Dear Carmody Middle School 7th Grade Elective Computer Class Parents:

One more week and the second grading is completely over!!!! This coming week is the final project week for our database unit of instruction. Your child needs to bring 25 records to class on Monday that have 8 different fields. These materials can be in book form, such as a book on a particular subject. Or it can be information downloaded from the Internet such as ones favorite professional team. Or it could be telephone pool that has 25 friends with eight points of common information about them. Or it could a World Almanac. This information needs to be brought to class on Monday for 100 points. No makeups for pop quiz. Tuesday through Thursday, students will input the 25 records and their 8 fields along with 15 test questions and 15 test questions with answer questions. On Thursday, everybody will have to answer some else's database questions. Students will earn up to 600 points for their participation in these assignments. For more information about this three-day final project, go to: http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/database_project.pdf

This newsletter can also be only be read at: <http://www.kuzmich.com/parent_newsletters.html>.

  1. Current Grade for 2nd Grading Period is Now Posted on Dr. Data's Web Site at: http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/Grades.html! This is the next to the last week of the second grading period for second semester which closes on Friday, April 15th. Grades are now posted!!! Here are the individual class average grades which means half of the students have higher grades and half lower grades for each class. How does your child's grade compare? On-line progress reports are also available for your convenience which not only reports the status of every assignment/test for your child, but also the class ranking of your child for that class. Grades are available 24/7 at: <http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/Grades.html>. Ask your child for their special Dr. Data user ID and pin number or password. Then go to their appropriate class period and enter that data and you will know "The Rest of the Story."

    1st Period: 84.4% = B last week. 85.4%. This week = A
    3rd Period: 88.9% = A- last week, 89.1%. This week = A-
    5th Period: 89.6% = A- last week, 90.7%. This week = A
    6th Period: 87.9% = B+ last week, 91.1%. This week = A

    2. With unlimited makeup available to April 15th, let's start making up missing work before it becomes difficult to makeup huge amounts of assignments and tests. Don't wait till next Friday!!

    Important note: if you see your child losing points for class participation and yet they are not absent from school, they probably are losing the points via chewing gum in class on a regular basis! The first rule for my class is: respect for the equipment. Don't chew gum in school because it is also a school rule.

  2. The database curriculum began on Monday, March 13th. For an overview of it, please go to: http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/database_syllabus.html. Final database project will begin the week after spring break. Students will actually construction a database from scratch and end up with 25 records and eight fields for each record. And then construct 15 test questions based on the database in which members of the class will answer. For more insight about this exciting final project for our unit on database construction, go to: <http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/database_project.pdf>.

  3. What's coming next in Dr. Data's classes: go to: <http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/Curriculum_Preview.html> or view it below or view it below

    For more insight about this curriculum, please go to: http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/spreadsheet_syllabus.html and electronic spreadsheets will being the third week of April for about 1.5 weeks. Here is what follows next in the sequence of upcoming instruction.

    Internet Search Engines: 1 week
    PowerPoint Multimedia Slideshow Presentations: 2 to 4 days
    Newsletters and Web Pages, 3 to 5 days.
    Drawing and Painting: 1 week
    Computer Music: 4 days.
    Designing Computer Games with Animations & Sound Effects:
    Individual Unit Final Projects! (nine of them)
    Final Two Weeks Syllabus: Creativity With Graphics! Choose various projects with Microsoft Publisher, Band In-A-Box, Clarisworks, and Klik & Play.

  4. Behavior Modification Assignment for Disruptive Students: Dr. Data can handle disruptive students very easily during "Spring Fever" times!

    Parts I & II: (You volunteered for it!): <http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/modifications.html>.

    Part I: A disruptive student is defined as one who inhibits the classroom instruction. If after one reminder and a discussion with Dr. Data, your behavior in class today has not improved, you will complete a "Think Sheet." You will also be assigned to after school “Mop Squad” detention.

    Part II: If you continue to be disruptive, you will complete the following alternative class assignment consisting of three paragraphs all with topic sentences and correct spelling and grammar. You are to read the enclosed computer article. Then you will write three paragraphs with paper and pencil. If not done neatly, you will do it again. If necessary, you will be asked to go to classroom to do this assignment in which the teacher of that classroom will monitor your behavior.

    Paragraph one: you are to write ten sentences summarizing the contents of the article all within the first paragraph.

    Second paragraph: you will write three or more sentences about the three most important ideas that you learned from the article.

    Third paragraph: who would you recommend this article to? Teacher, Parent, Business person, student, etc.? Give two reasons why?

    You are expected to complete parts I and II and understand why class disturbances are not to be tolerated and hopefully the alternative class activity of computer technology reading and writing helps you understand more about computers. If you do not finish this assignment within the present class period, it will be done for homework. A parent signature is required for both parts I and II. Because your classroom behavior is not conducive for instruction, you need to focus your efforts on this alternative assignment. In addition to this assignment, you are still expected to complete the daily assignment that was given in class today.

  5. For the parents that did not attend the March 3, 2005 Parent-Student-Teacher Conference, you can do it another creative way. I wish that I could meet with every parent/student, but there's another innovative way to do it. To clarify how to best evaluate your child, I have come up with a unique self-assessment that you can use. To view this form, please go to: http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/parent_newsletters.html and go to the second section entitled: "Self-Assessment of Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences." After reading it click on the link entitled: http://www.kuzmich.com/web_conference.html and you can begin assess where progress can be made. Then after evaluating your child, please e-mail/fax your assessment and I'll attempt to clarify anything and everything that can make a difference. School fax number is 303-982-8931. To make things more convenient, I've even attached an HTML file for you to print out and use ASAP and send it back to you.

    Or you can even mail the web conference form to:

    Carmody Middle School
    c/o Dr. Data
    20500 S. Kipling Street
    Lakewood, CO 80227

    Or complete the CGI form on-line and submit and it will be e-mailed directly to me, automatically at: <http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/web_conference_form4.html>, To me, this is the most painless way to go about this matter.

Hope of this information is helpful.

Till next time,

Dr. Data
7th Grade Computer Class Teacher