April 10, 2011
Dear Parent/Guardian:
As you may already know, we are presently at the last quarter of the seventh grade year. I understand that the students are tired, but we need to continue working and studying up to the finish line!
Regarding the math, the seventh graders are studying algebra which consists of solving equations with logical step-by-step operations. I have reminded students that algebra is a challenging form of math and that reviewing on a daily basis, whether it be re-working problems, re-reading explanations, and/or working online, is an utmost necessity. For the fourth quarter, we will be studying a lesson per week. The weeks math agenda will be: introduction to the lesson, working on examples, explaining, student's participation in explaining, working on exercises, correcting, reviewing and reinforcing, time for questions and answers,reviewing and reinforcing online with the math tutor, and cooperative learning with partnering classmates. Since you are your child's primary educator, please make sure that your child understands the math lesson before the quiz on Friday. Again, I am available during the lunch recess and after school by appointment.
I am happy to announce that we are having a grand Renaissance Faire on Friday, May 27th. The St. Andrew's Guild will again join us and provide support and enrichment to our studies of the Renaissance. A fundraiser would be a good idea to have during the faire; if you could possibly do some research as to simple "Renaissance" type of desserts to make, bring, and sell, your help would be appreciated by the seventh graders. Again, the seventh graders are trying to raise funds to add to their account for next years activities. Parent help during the faire would be most welcome!
On Wednesday, April 20th, the seventh graders are going on a field trip to Japantown. We will be given a free tour of the Japantown area and learn of its history. $1.00 donation to the Historical Japanese Society would express our appreciation for their time and lectures. Parent chaperones are welcome. If weather permits, students could bring a bag lunch and eat around the Pagoda area.
Another reminder that the seventh grade parents are responsible for hosting the graduation reception scheduled for Friday, June 3rd, from 7:00-8:30 p.m.(approx.) in the school's auditorium. Our room parents, Mrs. Roque and Eva Coverson, will be contacting you before the date. We will need parents to help with setting up the auditorium, serving coffee, tea, punch, and cake; then cleaning up. We will want your child to experience a most wonderful graduation ceremony and reception next year, and hopefully, next years seventh grade class will be as kind and considerate.
Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that there has been problems of gossip among some seventh grade students. Throughout the year, I have seriously discouraged gossiping and had lectured about the evils of gossip. I sense that this problem of gossiping has seriously affected academic progress from a few of the students. In regards to religious faith which is absolutely necessary in life, I hope that people are not using religious faith as a mask for wrongdoing. As I have taught the students, God is in our minds and in our hearts and is always with us.
God Bless All of You!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sharon Owyang-Lee

March 15, 2011
Dear Parent / Guardian:
The appointment schedule for the Parent-Teacher Conferences will be sent home with your child tomorrow; please send in your preferred time(s)ASAP.
I am proud to announce that the overall class scores for the Math Benchmark exams have greatly improved. You will notice the improvements on your child's Math Benchmark report card soon.
Ms. Coreen Abbott from the Museo-Italeo will be coming to visit us on Thursdays, March 17th and 24th. We are fortunate to have such a talented and knowledgeable artist come to speak to the students about the Italian Renaissance!
Our next fundraiser is scheduled before the Easter vacation. Last year, the seventh graders sold plastic Easter egg containers filled with foil wrapped chocolates. Since this fundraiser was such a big success, earning the class over one-hundred dollars, we have decided to duplicate this fundraiser idea for this year. I am asking for your help in donating these plastic Easter egg containers and / or foil wrapped chocolates. These items can be found at Safeway and Walgreens. We plan to sell these Easter eggs during the recesses the week of April 11th. Each egg filled with about three foil wrapped chocolates will sell for $1.00 each.
We hope to again host a grand Renaissance Faire in mid May. As we approach the date, I will inform you by updating the blog.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Owyang-Lee
Grade 7 Teacher
Mission Dolores School

January 25, 2011
Dear Parent / Guardian:
A reminder that the next book report is due on Monday, January 31st. The students received another book report format / outline that I will be reviewing with them again tomorrow during our Language Arts class. As I have mentioned at the start of this academic year, studying a short story each week is not enough reading; students should have been picking and choosing a book of their choice borrowed from the library or purchased at a book store. The credit earned on the book report will be the equivalent of an exam grade for English, Reading, and Spelling/Vocabulary.
We have completed the chapter on the history of China in our Social Studies textbook; students will soon be working on a project on Ancient China. The project consists of a research report from each student and the art and speech portion of the project is the cooperative group work. By now, the seventh graders are very much familiar with the requirements of a project: file folder containing research information, notes, drafts of the report, written speech, daily journal of work progress, sketches and plans for the art. You may not be seeing the Social Studies textbook for the next few weeks, but there is DEFINITELY Social Studies homework daily: continual work on the China project. The scheduled deadline for the China project is Friday, February 18th. Since this project will be one of the major projects this academic year, the grading may be the equivalency of two Social Studies exam grades.
Our next major fundraiser will be for Easter. Last years fundraiser was a major success; the students put together Easter eggs consisting of foil wrapped chocolate Easter eggs stuffed into colorful plastic Easter egg containers, sold for $1.00 each. When the time comes, and when these materials are made available at Safeway's, Walgreen's, Target, and/or Costco, we would appreciate parents' participation in donating the necessary materials for this fundraiser. Again, the seventh graders are trying to build up their account in order to treat the graduating class to a farewell breakfast and graduation reception; this has been an ongoing tradition here at Mission Dolores School. Hopefully, for next year, the upcoming seventh graders and parents will be as supportive to these fundraising events in order for your child to enjoy a memorable graduation reception and breakfast! Whatever funds are left over from this year will follow the students into the eighth grade year to enjoy!
Please remember to send $1.00 donation with your child soon for the Chinese lion dancing scheduled for Chinese New Year Day, Thursday, February 3rd, in the morning! Your generosity will bring you good luck and fortune!
HAPPY NEW YEAR OF THE RABBIT!
Regards,
Mrs. Owyang-Lee

January 19, 2011

Happy New Year of the Rabbit!
We are pleased to announce that once again the Jing Mo Martial Arts group will be coming to our school to welcome the new year with lion dancing on Chinese New Year's Day, February 3rd. We are asking that each student donate $1.00 to express our gratitude for their visit. Please have your child bring this donation of $1.00 before February 3rd.
A reminder that the seventh graders have two field trips coming up next week: Tuesday, January 25th to Good Tidings Art Studio and Thursday, January 27th to the Asian Art Museum for the exhibit of the Samurai! Both of these fields trips will take place in the morning and we will be back to school in time for lunch. Students will need Muni fare: $1.50 (in change) for the round trip. If you are available on these days to join us and chaperone, you are most welcome and should be earning parent hours.
Please be reminded again that students are very much capable of accessing more academic help and tutoring online; especially in Math and French. I frequently remind students that I am available for extra help during the lunch recess (30 minutes) in my classroom and / or after school by appointment only. Also, for the seventh graders, from 12 noon until 12:30 p.m. daily, study hall and extra help are available. If students choose to waste time socializing during the school day, then there will be more homework, right? As teachers, we try to discipline and guide our students, but we cannot control them. Please continue to help strengthen your child in the educational process by supporting the teachers and remember, "Parents are the primary teachers". Your child's grades and homework continue to be posted online on a daily basis.
In regards to academic progress, do not underestimate the power of the student: the student has the power to excel in academic studies and the power to choose not to work on academics.
I especially love the third quarter, because it will end with Parent-Teacher Conferences!
Good Health, Happiness, and Success for 2011!
Mrs. Owyang-Lee

December 11, 2010

Dear Parent / Guardian:

The next book report is due on the last day of January, 2011. If students wish to earn extra credit in Language Arts before the end of the second quarter, the book report should be turned in on the first week back from the Christmas break.
A FEW REMINDERS:
-Extra credit means: when ALL required academic work has been completed and turned in, the student wishes to do EXTRA work to help further reinforce skills. That is, extra credit means extra work; extra credit work cannot and will NOT replace required work!
-When a student resist in acquiring a routine of working on daily homework, the learning process is seriously interrupted and delayed causing a "dominoes effect" of total academic confusion for the student. Please continue to help your child by frequently checking his/her grades and homework online and encouraging and closely supervising his/her home-studies.
-When a parent states that the child has been working in his/her room daily for hours and is confounded by the fact that the child has earned a well below-average grade in a subject-area or two, my question is: what has the child been exactly working on for hours and hours in the room? Homework or on the computer games or on other types of internet connections???
-In regards to projects (Social Studies): the art-work is worth 20/100 AND the research work and report are worth 80/100. If you have observed your child working (w/classmates) on the Art for hours and days, does this mean that the child has earned an "A" grade? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Again, the art-work is worth 20% of the total grade. Please CHECK the project file folder containing the many fascinating pages of handwritten and printed-out notes & information, drafts of the report, drawings & sketches, written outline of the speech, the bibliography, and the final typewritten research report!
Happy Holidays & Good Wishes for 2011!
Mrs. Sharon Owyang-Lee
Grade 7 Homeroom Teacher
Mission Dolores School

November 28, 2010

Dear Parent / Guardian:

During this holiday season, let us continue praying for the less fortunate and for God's continued worldwide care to especially the children, animals, and elderly.
I understand that we must all be very excited about the holidays; however, because of the vacation, this second quarter is shorter. Before the Christmas break, I will be sending home with the students mid-quarter progress reports. When we return from the break, I will be thinking about report card grades for the second quarter. Yes, time sure does fly by when you are having fun!
For those students who did not turn in an October book report about their book of choice for the month, I will be expecting a November book report this Tuesday. Extra book reports are a sure way of earning extra credit for Language Arts!
For grades 6 and 7, their French calendar project is due this week. Students were already provided about two weeks for this project.
For grade 7, a Language Arts project consisting of writing and acting out their own version of "A Christmas Carol" is due this Friday, December 3rd. A Social Studies project on a topic of our African studies is due the week of December 13th.
A reminder that grades earned on projects are the equivalent of exam grades. You may not have seen their Literature and History textbooks, but remember, research reports and projects require more work. Students were definitely provided class time; work is to be continued at home for homework.
We will be working on Origami Christmas cards soon (this week) to be sold before the Christmas break. I have purchased Origami green paper; please help with this fundraiser by sending with your child any left-over gift wrap paper or/and ribbon and other Art materials that we can use to create these cards.
Another reminder that I do not accept late work unless the student is absent. If a student does not write his/her name on the assignment, there is no way that I am able to credit an assignment without a name.

TO: PARENTS / GUARDIANS OF GRADE SEVEN

We will be preparing for our major fundraiser soon after the Thanksgiving break. To create our attractive Origami Christmas cards, I would appreciate any donations of Art materials: left-over gift wrap paper, yarn, ribbon, glue, scotch tape, boxes of small candy canes. Traditionally, the seventh graders sold these cards for $1.00 each and usually this fundraiser has been a great success.
In Social Studies, the seventh graders are working on an African project, in small groups of three-four students. So far, the students forming their own small groups has not been a problem until recently. Therefore, in the very near future, I will be organizing the small groups for projects. If I notice students in a group not being productive with their work, I will need to separate these irresponsible ones and place them in a more responsible group of students.
The requirements are: daily note-taking from resources (books, online data, etc.), folder, drafts of the research report, final typewritten research report (minimum of three pages typewritten), final drafts of sketches and drawings and / or 3-D model(s), final draft of speech for final oral presentation. Grading: productive usage of class time, continued work at home, FINAL RESEARCH REPORT, cooperative group work, FOLDER containing all required papers=80%. The Art: drawings, sketches, posters, 3-D model(s)=20%.
DEADLINE: Monday, December 13th, 2010, ALL COMPLETELY DONE!!!
For the next few weeks, you may not notice your child's Social Studies textbook, BUT there is DEFINITELY Social Studies homework EVERYDAY!
I am very much concerned about a few students thinking that after the first quarter and after Parent-Teacher conferences, they no longer need to work on assignments thus failing exams. Parents/Guardians PLEASE, PLEASE check your child's academic progress online, on Option C, FREQUENTLY. A reminder that you can check daily homework (in my classes, remember, classwork becomes homework due the next day)and grades on Option C. Your child can DEFINITELY help you with this. Again, classwork turns into homework, is announced verbally several times per day, is written on the boards, AND is posted online.
Please continue to teach your child RESPONSIBILITY.