Dear Parents

Updated: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 08:16:38 AM

"If you promise not to believe your child about everything you hear about school and teachers, we promise not to believe everything we hear about what happens at home!"

~Author Unknown

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Greetings and Salutations! I am Ms. Laurie Sproul Marcotte. My students call me "Mz. Marcotte". I will be assisting your child this year on Team 6 as their science teacher.

In order for your child to make a smooth transition into the middle school programs and to prepare for high school, it will be necessary for her/him to acquire the following organizational tools for the classes that he/she may take part in my academic portion of our program.

Science Class Supply List:

Assignment Notebook (provided by AMS)

1 (1/2 -1inch) 3 ring binder for science class ONLY

8 Dividers for binder organization (2 packages)

Loose Leaf Paper or 1 subject notebook to place in binder

Several High lighters

Pens and Pencils and Erasers

Markers and Color Pencils

Note Cards

Glue Sticks and Tape

Current Newspapers (for Current Science)

Current Magazines (for Current Science)

Optional: 3- hole punch that fastens in binder

I have planned an exciting and interesting year for your child. The frequent use of the listed materials will prepare your child for future activities that will teach important organizational strategies that will become invaluable. I will provide your child with a WEB SITE that will post homework, labs, quizzes, tests and projects. We will also fill out assignments notebooks in class on a weekly basis. Please take an active role in your child's homework by checking their assignment notebook regularly. Science Assignments!

You will also receive 8 GRADE REPORTS this year (approximately every 4-5 weeks). Please sign and return these promptly.

Thank you for your support.

If you have any concerns during the course of the year, please do not hesitate to contact me at Auburn Middle School.

Yours in Education,

Laurie Sproul Marcotte

Professional Educator

Did you ever wonder what your kids are really telling you about school?

Here's your guide to AKid~lish"

Student Quote:

Translation:

"My teacher is mean!"

"I am not getting my own way! My teacher has high expectations for me and makes me redo my school work when I have not met the standards set for me or I have not done work that I am capable of doing. My teacher also expects me to behave at school everyday!"

"That class is boring!"

"I am not an active learner. I do not participate in my educational program in order to meet the standards of the Maine State Learning Results. I do not challenge myself."

"My teacher did not tell me!" "I did not write down what the teacher told me."

"My teacher picks favorites!" "I am making excuses. It is much easier for me to blame my teacher for my mistakes than it is for me to accept responsibility for my behavior and academic attitude at school."

"My teacher does not like me!"

"My teacher must speak to me often because I am fooling around in class, off-task, bothering others and not doing my work when I am given time in class to complete assignments. I am also spoken to when I interrupt a lesson by making remarks that get the class off-task"

"I don't like to read!" "Reading is hard for me and I often do not understand what I have read."

"That class is hard!"

"I do not ask for help during guided study or during class, at recess or at home, and I often do not do my homework and I do not volunteer to stay after school for extra help."

"I hate school!!"

"I am expected to attend school regularly and to be involved in my educational program. I am expected to work for my grades."

"I am all caught up."

"I have already received zeros, incomplete grades or late grades on the work that I did not do in the past."

" I don't have any homework."

"I don' t have any homework tonight, but I know I should be working on my long- term assignments that I have been notified of recently"

To Teacher: "I left it at home."

"I did not do it!"

To Parent: " I did it at school."

"I did not want to do it for homework so I left it at school."

"It's not my fault!" " It is my fault and I just can't think of a believable excuse right now!"

"I forgot!" "I did not forget. I just did not want to do what you told me to do!"

"I forgot!"
"I forgot even after you reminded me because I did not pay attention to you and I tuned you out when you were telling me for the zillionth time!"

"My teacher lost it!" "My teacher did not lose it. I did it, but did not turn it into the homework basket."

"My teacher lost it!"
"My teacher did not lose it. I did it, but did not put my name on it and it is in the 'no name papers' file."

"My teacher lost it!" "My teacher did not lose it. I did not do it."

"My teacher lost it!" "My teacher did not lose it. My teacher asked me to redo it and I did not redo it and turn it in again for a partial grade."

"The substitute teacher lost it!"
*See ANY of the above

" He (or she) MADE me do it!" "No one makes me do anything. I did it because I made the choice to do it and I felt like doing it and now I wish I hadn't done it!!"

"I don't like my teacher." "My teacher expects me to pass my classes with a C+ or better. My teacher makes me redo my school work during recess time, calls my parents at home and at work and sends emails to my parents and to me when I have not met the standards set for me. My teacher expects me to do the work that I am capable of doing and expects me to take advantage of a good education that is provided for me everyday."

"I lost it" "I lost it"

"Someone stole it!" *Often means the above

"My teacher yells at me!"

"My teacher asks me to follow simple, basic school and team rules and I do not want to follow rules. I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it and I will gladly argue with the teacher about it."

Now for some REAL fun!

Substitute the word 'teacher' with the word 'mom' or 'dad' and you now have your own HOME EDITION to kid~lish!

Have a GREAT year!

~Mz. Marcotte!

Student Quote:	Translation:
"My teacher is mean!"	"I am not getting my own way! My teacher has high expectations for me and makes me redo my school work when I have not met the standards set for me or I have not done work that I am capable of doing. My teacher also expects me to behave at school everyday!"
"That class is boring!"	"I am not an active learner. I do not participate in my educational program in order to meet the standards of the Maine State Learning Results. I do not challenge myself."
"My teacher did not tell me!"	"I did not write down what the teacher told me."
"My teacher picks favorites!"	"I am making excuses. It is much easier for me to blame my teacher for my mistakes than it is for me to accept responsibility for my behavior and academic attitude at school."
"My teacher does not like me!"	"My teacher must speak to me often because I am fooling around in class, off-task, bothering others and not doing my work when I am given time in class to complete assignments. I am also spoken to when I interrupt a lesson by making remarks that get the class off-task"
"I don't like to read!"	"Reading is hard for me and I often do not understand what I have read."
"That class is hard!"	"I do not ask for help during guided study or during class, at recess or at home, and I often do not do my homework and I do not volunteer to stay after school for extra help."
"I hate school!!"	"I am expected to attend school regularly and to be involved in my educational program. I am expected to work for my grades."
"I am all caught up."	"I have already received zeros, incomplete grades or late grades on the work that I did not do in the past."
" I don't have any homework."	"I don' t have any homework tonight, but I know I should be working on my long- term assignments that I have been notified of recently"
To Teacher: "I left it at home."	"I did not do it!"
To Parent: " I did it at school."	"I did not want to do it for homework so I left it at school."
"It's not my fault!"	" It is my fault and I just can't think of a believable excuse right now!"
"I forgot!"	"I did not forget. I just did not want to do what you told me to do!"
"I forgot!"	"I forgot even after you reminded me because I did not pay attention to you and I tuned you out when you were telling me for the zillionth time!"
"My teacher lost it!"	"My teacher did not lose it. I did it, but did not turn it into the homework basket."
"My teacher lost it!"	"My teacher did not lose it. I did it, but did not put my name on it and it is in the 'no name papers' file."
"My teacher lost it!"	"My teacher did not lose it. I did not do it."
"My teacher lost it!"	"My teacher did not lose it. My teacher asked me to redo it and I did not redo it and turn it in again for a partial grade."
"The substitute teacher lost it!"	*See ANY of the above
" He (or she) MADE me do it!"	"No one makes me do anything. I did it because I made the choice to do it and I felt like doing it and now I wish I hadn't done it!!"
"I don't like my teacher."	"My teacher expects me to pass my classes with a C+ or better. My teacher makes me redo my school work during recess time, calls my parents at home and at work and sends emails to my parents and to me when I have not met the standards set for me. My teacher expects me to do the work that I am capable of doing and expects me to take advantage of a good education that is provided for me everyday."
"I lost it"	"I lost it"
"Someone stole it!"	*Often means the above
"My teacher yells at me!"	"My teacher asks me to follow simple, basic school and team rules and I do not want to follow rules. I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it and I will gladly argue with the teacher about it."
Now for some REAL fun! Substitute the word 'teacher' with the word 'mom' or 'dad' and you now have your own HOME EDITION to kid~lish! *Have a GREAT year!* *~Mz. Marcotte!*