The Joyce Kilmer K-8 School uses a combination of district-wide and teacher-created curricula that are aligned with city and state learning standards to serve as core instructional content in the following subjects:
· English Language Arts (ELA)
· Mathematics
· Science
· Social Studies
· Music
· Visual Art
· Physical and Health Education
This content is also supplemented by teachers when needed. In our Special Needs settings, teachers modify the regular education curriculum as well as use other, specialized materials to support students’ individual learning needs. Additional details on "Core Curriculum".
Homework
Homework assignments are designed a) to extend classroom learning, b) to provide practice opportunities to students, and c) to be completed by students without adult assistance at home. Homework constitutes a portion of students’ overall grades in school and is the responsibility of the student to complete or make up if absent.
Report Cards
One way in which we communicate your child’s progress is through official written notices: Report Cards, Progress Reports, and Warning Notices. Report cards provide cumulative information on your child’s accomplishment during the marking term. Progress reports offer feedback on how your child is working toward meeting grade-level benchmarks. Warning reports are indications that a student is in jeopardy of failing for the marking term or the year. This year’s BPS Report Card Schedule is published on the back cover of the Guide To the BPS for Families and Students. At the Kilmer, elementary grades (1-5) have three (3) marking terms. Middle grades (6-8) have four (4) marking terms. Pre-K and Kindergarten have separate reporting periods, approximately at midyear and at the end of the year.
Testing
Kilmer students, as all BPS students, are given tests to determine current ability, cumulative achievement (mastery of skills and knowledge), and progress toward learning goals. These tests provide our staff valuable information needed to make instructional decisions to help children learn.
Retention, Promotion, and Summer School
Every student in BPS is required to meet grade level benchmarks in order to promote to the next grade level (please refer to the Promotion Requirements in the Guide to the BPS for Families and Students for more specific information). If a student does not meet these benchmarks by the end of the school year, he or she may be retained at the discretion of the Principal. Students with disabilities may also be retained if they are not making progress toward their IEP goals. Some students at risk of retention may promote to the next grade level if they complete a Summer School course in the area(s) needed.
Note: Retention provide students the extra time needed to master the material, and should be seen as a much better alternative to struggling for a second year with more advanced content. We understand concerns about possibly stigmatizing students by retaining them, but students who do not feel successful in school, even among their age-level peers, face a greater stigma and risk losing their enjoyment of school. These decisions are not made lightly, and we do everything we can to enable students to promote.
Awards and Recognition
End-of-Year classroom awards and City of Boston Awards to recognize student achievement and effort will be sent home with recipients and will be announced in the final Monday Letter of the year.
· English Language Arts (ELA)
· Mathematics
· Science
· Social Studies
· Music
· Visual Art
· Physical and Health Education
This content is also supplemented by teachers when needed. In our Special Needs settings, teachers modify the regular education curriculum as well as use other, specialized materials to support students’ individual learning needs. Additional details on "Core Curriculum".
Homework
Homework assignments are designed a) to extend classroom learning, b) to provide practice opportunities to students, and c) to be completed by students without adult assistance at home. Homework constitutes a portion of students’ overall grades in school and is the responsibility of the student to complete or make up if absent.
Report Cards
One way in which we communicate your child’s progress is through official written notices: Report Cards, Progress Reports, and Warning Notices. Report cards provide cumulative information on your child’s accomplishment during the marking term. Progress reports offer feedback on how your child is working toward meeting grade-level benchmarks. Warning reports are indications that a student is in jeopardy of failing for the marking term or the year. This year’s BPS Report Card Schedule is published on the back cover of the Guide To the BPS for Families and Students. At the Kilmer, elementary grades (1-5) have three (3) marking terms. Middle grades (6-8) have four (4) marking terms. Pre-K and Kindergarten have separate reporting periods, approximately at midyear and at the end of the year.
Testing
Kilmer students, as all BPS students, are given tests to determine current ability, cumulative achievement (mastery of skills and knowledge), and progress toward learning goals. These tests provide our staff valuable information needed to make instructional decisions to help children learn.
Retention, Promotion, and Summer School
Every student in BPS is required to meet grade level benchmarks in order to promote to the next grade level (please refer to the Promotion Requirements in the Guide to the BPS for Families and Students for more specific information). If a student does not meet these benchmarks by the end of the school year, he or she may be retained at the discretion of the Principal. Students with disabilities may also be retained if they are not making progress toward their IEP goals. Some students at risk of retention may promote to the next grade level if they complete a Summer School course in the area(s) needed.
Note: Retention provide students the extra time needed to master the material, and should be seen as a much better alternative to struggling for a second year with more advanced content. We understand concerns about possibly stigmatizing students by retaining them, but students who do not feel successful in school, even among their age-level peers, face a greater stigma and risk losing their enjoyment of school. These decisions are not made lightly, and we do everything we can to enable students to promote.
Awards and Recognition
End-of-Year classroom awards and City of Boston Awards to recognize student achievement and effort will be sent home with recipients and will be announced in the final Monday Letter of the year.