Dear Straub Families,

We have recently completed our first 6-week grading period for the 2019-20 school year, and we are off to an amazing start! We continue to refine our instructional practices to provide options for every student through our systematic approach using AVID school wide with Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading (WICOR) strategies. In doing so, we are providing a consistent and viable method for students to gain important knowledge and proficiency as they relate to 21st- century skills toward college and/or career goals.

With this vision in mind, it is my pleasure to inform you that Straub Middle School will be part of a pilot program to use a new Salem-Keizer School District Professional Skills Rubric designed to provide feedback to students and parents. The familiar practice of using letter grades (A, B, C, D, F) for academics on six-week progress reports and semester report cards will not change, but we will begin using a numerical scale (1-4) instead of the letter notation (O, S, N, U) you experienced during our first grading period for Work Habits and Citizenship.

We have attached the Professional Skills Rubric to this letter as a resource for you, and we will start an informational campaign with students immediately. As part of any pilot program, we welcome your feedback to help our school and district to refine the rubric process.

We are excited for this opportunity to provide direct and specific feedback to our students as they continue to develop a vision for their future and prepare for college and/or career. We look forward to continuing to build positive working relationships with you to best support the unique needs of each Straub student.

Respectfully,

Denny McCarthy

Principal, Straub Middle School