Grade-level curriculum overviews can be found here.

Each student will have a schedule that includes 4 core academic classes (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) a “seminar block” designed to offer intervention for students in need of remediation and/or enrichment, and two Unified Arts classes that are specific to the grade level.  

The Unified Arts Offerings in Grade 5:

• Art (45 days)
• General Music (45 days) 
• Intro to Culture (45 days)
• Health (45 days) 
• Physical Education (90 days) 
• STEM (90 days) 

The Unified Arts Offerings in Grade 6:

• STEM (45 days)
• Art (45 days)
• Library (45 days) 
• General Music (45 days) 
• PE (90 days)
• World Language (90 days)
  • Latin (45 days)
  • Mandarin (45 days) 

The Unified Arts Offerings in Grade 7:

• Physical Education (45 days) 
• Health (45 days) 
• Latin (45 days)
• Mandarin (45 days) 
• General Music (45 days) 
• Visual Arts (45 days) 
• Library (45 days)
• STEM (45 days)  

Aspen is a web-based application that allows parents access to the Monomoy Regional School District student information system. In a secure manner, it allows parents/guardians read-only access to their child’s attendance, schedule, discipline record, and grades. Once a parent/guardian has registered, this information is accessible at any time from any computer/device that is connected to the Internet. The Aspen system is designed to provide an additional option for the sharing of information between parents, teachers, students, and administrators. It is NOT meant to replace or serve as a substitute for telephone conversations, parent/teacher meetings, or any other direct interaction with the school system.

Progress reports and report cards will be issued electronically via the Aspen system, with paper copies of report cards and progress reports only being issued upon request. Requests should be made directly to the main office. An email reminder message will be sent prior to delivering the e-report card and e-progress report. Additional information about navigation of the Aspen system can be found here.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Massachusetts Student Records Regulations (“Regulations”) together provide parents and eligible students (those who have reached the age of 14 or who have entered ninth grade) certain rights with respect to the student's education records. Parents and students may obtain a complete copy of their rights under the Massachusetts Student Records Regulations by contacting the Principal.

Definitions

The student record shall consist of the transcript and the temporary record, including all information recording and computer tapes, microfilm, microfiche, or any other materials regardless of physical form or characteristics concerning a student that is organized on the basis of the student's name or in a way that such student may be individually identified, and that is kept by the public schools of the Commonwealth. The term as used in 603 CMR 23.00 shall mean all such information and materials regardless of where they are located, except for the information and materials specifically exempted by 603 CMR 23.04.

The temporary record shall consist of all the information in the student record which is not contained in the transcript. This information clearly shall be of importance to the educational process. Such information may include standardized test results, class rank (when applicable), extracurricular activities, and evaluations by teachers, counselors, and other school staff.

The transcript shall contain administrative records that constitute the minimum data necessary to reflect the student's educational progress and to operate the educational system. These data shall be limited to the name, address, and phone number of the student; his/ her birth date; name, address, and phone number of the parent or guardian; course titles, grades (or the equivalent when grades are not applicable), course credit, grade level completed, and the year completed.

The right to access a student's education records. Parents or eligible students should submit their request for access to the Principal. Access is generally provided within ten days of a request.  However, Massachusetts General Laws c. 71, §34H (“Section 34H”) provides specific procedures that must be followed prior to release of records to a parent who does not have physical custody of a child.  These procedures include submitting a written request and other documentation to the principal on an annual basis.  Information about these procedures can be obtained from the Principal.

 

The right to request amendment of the student record. Parents or eligible students should direct their request to the principal, clearly identifying the part of the record they wish to have amended, and why.

 

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student record, except to the extent that FERPA and the Massachusetts regulations authorize disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests in the records. Such school officials include professional, administrative and clerical staff who are employed by or under agreement with the Monomoy Regional School District and who need access to a record in order to fulfill their duties. The Monomoy Regional School District also discloses student records without parent/eligible student consent to officials of other elementary or secondary schools in which a student enrolls, or seeks, intends, or is instructed to enroll upon receipt of a request from such school officials.

 

In addition, the Monomoy Regional School District has a practice of releasing directory information without consent, including to military recruiters in accordance with the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Directory information consists of the following: the student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, weight and height of athletic teams, class, participation in recognized activities and sports, honors and awards, and post-high school plans. In the event a parent or eligible student objects to the release of any of the above information, the parent/eligible student may state that objection in writing to the Principal. Absent receipt of a written objection by October 1, 2018, the directory information will be released without further notice or consent.

 

The right to file a complaint concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the regulations and laws governing student records: Complaints may be filed at the Massachusetts Department of Education, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA  02148.  In addition, complaints relative to federal statutes and regulations governing student records may be filed with the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington DC.

Non-custodial Parent Access to Student Records

The Student Record Regulations concerning access to records by non-custodial parents (a parent who does not have physical custody of a student) can be found at 603 CMR 23.07(5).  A non-custodial parent may have access to the student record unless the school has been given documentation that:

1. The parent has been denied legal custody or has been ordered to supervised visitation, based on a threat to the safety of the student and the threat is specifically noted in the order pertaining to custody or supervised visitation, or
2. the parent has been denied visitation, or
3. the parent's access to the student has been restricted by a temporary or permanent protective order, unless the protective order (or any subsequent order modifying the protective order) specifically allows access to the information contained in the student record, or
4. there is an order of a probate and family court judge which prohibits the distribution of student records to the parent. A time period of 21 days may be implemented before records are released.

 

Maintenance and Destruction of School Records

The student’s transcript shall be maintained by the school department and may only be destroyed 60 years following his/her graduation, transfer, or withdrawal from the school system. The student’s temporary record shall be destroyed no later than seven years after the student transfers, graduates, or withdraws from the school system. If a parent wishes to collect the temporary record or any part thereof, he/she must do so within the timeframe.

Our goal is to achieve a balance between homework time and leisure time activities. Teachers at the middle school level may consider individual differences when determining homework assignments. Teachers are encouraged to post their assignments on google classroom. 

When a student is absent due to a family vacation taken outside of scheduled school holidays, teachers are not obligated to provide assignments in advance but may do so at their discretion. School days missed due to family vacations are counted as unexcused absences and are strongly discouraged. Students are obligated to make up any missed assignments.

Grade and Breakdown:

A+ 100-98

A 97-93

A- 92-90

B+ 89-88

B 87-83

B- 82-80

C+ 79-78 

C 77-73

C- 72-70

D+ 69-68

D 67-63

D- 62-60

F 59 and below

Guidelines for Incompletes

An extension may be given for illness only and will be recorded as a grade of “I” (Incomplete). Missing work must be made up according to an approved timeline. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements to make up the work. All grades of “I” must receive pre-approval from the Administration. Once a grade is submitted, it will be counted toward eligibility for the marking period.

Report Card and Progress Report Schedule

Report cards and progress reports will be issued electronically each quarter.

Quarterly Honor Roll 

Students will be recognized quarterly for making honors and high honors based on their grades from the quarter, including core classes and unified arts classes. Honor roll is awarded to students who have received all As and Bs in their classes, where high honors is awarded to students who have received all As for the quarter.

Evening of Excellence

At the close of each school year, Monomoy Middle School hosts the Evening of Excellence. This is an opportunity for the staff to recognize and celebrate both the growth and achievement of the student body. Students are nominated by staff for awards in areas that span the curriculum, including core content classes and unified arts classes. 

Honor’s Society

Students are invited to participate in the Monomoy Honor’s Society in the second semester of their sixth grade school year. Students are invited based on their cumulative grade point average from 5th and 6th grade. Students in the top 15% of their class who consistently exhibit the principles of “Shark citizenry” (Service, Hard Work, Accountability, Respect, and Kindness) are eligible.

Modified grades are available for all students across the district that may have special circumstances that require their grades to be modified. Modified grades are offered based on the unique needs of the student and will be signified on the report card with an asterisk.

Chapter 71, Section 32A. Parents/guardians may exempt their children from any portion of a course curriculum dealing with human sexual education or issues by written notification to the Principal. Parents/guardians have a right to inspect and review program instruction materials. 

MAP

The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is a computerized testing system offered at grades 5, 6 and 7 at Monomoy Middle School. The tests will be offered in Mathematics and Reading. Students will be assessed at the beginning of the school year, in January, and at the end of the school year. The tests are web-based and computer-adaptive, which tailors the assessment for each student. The results offer insight into specific areas of strength and areas in need of improvement for each child. The testing, which measures student growth in Reading and Mathematics, will be used by teachers to help guide instruction throughout the year. More information is available at nwea.org.

MCAS

A good testing system is tied directly to good teaching and learning. In Massachusetts, we set high learning standards that describe what a student should know and be able to do at each grade level and in each subject. To find out how well students understand what is being taught, educators give students both local and state tests. Using these test results, school districts and teachers can identify areas where students need more help, refine lesson plans, and even select different curriculum resources to help students reach high expectations. The MCAS tests, used in concert with ambitious learning standards, have played an important role in the achievement gains of the past 20 years. Our K-12 public school students lead the nation in academic achievement and are competitive internationally. That success would not have been possible without a high-quality testing system that provides feedback on student, school, district, and state achievement and progress. At Monomoy Middle School we see the benefit of our students participating in MCAS. For individual students: we gain insight into each child’s strengths and celebrate those strengths; we identify the supports we need to provide so each child acquires the essential knowledge, skills, and understandings needed for college/career readiness; and we create and/or identify opportunities for assistance or advancement outside of school. For the school: we assess the relative strengths/alignment of our curriculum; we use data to inform master schedules/assign students to enrichment and/or intervention courses; and we identify strengths and opportunities for improvement in teacher performance.

Testing Requirements

All students absent from school must make up their tests and quizzes within the deadline designated by the classroom teacher. Under normal circumstances, this deadline will be two weeks from the time the student returns to school from the absence. However, in the case where the absence is due to a suspension, the test must be made up when the student returns to school. If the test or quiz is not made up before the deadline, a grade of zero will be given for that  test or quiz.

Pursuant to 603 CMR 28.03(3)(c): “Upon receipt of a physician's written order verifying that [a student] must remain at home or in a hospital on a day or overnight basis, or any combination of both, for medical reasons and for a period of not less than fourteen school days in any school year, the principal shall arrange for provision of educational services in the home or hospital.” In those circumstances, please contact the Office of the Director of Pupil Personnel Services to coordinate tutoring. If a student is absent for fewer than 14 school days or otherwise does not qualify for tutoring under 603 CMR 28.03(3)(c), the student/parent can email individual teachers and/or check the teachers’ websites in order to find out about assignments/work missed and/or due.

A student may be eligible for home/hospital tutoring upon receiving written order verifying that said student has had a cumulative 14-day or more absence due to a related medical condition; and a team has determined the absence has had a substantial impact on said student’s learning.

In order for tutoring to commence: 

1. A Physician’s Affirmation of Need for Temporary Home or Hospital Education for Medically Necessary Reasons-must be fully completed on behalf of the student by his/her caregiver (form available on the Monomoy Regional School District’s website under Student Services/Special Education). 
2. At a minimum, the physician's signed notice must include information regarding: 
1. the date the student was admitted to a hospital or was confined to home; 
2. the medical reason(s) for the confinement; 
3. the expected duration of the confinement; and 
4. what medical needs of the student should be considered in planning the home or hospital education services. 
3. If the student has an IEP and is likely to remain at home or in the hospital for a period of 60 days, the Team will reconvene within 10 days once notified that the student will most likely remain at home/hospital for more than 60 school days. An updated Physician’s Statement will be required for continued tutoring. 
4. Parents must verify a phone number where the tutor may make contact with the student to arrange a mutual meeting time and place, preferably at a public venue-not in the student’s house. (Library, Community Center). If instruction is to take place in the home, a mutually convenient time will be scheduled where an adult will be present in the home.
5. Any parent or student concerns should be communicated immediately to the  Principal, such as work not being provided/ picked up or done correctly. This will avoid issues related to report cards and progress reports. 
6. If the student has had 2 no-shows or last minute cancels or is not doing the assigned work, a warning letter will be sent out from the Special Education Office, followed by a meeting with parent/guardian to discuss further actions.

When staff recommends that a student repeat a school year, the parent/guardian will be notified no later than the end of the second term. Factors such as number of years retained, chronological age, scholastic achievement, cognitive ability, and developmental and social maturity will be considered in collaboration with the family.

The English Language Learners program is designed to create an educational experience where students are taught strategies to help master English as quickly as possible, provide experiences where they can learn to develop appropriate academic and social skills, and progress in content areas with achievement that is not impacted due to English proficiency. Our program integrates skills and concepts of the Monomoy curriculum in a way that fosters language learning that is meaningful and useful to students. The program responds to a variety of learning styles and incorporates cultural backgrounds and considerations of language levels.