Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences will be held on October 2nd from 5-8. Please plan on attending to see how your child is progressing in his/her classes.
Flag Football
Students who are caught up in all their classes and have good attendance have been participating in flag football during 7th hour a couple days out of the week.
Car Wash
Students and staff held a car wash fundraiser on September 6th. A great time was had by all and a few dollars were made for the student activities fund. See a list of fundraising opportunities at the bottom of the page that you can help with raising money for our school.
School Starts September 2
First day of school for students will be September 2nd. Classes start at 7:55 and dismiss at 2:48 this year. Students will meet their teachers, new classmates, receive schedules, go through orientation and have some teambuilding activities on the first day.
All students should bring in enrollment packets if not done so already.
Parent/Guardian open house-orientation is scheduled for Monday, September 8th. Two time slots are available to sign up, 5:00-5:45 or 5:45-6:30. Important information about your child's school and classes will be covered at this time. Please call the office if you have not scheduled a time, 782-9716.
10 Tips for a Successful School Year
1. Establish a positive relationship with your child’s teachers before concerns arise. Email may be the easiest way for you to communicate with your child’s teachers; it eliminates the endless cycle of telephone tag.
2. Assemble required supplies as soon as possible. Learning begins the first day of school and a prepared child will be more successful. Paper, pencils, a calculator and folders or an organizer are important supplies that every student should have at school. If there are extenuating circumstances, please notify the teacher or the school office.
3. Stay up to date with what is going on in school-wide activities. Read the monthly newsletters and visit the school website at www.volinia.org.
4. Good attendance is really important. Students should attend school every day. Occasionally, a student must be absent. Please call the school before 9AM to confirm your child’s absence.
5. Be on time. Instruction starts when the bell rings. Important information is often given right at the beginning of class.
6. An involved parent matters. Decades of research shows that when parents are involved, students have higher grades, tests scores and graduation rates. Students also have better attendance, increased motivation, lower suspension rates, and decreased use of drugs and alcohol (National Parent Teacher Association)
7. Homework is for your child to complete. If you are helping your child complete their work on a regular basis, you are really not helping. Illustrating how to complete a math problem is appropriate, but completing the work for them is not. Students need to complete homework in order to prepare for the next day’s activities and to prepare for State assessments. Students who need additional help are encouraged to stay after school on Tuesdays for Math/Homework Academy.
8. Grow a responsible child. Let your child see that positive consequences result form making good choices and negative consequences result form poor choices. Of course, young children need more guidance and prompting. As your child grows, provide the opportunity for her to help make her own choices and accept responsibility.
9. Expect your child to do their personal best, but don't; expect perfection. While grades reflect your child’s success, they do not always tell the whole story. Some courses are naturally more challenging, and earning a “B” may be a huge accomplishment. Monitor your child’s progress (grades,& attendance) by using the on-line parent program. Teacher Don Price will demonstrate how to use the program at the September 10th Open House.
10. Let your Child see that you value education. Attend Open House and conference, promptly sign and return school notes and paperwork and create a friendly learning environment at home. Read and learn together. —Adapted from Tallahassee Woman Magazine
Citizenship and Participation
All students at Volinia are expected to follow the same 5 major guidelines the detail good citizenship & participation. Those guidelines include the following:
· Is Prompt & Prepared
· Is Respectful to Authority
· Is on Task and producing Quality Work
· Respects the learning environment & peers
· Displays Appropriate Social Skills
In the event that a student does not follow the listed guidelines, he or she must complete a reflection form that identifies what guideline was violated, the purpose behind the violation, and must have a suggestion about how to avoid the situation in the future.
In addition, all students are given citizenship marks that are based on those 5 guidelines. Those marks are indicated on the report cards that are mailed home. If your student received a mark that is less than “adequate,” please contact the teacher to discuss the issues.
Volinia teachers encourage parental involvement in education and welcome suggestions and assistance. Parents can help by supporting school citizenship guidelines and by communicating positive messages about school and the value of education. Please remind your student that these guidelines will also help prepare them for the work world. Please contact the school for a free booklet explaining how to help your child explore their career interests and plan for their futures.
The link in the left hand column is always on this website for reference.
Attendance Counts
Attending school on a daily basis is an essential component of a successful education. There is a direct connection between good attendance and grades. As a general rule, students who attend school daily earn higher grades, have fewer discipline issues and are less likely to drop out of school.
Parents should be sure that their child reports to school everyday. It is understood that an occasional absence may be necessary for illness, funerals or family emergencies. In the event that a student must be absent, parents should contact the school office at 782-9716 before 9AM to report the absence. Parents may also choose to send a note explaining the absence.
Michigan Merit Curriculum
The Michigan Merit curriculum outlines the credits required to graduate from a Michigan high school. These requirements apply to all students, starting with this year’s freshman class. These requirements should be well-known to all students and parents. A review of the requirements, as mandated by the state of Michigan is provided below:
Math: 4 credits
Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra II , one additional math course in the final year of high school
English Language Arts: 4 credits
English 9, English 10, English 11, English 12
Science: 3 credits
Biology, Physics OR Chemistry, one additional science credit
Social Studies: 3 credits
World
History & Geography, US History & Geography, 1/2 credit Civics (government), 1/2
credit economics
Physical Education & Health: 1 credit
Visual, Performing and Applied Arts—1 credit
Online Learning Experience:
Course, or Integrated Learning Experience
Language Other than English: 2 credits
Parents of freshman should pay close attention to the credits that their student is earning. If your child failed a required class for 1st semester, consider contacting teachers, checking on-line for grades, and requiring your child to stay after school for Homework Academy. With the new requirements, there is not a lot of room for class failures. In order to graduate with their class, students must consistently work hard and pass courses. Please contact principal Nanette Pauley at 782-9716 if you have any questions or concerns.