, team building, reading, intramurals, and tutoring.

CLUSTERS
All students, teachers, secretaries, administrators, and many Longfellow parents and community members will be involved in Enrichment Clusters. Enrichment clusters are non-graded activities involving groups of students and adults who share a common interest (hobbies) and want to learn from each other. A product or a service will be an outcome of the cluster. Clusters will be held during STEPS time with an adjusted time schedule for a six-week time block on Wednesday and Thursday from 10:35 - 11:15 a.m. twice a year. Students will be given a list of cluster activities offered and ask to select several they are interested in attending. Placement in clusters will be final, based on size and availability.

COURSES FOR HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT
Because of recent changes in State Law, students enrolled in the following courses will earn high school credit if they pass the courses: Spanish I, French I, Algebra I, Plane Geometry. Semester grades earned by these students will appear on their official high school transcript. Not all of these high school courses are offered each year at the middle school level.

GRADES AND GRADING

The following grading scale will be used at all three-grade levels and in all subjects.

A+ 99-100 C+ 78-79
A 92-98 C 72-77
A- 90-91 C- 70-71
B+ 88-89 D+ 68-69
B 82-87 D 62-67
B- 80-81 D- 60-61
F 0-59

EFFORT AND CONDUCT GRADES
S = satisfactory effort and conduct.
U = unsatisfactory effort and conduct

REPORTING STUDENT PROGRESS
Grade checks provide information to parents and/or students on a regular basis regarding student's conduct, effort, and academic progress in class. Progress reports can be initiated by a parent, student and/or teacher only if grades are "C" or below. They will be issued every two weeks during one nine-week period. The Longfellow agenda is an excellent tool for parents and teachers to communicate with regarding the student's progress.

Needs Improvement (N.I.) report slips at the midpoint of each grading period, notify parents of any student making a "D" or an "F" in their classes. These slips will be mailed home to parents. If at any time after the N.I. slips are sent out a student's grade drops to a "D" or an "F", teachers will mail N.I. slips to the parents.

RETENTION
Any student who receives a letter grade of "F" in two core classes in any two nine week periods of a single year may be recommended for retention according to district policy. No grades (NG) will be considered like "F's" in retention decisions.

HONOR ROLL RECOGNITION
At the end of each grading period an Honor Roll will be compiled for each grade level. Students who make the Honor Roll (3.5 or higher average) will be honored with a variety of privileges and/or rewards. Honor roll is a highly regarded achievement we believe deserves the highest amount of recognition.

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