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

1. Current Grade for only the third grading period will be posted on are now posted as of May 12th on Dr. Data's Web Site at: <http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/Grades.html>. Let's get those third grading period grades upward bound and overcome "spring fever."
   
   Here are the mean grades for only the third grading period which represents now for four weeks of classes.
   • 1st Period: 84.4% = 78.8% or a B- = 1st week, second week = 73.6% and third week is 72.9%. Fourth week is 65.1%
   • 3rd Period: 88.9% = 78.7% or a B- = 1st week, second week = 81.9% and third week is 78.0%. Fourth week is 77.3%
   • 5th Period: 89.6% = 83.9% or a B = 1st week, second week = 63.4% and third week is 65.4%. Fourth week is 67.9%
   • 6th Period: 87.9% = 79.6% or a B- = lst week, second week = 80.4% and third week is 83.7%. Fourth week is 85.1%

I'm more concerned about a better start with the third grading period now so that is why 3rd period grades are being posted this week. Yes, there is a lot of gum chewing these days and the grades reflect a "spring fever" attitude of the first order.

2. Five Floating A's can be earned any and all students who can learn Multimedia Fusion, a multimedia authoring application, by being able to demonstrate how this creative software application works and then teach others in class during the remainder of this semester! Note: Carmody Middle School has been awarded a free site license for the PC lab to upgrade our Klik & Play multimedia authoring application with Multimedia Fusion. The only catch is that we have to learn it. The application has a retail value of $99 per workstation so it is $3,000+ grant plus we get a free update to version 2.0 when it becomes avaiable.. The problem is that all of the students love Klik & Play so much, that Dr. Data has had difficulty getting students to learn Multimedia Fusion which is now loaded on most of the computers in the PC Lab.. This application can be downloaded for free for 30 days. Just go to: http://www.clickteam.com/English/ourdownloads.php and learn more about Multimedia Fusion at: http://www.clickteam.com/English/multimedia_fusion.htm

Multimedia Fusion is the most flexible, powerful, and full-featured authoring tool available today. Best of all, you can get superior and impressive results with no programming skills or knowledge required. Discover the secret tool used by so many multimedia pros, game creators, and people from all walks of life. Multimedia Fusion provides you with everything you need to start creating software of your own imagination and design. From multimedia applications and presentations, to exciting games and stunning screensavers, you can be creating, sharing, and even publishing your work in no time.
3. 25 Extra-Credit Special for all parents who participate as follows. Dr. Data is interested in having his student's parents rate him in terms of what their observations are with reference to his teaching. Here is the information you have been waiting for about parents rating Dr. Data as a teacher based on your observations. This web site is entitled: "Rate Your Teachers" that allows parents and students to rate their teachers anonymously.

The process is quite simple,

• Simply go to: http://us.ratemyteachers.com/SelectTeacher.php?sid=41785&type=1
• Go to the "Add A Teacher" link and you will easily find Dr. Data's name listed in the center of the web page as a Carmody staff member.
• Click on his name which then takes you to a another page.
• Click on "Rate This Teacher" and the rating process begins.

Please do not just rate Dr. Data with numeric ratings, but please provide some specific comments as well. Dr. Data feels it is important for parents to be apart of the learning environment, especially since you know your child best and have observed the class in many ways since January. While anonymous surveys may have questionable values, Dr. Data is always willing to read and study your comments from parents and hopefully, he will learn some informative things about what may or may not be working with your child in his class. It is never too late to improve!!

Dr. Data is far from perfect as is evident by the parents comments below that have been copied from <http://us.ratemyteachers.com/ShowRatings.php?tid=836687&type=1>. And he will continue to improve because of your constructive comments. And the good news is that Dr. Data continues to get better every year he teaches. Hopefully, you believe that statement! All of your comments are welcomed: the "Good and the Bad."

Rate My Teachers On-Line Parent Comments for Dr. Data

• 4/22/05 Ratings: 5 5 5. THANK YOU DR. DATA FOR ALL THE INFORMATION, IT HAS BEEN GREAT GETTING UPDATES EVERY WEEK! YOU HAVE GONE WAY OUT OF YOUR WAY!
• 4/18/05 Ratings: 5 4 5. You can always count on Dr.Data to keep everyone up-to-date and informed. Whether classroom assignments, posted grades, or emailed newsletters - he is a rare asset as a teacher!
• 4/18/05 Ratings: 5 5 5. He is a great.
• 4/18/05 Ratings: 3 5 4. Could explain things a tad better, but overall we are very satisfied with Mr. Kuzmich.
• 4/18/05 Ratings: 5 3 2. I love the newsletters and being informed. However, at the last parent-teacher conference I was really disappointed that he didn't even know my sons name. (Dr. Data apologies for this embarrassing moment but he sometimes gets confused when seeing students outside of their regular class period and if seated in different seats)
• 4/15/05 Ratings: 5 5 5. (wish this parent would have written something besides a perfect 5 rating)
4. What's coming next in Dr. Data's classes: PowerPoint Slide shows this coming week. For more insight, go to: http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/Final_Two_Weeks_Syllabus.html which offers a lot of flexibility incentives to finish out the semester in grand style with various projects with Microsoft Publisher, Band In-A-Box, Clarisworks, and Klik & Play..

The last two full weeks of instruction will involve any combination of doing creative, graphical projects: newsletters, web pages, computer music creation, painting & drawing, and/or computer game design. The purpose of this instruction is to develop artistic skills on the computer for designing music, painting and drawing and computer games with animation and special sound effects. Each day an assignment from the ones below when completed earn 100 points per day for a minimum of 800 points for the entire eight days! Final Projects are worth 300 points. Match your interests with these assignments and earn as many points as possible as needed to earn the next grade higher!.

This week we are finishing up a unit on Microsoft's PowerPoint at: <http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/powerpoint_syllabus.html>. You must, must, must view the student PowerPoint, Klik & Play and web site projects from last semester's classes at: <http://www.kuzmich.com/carmody/power_point_projects.html>. Student projects will again be posted this semester though not in as much quantity because of increased web space expenses for Dr. Data's school web site.

5. Double grades in Dr. Data's classes! Different 7th grade teams are having PowerPoint Projects in their classes. Dr. Data will let your child work on them during his class periods in lieu of his own PowerPOint assignments between now and the end of the semester. Thus, your child can earn a separate grade for the PowerPoint project with their team as well as with Dr. Data's class! Not a bad deal.

Hope of this information is helpful.

Till next time,

Dr. Data
7th Grade Computer Class Teacher