Letter from the MC Principal
Hello Middle Campus families,
Grandparents and Special Friends Day was a resounding success! It was great to have people in the building after four years of not being able to hold this event. We had a full house of attendees and there were lots of smiles throughout the day. Our grandparents and special friends really enjoyed the opportunity to be in the building and our kids loved having the opportunity to spend time with their guests.
We also concluded student conferences this past week where students had a chance to share information regarding how their commitment to the Guiding Principles is impacting their class performance and formative feedback on ManageBac. If you are looking for more information about ManageBac or for more clarity on our grading system, I strongly encourage you to attend our next MYP information session. You have two timing options for attending this next session (both sessions are the same): Monday, November 6 from 7pm-8pm and Wednesday, November 8 from 9:15-10:15 am. Both sessions are virtual. The session will cover the difference between formative and summative assessments, how MYP rubrics work, the 0-8 scale, navigating ManageBac, and how final grades are calculated. In order to receive the link via calendar invite, please fill out this form.
Teachers are available after school to support students during Office Hours. If students have questions that they want to ask their teachers, or if they want help preparing for an upcoming summative, or if they need help with their homework, they should take advantage of Office Hours. Teachers are available twice a week after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays (schedule here) to work with students who need extra help. For students who are playing sports or involved in clubs, our coaches and club sponsors are aware of (and support) the fact that academics always comes first. So students who attend Office Hours are NOT penalized in any way (e.g. losing playing time, or losing an opportunity related to a club) if they are attending Office Hours.
Please encourage your students to get involved with one of our student clubs and/or encourage them to start their own. Our clubs include the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Drama Club, Educate to Skate, Art Club, Model UN, Farm Club, Gavel Club, Brotherhood (affinity group for Black boys), Sisterhood (affinity group for Black girls), Latin Dance Club, AAPI Affinity Group, Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl, Yearbook, Hermandad Latina (affinity group for Latino students), Pickleball, and Student Council. If a student is interested in one of these clubs, or if they are interested in starting their own, they should reach out to any adult that they are comfortable with in the building and we can help them get connected to what they are looking for.
The drama club’s fall production “The Marvelous Misadventures of Baba Yaga” will take place on Friday, November 10th, and Saturday November 11th. Both nights doors open at 7:30pm and the show starts at 8pm. Students will be able to purchase tickets during lunch on Thursday and Friday of this week, and on Monday the 6th. Tickets will be available online to the general public beginning on Friday the 3rd.
Finally, as temperatures continue to fluctuate, please encourage your children to bring a jacket with them as students will continue to go outside at various points throughout the day. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out.
Regards,
Mark
Mark Sanders
Mark Sanders began teaching at ANCS in 2011. Before coming to the school, Mr. Sanders worked in New York City. He spent three years teaching 7th and 8th grade mathematics at Middle School 50 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and two years at Harlem Village Academies teaching Geometry and Algebra 2/Trigonometry. He taught 8th grade Math/Science/Technology at ANCS for five years.
