Idaho City High School

Idaho City Middle School

WELCOME

The faculty, staff, and administration would like to welcome you to Idaho City Middle School. The information contained in this booklet is designed to acquaint you with our school and school policies so that your educational needs can best be met. Please take this opportunity to read through the booklet. Address any questions to the school counselor. Middle School students have seven classes each day. The day begins at 8:10 and ends at 3:22 PM.

State Report Card

Breakfast & Lunch

Breakfast: FREE for all students. You may bring lunch from home or purchase lunch at school for $3.00. Free or reduced lunch forms will be available to fill out during registration (see Summer News Letter for times and dates).

Student Supplies/Fees

There are fees for optional extra-curricular activities such as athletics, field trips, and yearbooks.

Attendance

School board policy requires 90% attendance. All absences must be excused by phone or in writing within 48 hours of the absence. An unexcused absence is the same as a truancy. If you know you will be absent for more than two days, please request your work ahead of time. Any student missing more than nine (9) days in one semester must petition for credit (refer to the Middle School Accountability section). Appeals for credit are granted on an individual basis based on extenuating circumstances (illness, medical appointments, family emergency, court appointments or pre-arranged absences) and must be submitted with verification of absences within ten days of notification. Please make every effort to schedule appointments on days when there is no school.

Truancy

Truancy is any absence from class without knowledge and permission of a parent and/or school authority or classroom teacher; leaving school without permission, after reporting to school; leaving class without permission; or absences, even with the approval of parents, which are excessive and/or interfere with the student’s educational program. Consequences for truancy are outlined in the student handbook

Tardy

Students are considered tardy if they are late for school in the morning or late for any class during the day. Students who check-in late because they slept-in or missed the bus are considered tardy. Students who are more than 10 minutes late to any class will be counted absent for that class. (A complete attendance policy can be found in the student handbook). Students will earn lunch detention for being tardy to class.

Student Classes

Middle school students will be enrolled in seven classes each year.

Seventh graders will take ELA (English Language Arts), math (at appropriate math level), life science, social studies, PE/Health, and study skills. Students will also be allowed one elective course. Elective courses change each year depending on student numbers and teacher availability. Students falling below proficient in math may be scheduled in a math lab.
Eighth graders will take ELA (English Language Arts), math, earth science, world history, and 8th grade PE. For their electives, students will have both art and general music and another elective depending on availability. Students falling behind in their work may be scheduled into a study skills class; students below proficient in math may be scheduled in a math lab instead of one of the electives.
Requests for class changes should be addressed through the counselor (392-4183 x1272). Students will have the first week (5 class days) to request changes.

Idaho Middle Level Education – Student Accountability
http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/middlelevel/StudentAccountability.htm

This rule change requires each LEA (local education agency) or district to design and implement a credit system starting no later than the seventh grade, effective July 1, 2010. Middle School Students entering the 7th grade have to meet credit requirements or complete an alternate mechanism to be promoted to the 8th grade, and 8th graders to the 9th grade.

Each LEA’s middle level credit system must include the following minimum requirements:

Students shall be required to attain a minimum of 80% of their credits in order to be promoted to the next grade level.
Students will not be allowed to lose a full year of credit in one area (i.e. a student would not be able to fail a full year of math) and automatically move on to the next grade level.
Students not meeting (or in jeopardy of not meeting) credit requirements will be given an opportunity to recover credits or complete an alternate mechanism in order to be eligible for promotion to the next grade level.
Attendance is a factor either in the credit system or the alternate mechanism or both.

Idaho City Middle School Credit System

 

CORE CLASSES GRADE LEVEL CREDITS PER SEMESTER CREDITS PER YEAR
ENGLISH 7 or 8 1 2
MATH

7 or 8 (at instructional level) 1 2
SCIENCE

Life Science in 7
Earth Science in 8

1 2
SOCIAL STUDIES

Social Studies in 7
World History in 8

1 2
HEALTH 7 1 2
OTHER Study Skills, Math Lab, Art, Shop, Music, etc. 1 2-4

Cheating

Students involved in cheating will be subject to the rules of the classroom teacher regarding cheating and/or may be referred to the principal for disciplinary action. Plagiarism is considered cheating. The following are also prohibited:

Copying another student’s paper or project (i.e., class work, homework, ideas, and computer generated materials) and handing it in as your own even when the student agrees to the copying.
Buying or downloading an already written paper or project, or having someone do a paper for you.
Downloading a paper or sections of a paper from the Internet.
Quoting the exact words of another author without proper acknowledgment.
Using you own words to present the ideas of another author without giving proper acknowledgment.

Code of Conduct

It is our goal to meet the educational needs of every child by working with parents and the community. It is our philosophy that this goal is best met in an atmosphere of reasonable control and safety.

 

Closed Campus

Students in Idaho City Middle School have closed campus. This means that once students arrive on campus in the morning they must stay on campus until school is out for the day, unless a parent/guardian checks them out during the day. Students who live in Idaho City can request a lunch pass only if a parent is home during the day.

 

Dress Code

Students who wear inappropriate clothing to school will be asked to remove or cover the article. Inappropriate clothing includes:

Clothing, patches, hats, etc. that contain vulgarity, references to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, nudity or foul or suggestive language or any other items considered inflammatory.
Clothing which is exceedingly tight, revealing or immodest (transparent blouses, halter tops, backless tops or dresses, spaghetti straps, bare sides, very low cut tops, hot pants, or spandex.)
Bare feet.
Hats in classrooms without teacher’s permission.
Shirts that do not cover the shoulders (no tank tips).
Shorts that are not fingertip length.
Skirts that are not two inches below fingertip length.

Emergency Closing

If school is going to be canceled due to snow, ice, or other emergency, an announcement of the closure will be sent to you by phone through the Parent Portal on LUMEN. Also listen to the local radio and television stations.

 

Student Expectations

Students are expected to support the learning environment with safe and orderly behavior. These are examples of desired behaviors:

Arrive to class on time.
Respect others.
Abstaining from any form of harassment, bullying, or intimidation.
Have paper, pencil or pen, and textbook out and ready at the beginning of each class.
Know and follow the rules of each classroom
Use appropriate language.
Follow all reasonable requests made by any staff member, within a reasonable amount of time (within 5 seconds).

After School Activities

Idaho City Middle School offers a variety of sports (football, volleyball, cross country, basketball, and track) for student participation. All students are encouraged to try out for the sport or sports of their choice. You can pick up an activity packet in the office. A sports physical is required every two years.

Other school activities include choir, band, cheerleading, and tutoring. There is a fee of $1.00 per day to ride the activity bus.

 

Homework

The faculty recognizes the value of extending learning opportunities for students and endorses the concept of assigned and monitored homework in all subjects of the curriculum. Homework serves to help the student learn study skills, as well as creates a sense of personal responsibility for the learner’s own education.

 

Honor Roll

The honor roll will be published on a bulletin board and in the Idaho World at the end of each quarter for those students with a 3.0 or better. To make the Honor Roll a student must have a 3.0 to 3.49; High Honors is between 3.5-3.74; Highest Honors is between 3.75 and 4.0. In order to earn an Accolades Academic Award at the end of the school year students must maintain a 3.5GPA first semester and 3rd quarter.

 

Honors Pledge Program

Students who meet the academic guidelines of a consistent 3.0 GPA will be asked to apply to the Honors Pledge Program. Students who apply will have to interview for acceptance. Induction into the program takes place during an awards ceremony.

 

Internet Use

Students will need to sign an Internet agreement before accessing school computers, agreeing to not intentionally visit inappropriate sites. Caution to parents: Staff members will make every effort to monitor student access to the internet, and block inappropriate sites.

 

Medication

Idaho City HS/MS does not provide any medication. If you with to have prescription drugs administered at school, contact the office personnel for the proper procedure. Students may not carry prescription medications with them.

 

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences are held each fall to review current class progress and ISAT goals. In addition, teachers can be contacted via e-mail by teacher first initial last name@ basinschools.net. For example, John Smith would be [email protected]

 

Required Information for New Students

In accordance with state and local policy, new students must present certain information to enroll:

Birth certificate
Immunization record
Most recent grade report

Report Cards and Progress Reports

Progress reports are emailed mid-nine weeks; report cards are emailed quarterly. Consult the district calendar to obtain exact dates. Parents are encouraged to use the Parent Portal on LUMEN to access attendance and grade information. Specific assignments and due dates are accessible by clicking on the course grade.

 

Telephone Use

The office phones are business phones and should be used by students for emergencies only. Student messages from home will be delivered between classes, at lunch, or after school; students will not be called out of class to take phone calls.

 

Testing

Middle school students will take the Idaho Scholastic Aptitude Test (ISAT) each spring. Seventh graders take tests in science, math and ELA (English Language Arts). Eighth graders take tests in math and ELA (English Language Arts). Although the state is no longer giving the Direct Writing and Direct Math Assessment, ICHS will be doing their own assessments in these two disciplines.

 

Valuables

Students are encouraged to leave their valuables at home. Middle school students do not have lockers. Valuables include money, electronic devices, or any other valuables that might be stolen.

 

Visitors

All visitors are required to check in at the office. Parents are encouraged to call if requesting to see a teacher. Appointments can be set up before school, after school, or during teacher planning periods. Students from other schools (even prior students) must obtain permission to visit from the building principal.

New High School Graduation Requirements for the Class of 2013 and beyond

The Idaho State Legislature passed new high school requirements beginning with the class of 2013. The new rules require that all graduating students:

Take three (3) years of math, one of which must be the last year of high school, and must include Algebra 1 and Geometry and students must take a math course in their senior year.
Take three (3) years of science (with a minimum of 4 semesters of lab science) that must include: Biology; physical science or chemistry; and earth, space, environmental, or approved applied science.
Senior Project that includes an oral presentation and written report.
Take the ACT, SAT or Compass exam by the end of 11th grade.
Pass the Science ISAT, in addition to Reading, Math, and Language.

__________________________________________________________

 

***Course Descriptions***

 

7TH GRADE

All seventh graders are required to take Language Arts (English, reading and spelling), life science, geography, math, and a combination physical education/health class; most 7th graders will also take a study skills class. Students falling below proficient in math, may be scheduled in a math lab. All classes are yearlong. State Standards can be viewed on the state website:

http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/ICS/

Course: English 7

Content: In alignment with the Common Core Standards and to become college and career ready, students will study literary and informative texts and participate in a variety of activities, projects, assignments, and exams that will further developing their analytical and critical thinking skills. Students will also further develop their understanding of writing as a vital component of communication and enhance those skills associated with the art of writing – ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions. Major literary works to be studied include: The Cay, Outsiders, The Giver, Call of the Wild, and The Time Machine.

Classroom Textbooks:

Title: The Language of Literature: Grade 7

Publisher: McDougal Littell, 2006

Title: Language Essentials: Grammar and Writing – Cedar Level

Publisher: EMC Corporation, 2005

Grading Procedure: Each ELA course is structured around six modules. A student’s grade will be a reflection of their performance within each module in the following areas: weekly on-line journal discussion boards, major writing assignments, major educational technology projects, group activities and discussions, and an end of course student-designed assessment project.

 

Course: Middle School Integrated Math I

Prerequisite: None

Content: Integrated Math courses emphasize the teaching of mathematics as problem solving, communication, and reasoning, and emphasize the connections among mathematical topics and between mathematics and other disciplines. The multi-year sequence of Integrated Math replaces the traditional Math 7 and Pre-Algebra sequence of courses. Middle Integrated Math I will formalize and expand the mathematical concepts that students began in previous courses covering the following five main topics: Ratios and proportional relationships, the number system, expressions and equations, introduction to geometry, and statistics and probability. During the course of the year students will be expected to learn about and display the 8 key characteristics of a mathematician. These are: making sense of problems and persevere in solving them; reason abstractly and quantitatively; construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others; model with mathematics; use appropriate tools strategically; attend to precision; look for and make use of structure; and finally look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Classroom Textbooks: A variety of resources will be distributed and used during the course, textbooks will be available in a reference capacity only.

Grading Procedure: Grades are based on total points and will be assessed using growth based skills tests, performance based problem solving tests and daily work which includes participation.

Course: Middle School Integrated Math Accelerated

Prerequisite: Middle Integrated Math I OR Math 6 with teacher recommendation and parent approval

Content: Integrated Math courses emphasize the teaching of mathematics as problem solving, communication, and reasoning, and emphasize the connections among mathematical topics and between mathematics and other disciplines. The multi-year sequence of Integrated Math replaces the traditional Math 7 and Pre-Algebra sequence of courses, and will cover the topics from both Middle Integrated Math I and Integrated Math II in the same school year.

Middle Integrated Math Accelerated will formalize and expand the mathematical concepts that students began in previous courses covering the following four main topics: Rational Numbers and Exponents, Proportionality and linear relationships, Introduction to Sampling Inferences, and Creating Comparing and Analyzing Geometric Figures. During the course of the year students will be expected to learn about and display the 8 key characteristics of a mathematician. These are: making sense of problems and persevere in solving them; reason abstractly and quantitatively; construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others; model with mathematics; use appropriate tools strategically; attend to precision; look for and make use of structure; and finally look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Classroom Textbooks: A variety of resources will be distributed and used during the course, textbooks will be available in a reference capacity only.

Grading Procedure: Grades are based on total points and will be assessed using growth based skills tests, performance based problem solving tests and daily work which includes participation.

 

Course: Life Science 7

Content: Students will focus on unifying concepts of science, concepts of scientific inquiry, technology and personal and social perspectives. We will cover all the scientific kingdoms in depth, placing special emphasis on how the classification system is structured and organized. Students will be involved in various dissections throughout the second semester, providing further understandings to the internal and external structure and form of other organisms in relation to the human anatomy.

Text and Materials: textbook and supplementary materials

Title: Science Interactions

Author: Aldridge

Publisher: Glenco –McGraw-Hill

Grading Procedure: Students will be graded on daily work, laboratories, projects, chapter tests, and quizzes.

 

Course: Social Studies 7

Content: This full year course includes the study of geography in regards to the 5 themes of geography; location, place, movement, human-environment interaction, and regions. These themes are applied to the continents of North America, South America, Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Antarctica. Other social studies topics will also be explored.

Text and Materials: Classroom set of Geography books and supplemental maps and materials.

Title: People, Places, and Change

Publisher: Holt, Rinehart and

Course: Physical Education/Health

Content: Content: Students will develop skills to make responsible decisions in the social, mental and physical aspects of life and the concept of wellness using cooperative learning activities and decision making skills.

Grading Procedure: Students will be graded on participation and the ability to get along with others.

 

Course: Study Skills

Content: The Success 4 Students curriculum is laid out in a series of topical lessons each of which builds on what came before. Content includes organizing the daily planner, listening and paraphrasing, memory skills, note taking, prioritizing and decision making, increasing reading speed, how to study, critical and creative thinking skills, test-taking strategies, and communicating through writing. Depending on student need and teacher availability, keyboarding may be included in this class. At times there will also be time (with support) for daily homework.

Text and Materials:

Text: Success 4 Students

 

 

8TH GRADE

All eighth graders are required to take Language Arts (English, reading and spelling), earth science, world history, math, MS PE and two classes on the exploratory wheel (music and art will rotate each semester). Students falling below proficient in math, may be scheduled in a math lab instead of an elective. All classes are yearlong. State Standards can be viewed on the state website under Power Standards by grade and subject:

http://www.sde.idaho.gov/ContentStandards/default.asp

Course: English 8

Content: In alignment with the Common Core Standards and to become college and career ready, students will study literary and informative texts and participate in a variety of activities, projects, assignments, and exams that will further developing their analytical and critical thinking skills. Students will also further develop their understanding of writing as a vital component of communication and enhance those skills associated with the art of writing – ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions. Major literary works to be studied include: Night, The Diary of Anne Frank, Fahrenheit 451, Twelve Years a Slave, Zlata’s Diary, and selected works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Classroom Textbooks:

Title: The Language of Literature: Grade 8

Publisher: McDougal Littell, 2006

Title: Language Essentials: Grammar and Writing – Oak Level

Publisher: EMC Corporation, 2005

Grading Procedure: Each ELA course is structured around six modules. A student’s grade will be a reflection of their performance within each module in the following areas: weekly on-line journal discussion boards, major writing assignments, major educational technology projects, group activities and discussions, and an end of course student-designed assessment project.

Course: Middle School Integrated Math II

Prerequisite: Middle Integrated Math I

Content: Integrated Math courses emphasize the teaching of mathematics as problem solving, communication, and reasoning, and emphasize the connections among mathematical topics and between mathematics and other disciplines. The multi-year sequence of Integrated Math replaces the traditional Math 7 and Pre-Algebra sequence of courses.

Middle Integrated Math II will formalize and expand the mathematical concepts that students began in previous courses covering the following five main topics: Extending the number system, Expressions and equations, Functions, Geometry, and Statistics and probability. During the course of the year students will be expected to learn about and display the 8 key characteristics of a mathematician. These are: making sense of problems and persevere in solving them; reason abstractly and quantitatively; construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others; model with mathematics; use appropriate tools strategically; attend to precision; look for and make use of structure; and finally look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Classroom Textbooks: A variety of resources will be distributed and used during the course, textbooks will be available in a reference capacity only.

Grading Procedure: Grades are based on total points and will be assessed using growth based skills tests, perfomance based problem solving tests and daily work which includes participation. 

Course: Common Core Integrated Math I – High School Level Course for students advance in math

Prerequisite: Pre-Algebra or 8th grade level math course

Content: This course will formalize and expand the mathematical concepts that students began in Pre-Algebra covering the following six main topics: expressions, equations, and units; functions, including linear, exponential and quadratic; systems of equations and inequalities; data collection and analysis, including probability; translations, reflections and rotations involving both equations and shapes; and finally the Pythagorean Theorem and its applications. During the course of the year students will be expected to learn about and display the 8 key characteristics of a mathematician. These are: make sense of problems and persevere in solving them; reason abstractly and quantitatively; construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others; model with mathematics; use appropriate tools strategically; attend to precision; look for and make use of structure; and finally look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Classroom Textbooks: A variety of resources will be distributed and used during the course, textbooks will be available in a reference capacity only.

Grading Procedure: Grades are based on a weighted scale with tests, quizzes, and projects encompassing 80% of the grade, and homework encompassing 20% of the grade.

Course: World History 8

Content: This course is a chronological survey of World history from prehistoric time to the Renaissance. The first semester includes the study of ancient civilizations along the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, Indus, and Yellow Rivers, concluding with the study of Greece. The second semester covers Rome and the medieval period. Students use course material to compare and contrast historical conflicts, technological advances, geography, and key figures throughout history.

Text and Materials: Classroom set of Textbooks with supplemental worksheets

Title: World History: The Human Journey

Authors: Holt, Rinehart and Winston

Publisher: Harcourt Education Co.

Grading Procedure: Grading is on a Scale of A – F, determined by daily grades and chapter test scores.

Course: Earth Science 8

Content: Earth Science is a survey course examining the Earth and its place in the universe. Emphasis is placed on the formation of the Earth, its structure and the forces that continually change it. Identification of landforms and the use of topographic maps are also stressed.

Text and Materials:

Title: Earth Science (1994)

Authors: Nancy E. Spaulding and Samuel N. Namowitz

Publisher: Heath

Grading Procedure: Emphasis placed on lab work, projects, and tests.

Exploratory Wheel

Middle School students will experience a variety of visual and performance activities by rotating through future elective classes. Course offerings are subject to change, depending on available personnel and scheduling flexibility. Classes are semester long. All 8th graders will be scheduled into MS PE. For the second elective, students will take either a rotating class in art and music, or math lab (for those students who do not reach proficiency on their math ISAT/SBAC).

MS Physical Education
Arts and Crafts/ MS Music
MS STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
MS Shop
MS Guitar
Other MS Electives

***MS Electives change each year depending upon student needs and teacher availability*****

**** It is the policy of Basin SD 72 and board not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, disability or sex in its educational programs or employment practices.***