Summer 2010

Dear Parents and Students:

Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year! Your Carmichael Middle School team is ready to begin an awesome year. We’re looking forward to meeting our newest Cougars and welcoming back our returning 7th and 8th grade Cougs. From after-school activities such as Destination Imagination, Math Club, Craft Club, to working with Mr. Rader on the Carmichael yearbook or Mrs. Loftus with the SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Club—there are many great opportunities for becoming involved at CMS. Our sports program includes football, volleyball, and cross country in the fall (these sports are interscholastic and available to 7th and 8th grade students). Consider setting a goal for the 2010-2011 school year to participate in an activity or sport.

Active parent-teacher-school relationships translate into higher achievement for children. During the middle school years adolescent children still need and benefit from close relationships with the authentic heroes—their parents. Please join with us in helping our Carmichael Cougars meet challenging standards, find and explore their unique place in the world, and to have wonderful experiences they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.

There are many ways parents can make a difference. First, consider joining and participating in the Carmichael PTA. Second, volunteer! It need not be in your child’s room and it doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment. We are actively seeking volunteers in our parent patrol at lunch time and with our reading program with Mrs. Noble. Contact Mrs. Johnson or Mrs. Flynn if you are interested in chaperoning a dance or all-school social—it’s actually pretty fun! Carmichael “kids” are good citizens and a little strategic supervision goes a long way to keep our campus safe and secure.

Our music and exploratory programs at Carmichael are very strong. From beginning orchestra, beginning and advanced band, to wonderful choirs at each grade level, our students have a lot of great choices in music education. In addition to a strong music program, we offer a colorful palette of courses in the arts that contribute to a well-rounded education. Broadcasting, technology, debate, drama and home & family classes offer real-world opportunities that Carmichael Cougars are sure to enjoy.

Not all students learn and achieve at the same rate. This is why we’ve developed several programs to assist students in reaching high standards. From in-school additional assistance to after-school programs, we are here to help. Students who need additional assistance may benefit from our Study Island program. We offer Reading recovery classes in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade to assist struggling readers in meeting grade-level expectations. Reading is one of those subject areas that affects—negatively or positively—all other subjects. In other words, better reading skills translates into better skills in other core curriculum (not to mention the intrinsic pride that comes with success!)

In an effort to assist more students in meeting grade-level expectations in mathematics, we are now offering Math + classes at each grade level. In addition to enrolling in a regular math class, some students will be placed in a Math + class where they can receive additional support. This class will focus on meeting the needs of the individual students and supporting the students with their work from their other math class.

Our kids continue to show improvement in reaching the high standards of the Richland School District and the State of Washington. The most recent MSP standards and our students’ results will be shared this fall (we anticipate the State sending the results to the school in September 2010). We’re making great progress as we continue working toward our goal of success for all students at Carmichael.

In maintaining our school as a top-flight academic institution, we are very strict about classroom and school behavior standards. During the last school year the overwhelming majority of our students were never referred to the office! Clearly our students take their responsibility of good behavior seriously (Thank you, parents!), as we believe time out of a classroom is a serious event. We do not, and cannot, tolerate students disrupting the education of others—it’s simply a fairness issue. We have a lot of work to do and no time to waste. To that end, we have a school-wide discipline program that uses logical and progressive consequences to help students make better choices.

On behalf of our classroom teachers, educational assistants, counselors, administrative team, building maintenance team, and our allied professionals—welcome to the 2010-2011 school year!

Sincerely,

Mr. Praino

Principal

Mrs. Klauss

Assistant Principal

Mr. Stadelman

Assistant Principal