Walking the halls
By MERVIN CLEVELAND Principal of Jasper Junior High School

Since our last "Walking the Halls of Jasper Junior High School," a six weeks reporting period has ended, report cards have been issued, and an allday parent-teacher conference day has been held. We were quite pleased with the number of parents who were able to take advantage of this opportunity to visit with teachers.

We have found that it is always beneficial to both the parent and teacher when they are able to have an opportunity to meet and engage in a dialogue about the strengths and weaknesses of the student. The information shared between the parent and the teacher about the student can be very helpful for all parties. Moreover, the teamwork between the home and school benefits the child in the long run.

The departments are continuing to administer benchmark tests at designated intervals to determine the strengths and weakness in the core subjects. From this data, the staff can evaluate and reevaluate the various teaching strategies that they have designed to meet the specific needs of the greatest number of students.

Progress reports, another measure of accountability for the home and school, will be issued Nov. 1. From now until then, students will be encouraged to work diligently to be successful in each subject area and on the upcoming TAKS test, which will be administered in the spring.

Until the next time, we here at Jasper Junior High School will remain dedicated, caring, and loyal to our goal of guiding our students toward success.