Barracudas Team

We are looking forward to a super year. As team leader, I will also attempt to keep you abreast of events and issues. PLEASE READ OUR BACK TO SCHOOL LETTER WITH YOUR CHILD AND REVIEW THE SCHOOL POLICIES IN THE AGENDA BOOK.

PLEASE ALSO RETURN ALL FORMS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

WE ESPECIALLY NEED PARENTS WHO ARE WILLING TO HELP ONE DAY A MONTH WITH PHOTO-COPYING. WE USUALLY HAVE AN HOUR OR TWO OF COPYING.


Here is our supply list:

Loose leaf notebook paper

 pens-blue, black and red

#2 pencils book covers

 (5-6) ruler college dictionary (for home use)

 2 boxes of kleenex

plastic pencil pouch

 multi-color markers

 1(2") 3 ring binder

3(1") 3 ring binders

fraction calculator (Optional)

 hand held pencil sharpener with cover

 hole reinforcers

colored pencils

dividers (3 sets)

highlighters-yellow and blue

 combination lock (no key type locks)

 bookbag (the type with wheels IS NOT RECOMMENDED)

 Poster paper (Large white, about 4 sheets. Please leave these at home until needed )

Our team letter indicates other items which the teachers will gladly accept. On occassion, we make ask for the students to bring in additional items.


On our first test, many of the students did not do their best.  Even though the students were given a study guide, reviewed in class and told three days in advance about the test, many did not study thoroughly enough to earn an A.  Please caution your child that seventh grade is more difficult than their prior years and that studying must be done in order to be successful.

*** Reminder-  Thanksgiving Vacation, Nov 26, 27 and 28.  Students are OFF all of these days.***

November 16-25:

The Egyptian project was assigned- it is due November 21st.  This counts as two test grades.  the students have a sheet that expalins the project.  They were also given a sheet on how to do a "Works Cited" page. We are going to the library three times, other than those days, the students will work independently.  The librarians have reviewed with the students which days the Media Center is open after school.

The States test was assigned the first week of school.  We have worked on the states and their capitals throughtout the Fall.  The test is TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25- that is the last day before Thanksgiving holiday.

Please note, if your child will be absent on the 24th and 25th, he MUST take the test by the 21st.

The First Trimester's notebook will be collected on the 24th, this is a test grade.  Every time we do an assignment, it is entered in the notebook and loggede into the Table of Contents.

The END OF THE TRIMESTER is November 25th- report cards go home on December 5th

 Harbor Day on Thursday.  All children will be reading or working on Math for the first hour of the day. This will occur every Thursday. Every otherThursday is a Language Arts support day.  Students will be selected for the support groups based on need.  The groups will have work on advanced as well as basic skills throughtout the year. 


Each week, on the first school day of that week, the student is required to bring a current event based on the continent that we are studying at that time. They may use news magazines, TV, the internet, newspapers, professional or scientific journals, etc. They have a format (Source, date, title) which they fill in and write a minimum of a one paragraph summary. This helps with their writing ability as well as the current events of the world. We read these aloud and discuss the events. The students enjoy this activity.



PLEASE NOTE: Extra credit is just that. If a student does not choose to do an extra credit activity, it will appear as a blank, not a zero, on his interim. A blank DOES NOT HURT the student's average.



NOTE: Each section of the book has a internet link which provides the student with information regarding enrichment, practice quizzes and practice tests. These can be very helpful as the students prepare for assessments. The password and link are listed at the end of each section of every chapter.

The library is open every day until 3:00-3:15, and on Wednesdaay until 4:30,(parents are resonsibile for transporation) and every morning at 7:00. If the student is planning on staying after, he needs to check with the Media Center personnel the day before to just double check that one of them will be there and that the media center, in fact, will be open that day. The students must have a parent note for the afternoon or a teacher's note for the morning to be allowed in the media center.

Each student will be asked to make sure that he has access to a public library card. These will be necessary for independent projects, Internet searches, etc. The students have been told that any family member's card is ok, they don't have to have their own. They could even bring a note from home regarding the presence of a card.

Community Service: (see main school webpage) Each student is required to complete 15 hours of community service this year. Mr. Hall has these forms. He will be coordinating this for the team this year. As a grade we will sponsor 2-3 opportunities for the students to obtain some of their hours. The rest are the responsibility of the student. These must be hours of work for which the student receives no monetary compensation or are not family related. (Example: Serving food at the Salvation Army.)

ALL Hours earned during the summer MUST BE GIVEN TO MR. HALL By SEPTEMBER 30.

Extra Credit: The board is updated with new opportunities often.There is a limit of 2 normal extra credit awards per TRIMESTER. These are given a quiz grade. There will also be one extra credit novel which can be read each TRIMESTER. The student will submit a book report. She will need to obtain the format from me. The book report is an extra test grade.

Please note- a couple of the books that I initially listed have been removed from the Wake library or have been lost. I have removed those books from the list and added a few more.  Please note that the location of the books is listed as well. 

First Trimester's Books for Extra Credit:

A Bone from Dry Sea by Peter Dickenson (DMS)

His Majesty, Queen Halshepsut by Dorothy S. Carter (Wake Co and DMS)

The Wadjet Eye by Jill Rubalcaba (Wake Co)

Nzingha, Warrior Queen of Matamba  by Patricia McKissack (Wake Co)

Cat in the Mirror by Mary Stolz (Wake Co and DMS)

The Other Side of Truth by Beverly Naidoo (Wake Co and DMS)

Chain of Fire by Beverly Naidoo (Wake Co and DMS)

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard (Wake Co and DMS)

Our textbook webpage: go.hrw.com The title of the book is -Eastern World: Africa, Asia and Australia BY Holt, Reinhart and Winston. Its weblink is: go.hrw.com. Each lesson has its on keyword.

It is listed under their geography listings. There are several sections which you may find help prepare you for assignments including practice questions from the chapters. YOU WILL NEED TO DO THIS SEPARATELY, IT WILL NOT LINK DIRECTLY FROM THIS PAGE.`