September 3, 2004 Newsletter

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Dear Carmody Middle School 7th Grade Computer Class Parents and Their Children:

As promised, your grades were posted on-line by 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 2, 2004 at: <http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/Grades.html>. Be aware that sometimes Netscape or Microsoft Explorer might work better for your computer on this web site. Whichever web browser works best for your computer system is the one to use. If everything fails, please update your browser. And if that fails, please tell your child to do a progress report print out in class at school every Monday.

All students have been assigned a special 11-digit Dr. Data student I.D. number and a PIN number or password for the account. Note for both parents and students: you must have your student number and assigned PIN number in order to review your grades! In the user name, you must use a dash between the 3rd and 4th number and between the 7th and 8th number as well. Please use Netscape Navigator, version 4.5 or later, as your web browser for checking your grades. Whenever downloading the latest web browser, select full Java download version if you have a choice (especially Netscape). To my knowledge, Microsoft Explorer will also work as well with version 4.0 and later. Please advise if it doesn't work properly. Generally, the latest web browsers work better than earlier versions. The PIN number is the student's specifically given password by Dr. Data. For students that can't access the Internet and/or print at home, they can always view and print their progress at school and take them home to show you on Fridays. Parents: you can also access your child's grades at your work place if you have an Internet connection. Be aware that all students' special ID's and password (PIN numbers) are also written in their binders in case they forget them. Because of legal issues, I will only issue the special ID's and passwords directly to the students.

Very Important: 25 extra-credit points will be awarded once a week whenever a parent prints and signs the on-line progress report and the child returns it to my class the next week beginning on Mondays. Please be sure to print your child's full name on the returned progress report since the parent's name may not always match the student's name and I want to give your child the 25 extra-credit points in my grade book each week! For those parents needing help getting to my web site for grades, click on the following links below for your child's class period for a quicker access. Here are some links to make it easier to access your child's grades each week. Also suggest that you bookmark them in the web browser as well for further convenience.

Period 1: Fall Semester 2004

Period 3: Fall Semester 2004

Period 4: Fall Semester 2004

Period 5: Fall Semester 2004

Period 6: Fall Semester 2004

What's New!

1. Word processing instruction will be taking place for the next four weeks beginning on Tuesday, September 7th. For specific references to this curriculum and daily assignments, please go to: http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/claris_syllabus.html for the schedule and descriptions.

2. Note: every unit of instruction in Dr. Data's classes has a final project to validate content mastery. For our 3-week keyboarding unit of instruction, a video tape recording of every one of our students typing in home row was made yesterday with emphasis on little eye contact with the actual keyboarding experience . At parent teacher conference on October 12 and 13, 2004, you can view the video for proof of how well your child types. Hopefully by the end of the semester, your child can realistically double or triple their present speed along with improved accuracy. In next week's newsletter, you will learn the specific plans on how this can be done.

3. The four-week unit of word processing instruction will conclude with a two-page Korean Pen Pal letter that will be in CSAP standards and mailed to Seoul, Korea to Mr. Young-Hun SHIN, English Chairperson in Kwangju district in Seoul, Korea. Their Korean students have studied English since 1st grade and basically read and write as well as our Carmody students. Deadline for submitting the preliminary draft to me is Friday, October 1, 2004 and the final copy along with pictures and other memorabilia is Friday, October 8, 2004. For specific details about this final project, please go to: http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/penpal_908.html

4. If your child doesn't presently have an A or higher in the 7th Grade Elective Computer Class, please to http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/Success.html and review the 14 points posted on how this can be realistically accomplished. Beginning this week or the fourth week of the semester, daily classroom assignment kick in which can have drastic changes to ones academic standing if daily assignments are not completed and submitted to Dr. Data in an orderly manner But students can also easily complete daily assignments at home for the word processing unit if there is a computer or typewriter at home. For those students who don't have access to computers/typewriters at home, they can make arrangements to stay after school till 3:15 p.m. and use the PC lab on Mondays, Wednesdays (if there is no faculty meeting) and Fridays with advanced notice with Dr. Data. In addition on Tuesdays and Thursdays are available to 3 p.m. via the Carmody Middle Open Lab program in which school buses are provided at no charge to parents/students. So be aware that your child's grades the next two weeks will probably be a good indicator on how well your child is going to do in this class for the rest of this grading period. Please remember to sign your child's web-based progress report each week along with your child's name printed so 25 extra-credit points can be earned each week. For parents without Internet access, have your child print out a weekly progress report every Monday and returned that same week to Dr. Data.

Closing Comments

If you have any questions about your child's work or class procedures, please don't hesitate to contact Dr. Data at either his e-mail address at: jkuzmich@jeffco.k12.co.us or his voice mail system at: 303-982-8883. For pressing issues, the fastest way to contact Dr. Data is to call the Carmody main office phone at 303-982-8930 and the receptionist will post a "love note" in his mail box for his prompt attention.

Don't forget to visit Dr. Data's lesson plans on his weekly voice message system about the week's instruction. This could be particularly valuable whenever your child is absent from school or on a school field trip. Again, do so, please call 303-982-8883 24/7. The message is usually updated by Friday for the upcoming week's instruction.

Hope this installment of Dr. Data's 7th grade elective computer class newsletter is helpful in keeping you up-to-date with your child's activities. If you should ever not be pleased with your child's grades, there is unlimited makeup on all assignments and tests before the end of the present grading period of approximately October 1, 2004. In addition, there are floating A's that can cashed in plus unlimited extra-credit that can be earned at home or after school. Have your child see Dr. Data for more details. And if that wasn't enough, students will earn 2 extra-credit points for every page that they type for a teacher at Carmody and one point per every page for non-school typing.

Hope this information is helpful.

Till next time,

Mr. John Kuzmich, Jr.
(alias Dr. Data )