Academic credits begin to accumulate in 7th grade. Idaho law states, “A school district shall require students to attain a minimum of 80 percent of credits in order to move on to the next grade. Students will not be allowed to lose a full year of credit in one academic area. Attendance is a required factor in the credit system.” Poor attendance could result in a student being retained.  Students who do not pass 80 percent of their credits will be retained in the grade in which they failed or will have to take summer school to recover credits. We encourage students to attend school regularly and obtain help or assistance when needed.

Each student has reading homework each night. Students should read a minimum of 30 min. a night. Other homework is dependent on the class, teacher and the amount of work each student completes during the class period. Students are instructed to use their planners to record their classroom and homework assignments.

Students

1. Stay organized! Use your school-provided planner to keep track of assignments, projects and upcoming tests.
    
2. Ask for help. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or confused, talk to a teacher, counselor or your parents. The adults in your life can help you with big and small issues.
    
3. Make good use of class time. Homework should be minimal if you make good use of your time in class.
    
4. Don’t procrastinate or fall behind. If you start to get behind on your assignments, let your teacher, counselor or parent know so they can help you figure out the best way to catch up and be more successful.
    
5. Have fun! Middle school is a wonderful time to make new friends, try new things, join new clubs and develop a life beyond elementary school.

Parents

1. Make PowerSchool your friend. PowerSchool gives you access to your child’s grades, attendance, assignments and more. It is an easy and convenient way to track your child’s current performance. If you do not have a PowerSchool username and password, go to the PowerSchool Login and create an account. To set up an account, you will need your child’s student ID, which is the number they use to check out books in the library, give to the lunch cashier and more. Then follow these instructions to create your account.
2. A heavy homework load is NOT common for 7th and 8th graders. Teachers will occasionally assign homework, but if students make effective use of their classroom time, they shouldn’t have much to work on at home. However, students are encouraged to read for 20-30 minutes every night.
    
3. Contact teachers, counselors and administrators with concerns. One of the goals in middle school is to help students develop the skills they need to advocate for themselves, but sometimes it’s necessary for parents to intervene. It’s easy to communicate with teachers, counselors or administrators via email. Parents could also call to set up a personal meeting with teachers or administrators.