Newspaper Page Text
Page 12A
The Braselton News
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
School
WJMS BAND PERFORMS
The WJMS band and chorus performed a selection of patriotic songs at Thursday’s “Math & More”
event.
WJMS holds ‘math and more’ night
BY KRISTI REED
West Jackson Middle School
held a “Math & More” night
on October 18 to explain
recent changes in the Georgia
Performance Standards for
mathematics.
Rise Hawley, principal of
West Jackson Middle School,
said she hoped the event would
be helpful for parents.
“There are changes and we
want the parents to understand
how the changes affect their
child’s transition into high
school,” said Hawley.
Kathy Miller, math support
specialist at WJMS, said the
curriculum changes have been
implemented in phases state
wide. Though changes were
made to the Georgia middle
school math curriculum last
year, the high school changes
will not be implemented until
next year.
“Parents need to be aware that
the names of the math courses
in high school are changing,”
said Miller. “Students will be
taught integrated math courses
with algebra, geometry and sta
tistics each year.”
Miller said the changes in
curriculum are designed to
improve understanding of math
and the ability to use math in
real world situations.
Created with input from
state colleges and universi
ties, the new math curriculum
focuses on depth of student
understanding. The courses
will also provide teachers with
more guidance regarding what
the students should be able to
accomplish at each phase of
instruction.
Parents and students attend
ing the event also enjoyed per
formances by the WJMS band
and chorus.
NEW INFO SYSTEM
Parents attending the “Math
& More” event also learned
more about Jackson County’s
new student information sys
tem, Infinite Campus. Infinite
Campus’ parent portal provides
access to student grades and
attendance records.
Jason Grizzle, technology
integration coordinator for West
Jackson Middle School, said the
parent portal also allows par
ents to reprint progress reports
and see lesson details. Grizzle
said soon parents will be able
to email teachers and access
teacher web pages through the
parent portal.
Access codes for the par
ent portal were sent home the
week of September 4th. Forms
to request replacements for
lost access codes are available
at the school’s front office.
WJMS parents who are having
difficulty logging in or access
ing information should contact
jgrizzle@jackson.kl2.ga.us.
STUDENT ART EXHIBIT
Students at West Jackson Primary School currently have art work on display at the Jackson County
School Board office. Exhibits will be on display through December. The exhibit theme is “Under the
Sea.” Students drew an under the sea composition and then added a patterned border. “Student
comments and observations about their artwork are displayed with the painting which really add
meaning to the artwork,” said Tamara Thomason, art educator. The following first grade students are
participating in the exhibit: Mattie Davis, Jackson Harvin, Autumn Her, Jose Lemus, Peyton Mitchell,
Ashley Moore, McKenna Sheffield (not pictured) and Reagan Solis.
Gwinnett seeking input for curriculum review
Gwinnett County Public
Schools is seeking communi
ty participation in the annu
al review of the Academic
Knowledge and Skills (AKS)
curriculum now through Nov.
9.
The annual review ensures that
the school system’s curriculum
covers state requirements, as
well as community and educator
expectations for learning.
Community members can
make suggestions on the AKS
curriculum by filling out the
AKS review form, available on
the school system’s web site at
www.gwinnett.kl2.ga.us.
The form may be submitted by
Friday, Nov. 9, to the school’s
system’s curriculum develop
ment office at: Instructional
Support Center, 437 Old
Peachtree Road, NW, Suwanee,
GA 30024-2978. Forms may also
be e-mailed to AKS_Review@
gwinnett.kl2.ga.us.
JCCHS class of ‘92 plans reunion for Nov. 3
The Jackson County
Comprehensive High School
class of 1992 well celebrate
its 15 years since graduation
with a reunion from 7 to 11
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at the
Commerce Civic Center.
Tickets are $30 at the door and
$25 in advance.
There will be food, music and
fun, coordinators say. All gradu
ates and faculty are welcome.
For additional information,
contact Jennifer Gravenor White
at j grav 10127 @ aol.com.
WJPS fall festival set for Friday, October 26
West Jackson Primary School
will hold its fall festival on Friday,
Oct. 26, from 6-9 p.m.
The event will feature fun for the
whole family. The WJPS PTO is
seeking volunteers. Donations of
prizes, canned drinks, candy and
bottled water for the event are also
requested.
Local school schedules for the 2007-2008 school year
Businesses sought for middle,
high school career fair in Nov.
The following is a list of
school schedules for the 2007-
2008 school year for the Barrow,
Hall, Gwinnett and Jackson
county school systems - which
serve the Braselton-Hoschton
area.
BARROW COUNTY
•Thursday, October 25: end
of first grading period/early
release day
•Friday, Monday and Tuesday,
October 26, 29 and 30: fall
holiday.
•Wednesday, October 31:
teacher planning/in-service day
•Thursday, November 1:
beginning of the second grading
period
•Wednesday, November 21
through Friday, November 23:
Thanksgiving Holidays
•Friday December 21, through
Tuesday, January 1: Christmas
Holidays
•Friday, January 18: end of
second grading period
•Monday, January 21: MLK
Holiday
•Tuesday, January 22: teacher
planning day/in-service day
•Wednesday, January 23:
begin third grading period and
second semester
•Friday, February 15: teacher
planning day/in-service day
•Monday, February 18:
President’s Day Holiday
•Friday, March 28: end of
third grading period and second
semester
•Monday, March 31: Spring
Holiday
•Tuesday, April 1, through
Friday, April 4: Spring Holiday
•Monday, April 7: begin fourth
grading period
•Monday, May 26: Memorial
Day Holiday
•Thursday, June 5: Apalachee
High School graduation
•Friday, June 6: Winder-
Barrow High School graduation
•Friday, June 6: last day of
school
•Monday, June 9, through
Wednesday, June 11: teacher
planning/in-service
HALL COUNTY
•Tuesday, November 20: early
release day
•Wednesday, November 21,
through Friday, November 23:
Thanksgiving Holidays
•Friday, December 21: teacher
planning/student holiday
•Monday, December 24,
through Monday, December 31:
Winter Holidays
•Tuesday, January 1, through
Friday, January 4: Winter
Holidays
•Monday, January 7: teacher
planning/student holiday
•Friday, January 18: early
release day
•Monday, January 21: holiday
(students and staff)
•Monday, February 4: teacher
planning/student holiday
•Friday, February 15: early
release day
•Monday, February 18: holi
day (students and staff)
•Monday, March 24: holiday
(students and staff)
•Friday, April 4: early release
day
•Monday, April 7, through
Friday, April 11: holiday (stu
dents and staff)
•Monday, May 26: holiday
(students and staff)
•Tuesday, May 27 and
Wednesday, May 28: teacher
planning/student holiday
GWINNETT COUNTY
•Wednesday, November 14
and Thursday, November 15:
early release for elementary and
middle schools
•Wednesday, November 21,
through Friday, November 23:
Thanksgiving Break
•Tuesday, December 18 and
Wednesday, December 19: early
release for high school exams
•Thursday, December 20: early
release for high school exams/
end of second nine weeks/end
of first semester
•Friday, December 21, through
Tuesday, January 1: Winter
Break
•Wednesday, January 2: teach
er planning/professional learn
ing day (student holiday)
•Thursday, January 3: begin
ning of second semester/begin
third nine weeks
•Monday, January 21: MLK
Jr. Day (system wide holiday)
•Wednesday, February 13 and
Thursday, February 14: early
release for elementary and mid
dle schools
•Monday, February 18: stu
dent and teacher holiday or
snow make-up day
•Monday March 10: teacher
planning/professional learning
day/snow make-up day (student
holiday)
•Friday, March 21: student
and teacher holiday
•Monday, April 7, through
Friday, April 11: Spring Break
•Monday, May 19 and Tuesday,
May 20: early release for high
school exams
•Wednesday, May 21: early
release for high school exams/
last day of school
•Thursday, May 22: post-plan
ning/professional learning day/
snow make-up day
•Friday, May 23: post-plan
ning/professional learning day
•Monday, May 26: Memorial
Day (system wide holiday)
JACKSON COUNTY
•Wednesday, November 21,
through Friday, November 23:
Thanksgiving Holidays
•Thursday, December 20,
through Wednesday, January
2: Christmas and New Years
Holidays
•Thursday, January 3 and
Friday, January 4: teacher work
days
•Monday, January 21: student
and teacher holiday
•Wednesday, February 20,
through Friday, February 22:
student and teacher holiday
•Monday, March 14: teacher
workday
•Monday, April 7, through
Friday, April 11: student and
teacher holidays
•Monday, May 26: student and
teacher holiday
•Tuesday, May 27, through
Thursday, May 29: teacher
workdays
Businesses are being sought to
participate in an upcoming career
fair for eighth and 10th graders
in Jackson County’s middle and
high schools and Jefferson Middle
School.
The event will be held from 7:30
a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at
Educators may submit
announcements and photos
for school-related activities to
MainStreet Newspapers.
Each photo should be clear and
in focus, and include a description
of the events happening in the
photo. Photos of poor quality may
not be published. Educators are
asked to submit no more than two
quality photos for each event.
Photos should not be attached
to a Microsoft Word document,
but attached within an e-mail.
When using a digital camera,
please ensure the camera is set at a
medium quality setting to produce
the best quality photos. Photos
taken at a low resolution may not
publish well.
the Jefferson Civic Center.
Those who are interested in
receiving an application may
contact Deb Hanzel, Jackson
County Comprehensive High
School counselor, at (706) 367-
5003 ext. 255 or
dhanzel@jackson.kl2.ga.us.
The first and last names of those
shown in the photo, including
adults, must be submitted. Please
ensure that all names are spelled
correctly.
Educators may also submit
announcements, such as special
events and learning activities.
Honorrolls andperfectattendance
lists may also be submitted
according to the format preferred
by MainStreet Newspapers.
School news will be published
according to available space.
For more information, or to
submit school news, call Amy
McKown at 706-387-5400 e-mail
her at amy@mainstreetnews.com.
Fax announcements to 706-387-
5409.
Submit your school or social news from
Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Mill Creek,
South Hall or West Jackson by e-mailing news@
mainstreetnews.com, faxing items to 706-387-
5421 or calling 706-367-5986. Feature story
ideas are also welcomed.
Schools may submit news, photos