August 15, 2013

Dear Middle Grades student and your parents:

Welcome to the 2013-14 school year!  We look forward to your return to school.  We are including your schedule in this mailing so there is no need to come to the school to pick it up.  If you have a concern about your schedule, Mrs. Tilleson will help you on the first day of school.  Please note that we will not change schedules to accommodate friends being in classes together.

Again this year, all middle grades students will need a thumb drive to store their computer work on and must do all of their printing at home.  Also, locks will not be issued unless a student requests a lock from Mrs. Tilleson.  If a lock is requested the lock must be purchased from the school for $5.00 and it is yours to keep (new this year).  Please remember only school issued locks may be used, all others will be removed.

We have worked hard to ensure that all of our middle grades students will have more movement from hour to hour in their schedules.  The core classes were rotated separately from the specialist classes.  New this year our 7^th graders will have first hour specialist, our 6^th graders will have second hour specialist and our 8^th graders will have sixth hour specialist.  We also have offered our middle grades students an options class on Thursdays which students self selected last spring.

This year we welcome Mr. Walter Schleisman as our new Upper Campus Principal.  We also welcome the following teachers to the middle school:  Ms. Kim Kirk (formally our talent development teacher) will be teaching 6^th grade Academic Extensions, 6^th grade Minnesota History and 6^th grade Science in Room 205.  Ms. Deb Hanson will be teaching 7^th and 8^th grade Language Arts and in Room 114 (yes on the first floor).  Mr. Joe Lazur will be teaching math in Room 207.   In addition, we have a new specialist, Nicole Zeltinger, who will be teaching STEM in the media center.

Remember to attend the Middle School Curriculum and Sixth Grade Orientation night on Thursday, August 22^nd.  Bring your schedule with you.  Instructions for the orientation are as follows:  8^th graders come from 5:00-6:00 p.m. and follow Monday schedule.  7^th graders come from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and follow Monday schedule. 6^th graders and all of you new to Lake Harriet meet in the gym and come from 6:30-8:00 p.m.  Mr. Schleisman will be introducing himself in the gym at 6:00 (8^th gr.) and 7:00 (7^th gr.).

See you soon!                                              

Walter Schleisman                                                                        Merry Tilleson

Principal Upper Campus                                                            Assistant Principal Upper Campus