FJH Requires Planners

Frontier Junior High School requires all students to keep and carry a student planner. There are boxes in this planner for each class of the day, as well as extras for notes. While the planner is an excellent tool for organizing assignments and due dates, when used properly it takes on an even more practical learning role.

To get the most out of the planner, ask your student to do two things: First, each day have them write not only what the learning target was, but what they learned in each class. Important point here: not what they did, what they learned. Teachers will be helping them do this by framing lessons into Learning Targets. Second, each evening set aside time for studying whether your student has homework or not. A consistent nightly time for school work develops good habits and helps students to get on top and stay ahead. Time set aside should be roughly one hour Monday - Thursday. If your student claims they have no work have them read a book.

The final piece of this puzzle is your responsibility. During that one hour each night, try to take the time and go over the planner with your student. Ask them to explain what they’ve been learning (the Big Idea) in each class. Peruse the planner as a learning log. If there are questions, write them out in the boxes provided and ask your child to show the questions to the teacher. I guarantee you’ll get an answer. This type of dialogue with your child is the most powerful homework possible! Not only that, you’ll get a much better idea of their progress on a daily basis.

Advisory

The Advisory Program of Frontier Junior High School has several purposes.

The most important of these is to guide students toward becoming responsible for understanding and talking about their progress in school. The culminating activity for this is Student Led Conferences which will take place on May 15th – 17th. In these 30 minute sessions, students will describe for their parents and Advisor their progress in school for the year, and what goals they have for next year. Week by week activities in Advisory will challenge students to assemble their best work, keep track of their strengths and weaknesses, track their grades, and assemble it all into their student portfolio. Portfolios will be stored with Advisors, and provide the foundation for conferences in the spring. Advisory provides students multiple opportunities to communicate (via conferences and form-letters home to parents) strengths, weaknesses and areas of concern from their perspective. Not all students have the ability to communicate this information face-to-face with a concerned adult. Advisory provides this forum.

Another main purpose for Advisory is to personalize students’ experience at Frontier Junior High School. Students will have their Advisor for the entire time they’re at Frontier. Their Advisor can be their “go to” person with questions or concerns. Advisors in turn, are slightly removed from their Teacher role, and can provide more personalized support to students and not be in the position of having to assign them a grade.

Advisory provides students with an instant network of peers. Students are grouped together by grade level, and this allows students one more set of friends to contact with questions.

Grade level based groups like Advisory are also a good vehicle for grouping assemblies, providing targeted, grade level based information, and building progressively on students’ knowledge about school.

Advisory will meet every Wednesday morning for the first 30 minutes of the day. There will be weekly routines that govern the 30 minutes (example: first 10 minutes will be silent reading while Advisor meets with individuals) as well as a monthly calendar of targets for discussion.

For parents, Advisory provides them another go-to person besides their counselors and classroom teachers. From a parent perspective too, a priority is the student being held consistently accountable for his/her portfolio. It enhances their skills by working toward long-term goals while utilizing time management skills.

From The Kitchen

School is back in session after a wonderful summer and there are lots of smiley faces, some new, some returning, all anxious to be back. I would like to share some information from the Child Nutrition department at FJH.
1. First of all, those seventh graders that came up from one of the elementary in the Bethel School District, have their lunch account balances follow them, some in the positive, some in the negative. The problems are with those that have a negative balance. In the secondary schools students are allowed to charge only up to 2.50 for one lunch, so if they are already in the hole when they come to FJH, they actually have no charge ability left. Then they are told they cannot eat, because they are in the hole. To avoid this happening to your student please make sure that your student keeps track of his/her account balance. While we try to work with students on an individual case there are too many students to address every problem. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at FJH.
2. Breakfast is up and running and available 6:45 to 7:20. All students are encouraged to participate. This year students that are on the reduce lunch program can eat breakfast for free. We have a variety of items available and a juice and milk are included in a breakfast.
3. We have an ala carte line that we sell various items at for example; Izze juices, cookies, chips, ice cream and fruit roll ups. Please share with your students that line is not a lunch line and free and reduce does not matter there. All items are the same price to all students. Some students want a cookie and juice and wonder why it is not reduced price. We explain it to them but your help is greatly appreciated.
4. We also have a way to keep track of what your students are eating each day and how much they are spending. The number one reason why students run out of money is they spent their money in ala carte. Juices and cookies add up pretty quick if you are not keeping an eye on it. If at any time you need to know how your student is doing please let us know.
5. Students that were on the free and reduced program last year will have a carry over until October 12th, at which time 06/07 lunch applications for free and reduced must be turned in. Applications are available in the front office at the school or down in the kitchen. We encourage parents to reapply as soon as possible to avoid any delay in processing the applications.
6. Lastly, we have a huge number of kids and we feed approximately 450-500 lunches a day, but if parents or students ever have any questions do not hesitate to call the Child Nutrition Office at FJH the number directly is 253-683-8394, my name is Hydie Kidd and I am the cook manager. Thank you and cheers to a great year.

Open House

Our annual Open House is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13th from 6:00 to 8:10 in the evening. As usual, we’ll start off with an assembly. Following that, parents will go with their students to each of their classes for a mini session. The library will also be open. Teachers will have sign up sheets for those parents wishing to get more information about their children. Hope to see you there!

Meet with the Principal

Can’t make it into school but want to talk? This year I’m offering to come to you. For any group of 4 or more families that would like to meet in the evening, I will come to listen to your ideas and offer any feedback I can. If I can swing it, I’ll even bring the biscotti! If you have a group of 4 or more families and a place to meet, please contact my Secretary, Daina Hubbard, at 683-8391. We can also use the school if you like.

New Teachers At Frontier

Mr. Paul Gerbyshak
Paul is teaching Freshman Algebra and 8th Grade Math. His previous experience includes 2 years of teaching in the middle school and last year teaching college math at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, all in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He has coached wrestling and football and was a computer club advisor.

Mr. Chase Nordlund
Mr. Nordlund comes to Frontier after two years as vice principal in private school and fourteen years in the Tacoma School District. His last eight years were at Mason Middle School as language arts teacher, athletic director, and administrative designee helping to oversee the demolition and construction of Mason's new building.

Mrs. Dianna Alexander
Dianna a third year teacher, coming from Dieringer School District and teach 8th and 9th grade Communication Arts. She received her Bachelor's degree at the University of Washington and a Master's in Teaching and teaching certificate from Seattle Pacific University. Dianna recently married this summer and is very excited to start her new life with her husband. She loves watching football, spending time with her family and friends, cooking, reading, and being active in and outside.

Mr. Tom Bannan
Tom graduated from South Kitsap High School in 1989 and CWU in 1994. He taught for 10 years in the Enumclaw School District mainly in the life sciences- Biology, Life Science, Anatomy and Physiology, and Honors. He moved to Federal Way High School for the past two years and taught Physical Science, AP Biology, and Forensics. Tom has served as a assistant or head coach in football, wrestling, and baseball. He loves to spend time with his family doing a lot of outdoor activities and sports.

Mrs. Liz Bailey
One of our new math teachers, Liz Bailey, comes to FJH with five years of experience in Spanaway Lake High’s Business Department. Currently she is teaching Math 80 and Applied Math; a hands-on learning program which parallels ninth grade Algebra 1. Ms. Bailey chose a teaching career after working 20 years in the varied industry of marketing. With a BA from the University of Connecticut, a Masters in Teaching and two teen-age boys of her own, Ms. Bailey says she’s ready to guide FJH’s math students into the twenty first century.

Mr. Wyley Beatty
After graduating from Central Washington State College and later graduate work at WSU, Wyley has taught math for 38 years--15 of them in the Bethel School District. He and his wife have raised three kids, all attended grades K to 12 in Bethel schools. Two are college seniors and one is a junior. Wyley looks forward to the 60's--retirement age, that is.

Ms. Shannon Porter
Shannon Porter has the exciting opportunity of teaching seventh grade Earth Science this year. This will be her second year of teaching Earth Science, last year she taught at Cougar Mountain Junior High. Shannon has a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Pacific Lutheran University and recently received her teaching certificate and Masters in Education, also from Pacific Lutheran University. In her free time she enjoys running, skiing, and spending time with her family.

Mrs. Maria Schneider
¡Hola! Mrs. Schneider teaches Spanish for the 8th and 9th grades during the 5th and 6th periods each day. This is her first time at Frontier Junior High. She believes this is a great opportunity for herself and students because of her past experience and education; since her first language is Spanish. Her teaching experience began in September 2001, with the Philadelphia School District in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She worked closely with the Latino community there, and was a Bilingual teacher with inner-city students. Maria received a master degree from Arcadia University in Glendale, PA, in December of 2003. In addition, she works part-time, as a Bilingual Story teller, for the Pierce County Library System.

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