Here are some Frequently Asked Questions to help you get a “leg up” on your seventh grade journey:
What about summer reading? What should my child read and what can they choose from? The theme for seventh grade humanities is exploration and empires. What types of skills does it take to be a successful adventurer and empire-builder? How do cunning, cleverness, and freedom impact decision-making and problem-solving? Choose and read ONE of any unabridged and original edition of the following books from the list below that you have not already read:
- The Eagle (first book of The Eagle of the Ninth series) by Rosemary Sutcliff
- All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
- Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
- The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
How will their reading be assessed when the school year starts? Students should be prepared to answer basic questions on the book’s key people (characters), main events (plot), setting, and theme. In addition, they should be prepared to offer their own thoughts about the text. Students who read the selection early in the summer are encouraged to take a few notes in order to refresh their memories prior to the beginning of school. The book will NOT be reviewed in class prior to discussions and writing assignments. Students may purchase any unabridged, original version of their chosen text and must bring it to school with them in August. Do not use cliff-notes, movies, or other substitute materials.
What if we read the book about those rabbits? No problem! Watership Down by Richard Adams was originally on the reading list. It was removed because feedback from Mr. Breazeale, last year’s instructor, as well as students was that the book was a pretty challenging read, requiring a very strong reader. However, if you have begun reading it and are enjoying the content, please continue! It certainly fits the theme of seventh grade humanities!
What about other assignments for the summer? How else should we review OR prepare for the upcoming year? Nothing beats summer review to be prepared for the next year! Get those typing skills ready! How about your computational skills and math abilities? Do you need some study skills support? Use the following web sites to get some extra practice and good advice, take a look at old stuff, and get exposed to some new information for discussion with your teachers in the Fall.
- Study Skills and Writing Class – Did you know that Trinity was offering a course on this next week?
- Speed Test – Your mark, get set, GO! You need to be able to type at least 35 words per minute for 7th grade!
- Khan Academy – Catch up, review, and work ahead! Start with the arithmetic videos and move on!
- IXL Learning – Often used by home-schoolers, this resource is great for connecting practice to standards.
Where do we see and purchase items for dress code? What is appropriate and what is not? The middle grades daily standard requires the school logo polo purchased from Lands End, and it is highly recommended that you purchase the bottoms from Lands End as well. They should be black, brown, tan, or khaki. Boys need a belt and calf-length socks. Girls can wear skirts in the same color range as the bottoms, and they can also wear dress (leather) sandals if there is a back or back strap. Boys can wear cross-trainers/athletic shoes if they are not neon in color. Wednesday attire is a white Oxford shirt, tie, khakis, brown or black dress shoes, black calf-length socks, a brown or black belt, and a Navy blue blazer for boys. Girls should wear the black sweater set with a black, brown, or burgundy skirt that coordinates with the sweater set. Scarves may be worn for girls along with modest jewelry. All of this, along with a link to Lands End is listed here.
How about school supplies? Are there things that we need to purchase or do for next year? The key to success in Trinity’s middle grades program in the upper school is organization. A step towards organization is being prepared on the first day of school with the necessary supplies and materials. The following will serve as a guide to enable your happiness, confidence, and success:
- Calculator – For Algebra I or higher, you need the TI-Nspire CX. All others need any calculator with “trig” functions.
- Formal attire – For choir, it is purchased from school at the beginning of the year. In addition, girls need black closed-toed dress shoes with no more than a 1.5 inch heel, and boys need black dress socks and black dress shoes.
- Library Card – You need a Wake County library card with a library PIN number for online research.
- Sketchbook – For art class, it is purchased from the school at the beginning of the year for $7 OR you may use your old one.
- School supplies – Trinity is endorsing www.classbundl.com for middle grades school supplies. Trinity receives a 5% reward for each ClassBundl purchase. Visit the website to see the list.
What about sports registration and other forms? Have you registered for Fall sports? That’s the best way to get the updates from the athletics office. All of these forms are currently accessible through the Docs section of “the blog.” The Upper School Handbook is also linked through “the blog.” And, by the way, you should FOLLOW the blog either by clicking on the “follow” button that shows up in the lower right hand corner on your home computer browser, OR even better, text “follow tarupperschool” (no quotes) to 40404 on your SmartPhone. Then, you will NEVER be without the details!
What is next year’s schedule going to look like? Are there a whole lot of changes? Next year’s schedule for middle grades will be pretty different from this year’s schedule. All middle grades students will begin the day with their advisory group, either in a small group (M-W-F) or in a large group assembly (T-Th). At this time they will power off and turn in their cell phones. Each class will only meet four times per week to ensure that there is time for study hall and extra help, advisory support and fellowship, clubs and enrichment, servant-leadership development, break and snack time, and character development. The day also ends slightly early for middle grades to allow them to get to their lockers before the upper grades students enter the hallways.
What about the “leveling” of classes by ability level? Will my child be appropriately challenged and/or supported, as needed? Will they never, ever have a chance to be with their friends ever again? Not to worry on alllll fronts! Every upper school teacher is staffed daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. They offer tutorial sessions every day by appointment and sometimes by drop-in. In addition, the study hall/study skills period on Tuesdays and Thursdays permit the student to get extra help in areas where there is need. The rising seventh grade has been double-sectioned. Not only are they mixed for advisory, they are re-mixed for math (by ability level), re-mixed for history, re-mixed for literature (by ability level), remixed for studio art (by gender) and religious studies (by gender), and finally distributed randomly between choir and drama where they will be with eighth graders. Choir, drama, and advisory are the only classes that are mixed between grade levels; however, character ed, assembly, sports, and lunch also provide opportunity for mixing between grade levels. They focus of middle grades is skills, over content. Therefore, developing the cognitive, social, and emotional well-being of the student equally is of paramount importance.
Who are my child’s teachers and when can I reach out to them? Mr. Jed Stalker and Mrs. Tara Parker-Moore are the humanities instructors with Mrs. Joni Bolin teaching grammar and vocabulary. Mrs. Kimberly Applegate is teaching seventh grade mathematics, and Mrs. Liz Dasher teaches life science. Mr. Jim Ranieri teaches religious studies and Mr. Joel Houghton teaches computer navigation. Finally, Mrs. Melissa Williams, Mrs. Stacey Woodward, and Ms. Marajen Denman are the fine arts team. While they are all out over the summer, they check email once per week. Feel free to touch base with them OR your child’s advisor with any non-urgent questions. Remember, our email format is first initial and last name at trinityacademy.com.
What kinds of social events occur in seventh grade? Seventh grade representatives from the advisories will be invited to participate in the Social Planning Committee to brainstorm and design middle grades-appropriate dances, fun nights, game nights, field days, and other events. In addition, Mr. Adams needs YOUR HELP by filling out this short survey to help him get the ball rolling for the seventh grade!
Finally, Mr. Adams, what about those ERB scores? Are they in yet? When will we get them? All ERB CTPIV test results are in, and they are being reviewed by the administration. A formal letter will go out later in July; however, if you would like to schedule an appointment to review the results, reach out to me over email, and I am happy to do so!
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