Crossroads Middle School
535 Fishing Creek Road
(717) 932-1295
(717) 938-3599 (fax)
Last updated: 8/21/11
535 Fishing Creek Road
(717) 932-1295
(717) 938-3599 (fax)
Last updated: 8/21/11
Welcome to Team Razzle Dazzle
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the seventh grade team of Razzle Dazzle! Your child’s teachers will be Mrs. Basinger for Language Arts, Mrs. Ziegler for Math, Mrs. Walker for Science, Mr. McKay for Social Studies, and Mrs. Wilsbach for Language Arts, Math, and Learning Support! We are also fortunate to have Mrs. Bittner as a Learning Support Paraprofessional for our Learning Community. We hope you had a wonderful summer and that you are as excited as we are about starting a new school year with your child. The term, “Learning Community” refers to the above mentioned teachers working together to create a positive and connected year for your child.
In the spirit of keeping close contact between home and school (a practice we would like to continue throughout this school year), we would like to begin by explaining some of the basics of our curriculum. Our team does our best to communicate with the parents. We will use the "Thumbs Up/Heads Up/Wake Up" notification system for all students twice a marking period. In addition to this, we will follow the building's procedures for interim progress reports.
Meet the Team
Mrs. Basinger (kbasinger@wssd.k12.pa.us) Language Arts (Room 201)
Mrs. Basinger will lead the students through a challenging and rewarding literary journey as the students acquire reading, writing, and speaking skills. Working together out of a mutual respect and commitment to personal excellence, we will visualize Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, consider the cause of the Black Death, and personally identify with the characters in short stories. We will perform a dramatic rendition of “A Christmas Carol”, dissect discrimination with an autobiography unit, reach the heights of Mt. Olympus with Greek Mythology, and sail down the river with Tom and Huck as we read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Come prepared with a 3-ring binder, a pencil and an open mind, and give it your best shot! In a collaborative classroom, your achievement is a direct reflection of your effort and contribution.
Mrs. Ziegler (kziegler@wssd.k12.pa.us) Math (Room 204)
The units of study in seventh grade are as follows: Algebraic reasoning, integers, rational and irrational numbers, proportional relationships, percents, data analysis, measurement, equations and probability. Get ready for an action packed math class this year. Look for an Essentail Question journal for writing math! Mrs. Ziegler will have her classroom materials listed on her class syllabus that all students will receive at school during the first week of school. Students will need a calculator for at home assignments. If you are going to purchase a calculator for your child, we suggest a scientific calculator. The Texas Instrument TI34II calculators are available in the classroom. Whether you purchase the same brand or a different one, the student should be consistent in the use of the calculator in order to become proficient in its use.
Mrs. Gruver (lgruver@wssd.k12.pa.us) Science (Room- Science Wing)
This year in Life Science we will be covering many new things. We are going to start with some basic science skills and then move into measurement. From there we will study the microscope and cells. This will take us up to the middle of the year. The next half of the year will be spent on cellular processes, genetics and classification. Students will have multiple projects to complete throughout the course of the year. An animal project at the end of the year will be a major research project in and outside of school. I will use Essential Questions, Graphic Organizers and Summaries to help students learn. Students are required to use a 3 ring binder with 4 dividers for my class.
Mrs. Wilsbach (pwilsbach@wssd.k12.pa.us) Learning Support (Room 209)
This year, Mrs. Wilsbach will be co-teaching with Mrs. Basinger in Language Arts, and Mrs. Ziegler in Math. This provides the opportunity for students who receive learning support services to receive that support within the regular classroom, participating in the same activities as their peers, but with support. This also provides an additional bonus to all students of having two teachers in the same room. If your child is in one of the co-teaching classrooms, he/she will have the benefit of two teachers and two teaching styles, providing better opportunity for concepts to be explained in a manner that matches your student’s learning style. The Learning Support Aide will also join a Social Studies class, and a Science class for additional support to students in those classes.
In any classes that will be taught through direct instruction, the concepts taught in the learning support classroom will cover the same concepts being taught in Mrs. Basinger’s and Mrs. Ziegler’s regular classrooms. However, direct instruction in the learning support classroom provides smaller groups and opportunities for more individualized instruction and pacing.
Social Studies (teachers from the Social Studies department)
Mr. McClintock (mmcclintock@wssd.k12.pa.us) Room 211
Mrs. Niesen (lniesen@wssd.k12.pa.us) Room 225
Mr. McKay (cmckay@wssd.k12.pa.us) Room 221
Mr. Potteiger (zpotteiger@wssd.k12.pa.us) Room112
Seventh grade Social Studies focuses on the Eastern Hemisphere. We will study various ancient cultures and discuss their influences on our world today. Students will have the opportunity to work independently and together-expanding research skills and becoming familiar with regional cultures of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. As we study geography, history and cultural elements, students will have the opportunity to gain a clear understanding of key events from the Eastern Hemisphere.
Power School:
Student's grades can be accessed through the Internet. More information can be obtained through the school's office. Students should keep an accurate record of grades at all times. The teacher will have documented grades using Power School. The link to Power School can be found on our Links page.
Homework:
Homework is assigned daily from all teachers. Homework may be defined as written work, working on on-going projects, studying notes, and re-reading text from classes. Study skills and strategies may include making flash cards, creating outlines, and reviewing vocabulary terms. Students in seventh grade should expect to devote about 60-70 minutes of time on "homework" daily. This is stated in Board Policy 130 found in the Middle School Student Handbook.
Team Website:
Check out our team website! It can be accessed through the Crossroads Middle School website under "Team Razzle Dazzle." Once you visit the site, bookmark it for easy access! Our website will provide you with important information and upcoming events, as well as your child's homework. Please notice the date posted next to each teacher's name to reflect the most current updates. Some of our team teachers have individual teacher web pages, as well.
Portfolio Conferences:
Our team will be conducting portfolio conferences twice this school year. The first time will be after marking period 1 on November 23rd and 24th. The second opportunity will be in the Spring during the third marking period. Please plan to attend with your child to this wonderful opportunity to view and share your child’s cumulative work. The students are very proud to show off their work to you on these days!
AFT Opportunity:
Four times a cycle, students will have the opportunity to have Academic Focus Time. This time will be devoted to an academic activity followed by study hall time. Students will be expected to come to AFT with homework or a book to read each AFT period. It will be expected and enforced that all team and school expectations/rules will be followed.
Students will be expected to adhere to the following rules in AFT:
Cell Phones:
Our team will adhere to the BOARD POLICY 237 as stated in the student handbook. Therefore, no cell phones should be seen or heard in our classrooms.
Team Expectations/Rules:
The classroom should be a comfortable home away from home, an atmosphere which challenges, yet helps, encourages, and allows students to become excited about what they are studying. In order to achieve those goals, the following rules will be in effect in all of our classrooms.
In event of students violating Board Policy 218, students may be assigned a team detention after school. This will be assigned on an individual basis and is applied to individual students, not all students at the same time. If an after school detention is assigned, a notice will be sent home with your child. The teachers will give at least a 24-hour notice and will be held in the proctor’s classroom from 2:50 - 3:50 p.m.
Welcome to the seventh grade team of Razzle Dazzle! Your child’s teachers will be Mrs. Basinger for Language Arts, Mrs. Ziegler for Math, Mrs. Walker for Science, Mr. McKay for Social Studies, and Mrs. Wilsbach for Language Arts, Math, and Learning Support! We are also fortunate to have Mrs. Bittner as a Learning Support Paraprofessional for our Learning Community. We hope you had a wonderful summer and that you are as excited as we are about starting a new school year with your child. The term, “Learning Community” refers to the above mentioned teachers working together to create a positive and connected year for your child.
In the spirit of keeping close contact between home and school (a practice we would like to continue throughout this school year), we would like to begin by explaining some of the basics of our curriculum. Our team does our best to communicate with the parents. We will use the "Thumbs Up/Heads Up/Wake Up" notification system for all students twice a marking period. In addition to this, we will follow the building's procedures for interim progress reports.
Meet the Team
Mrs. Basinger (kbasinger@wssd.k12.pa.us) Language Arts (Room 201)
Mrs. Basinger will lead the students through a challenging and rewarding literary journey as the students acquire reading, writing, and speaking skills. Working together out of a mutual respect and commitment to personal excellence, we will visualize Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, consider the cause of the Black Death, and personally identify with the characters in short stories. We will perform a dramatic rendition of “A Christmas Carol”, dissect discrimination with an autobiography unit, reach the heights of Mt. Olympus with Greek Mythology, and sail down the river with Tom and Huck as we read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Come prepared with a 3-ring binder, a pencil and an open mind, and give it your best shot! In a collaborative classroom, your achievement is a direct reflection of your effort and contribution.
Mrs. Ziegler (kziegler@wssd.k12.pa.us) Math (Room 204)
The units of study in seventh grade are as follows: Algebraic reasoning, integers, rational and irrational numbers, proportional relationships, percents, data analysis, measurement, equations and probability. Get ready for an action packed math class this year. Look for an Essentail Question journal for writing math! Mrs. Ziegler will have her classroom materials listed on her class syllabus that all students will receive at school during the first week of school. Students will need a calculator for at home assignments. If you are going to purchase a calculator for your child, we suggest a scientific calculator. The Texas Instrument TI34II calculators are available in the classroom. Whether you purchase the same brand or a different one, the student should be consistent in the use of the calculator in order to become proficient in its use.
Mrs. Gruver (lgruver@wssd.k12.pa.us) Science (Room- Science Wing)
This year in Life Science we will be covering many new things. We are going to start with some basic science skills and then move into measurement. From there we will study the microscope and cells. This will take us up to the middle of the year. The next half of the year will be spent on cellular processes, genetics and classification. Students will have multiple projects to complete throughout the course of the year. An animal project at the end of the year will be a major research project in and outside of school. I will use Essential Questions, Graphic Organizers and Summaries to help students learn. Students are required to use a 3 ring binder with 4 dividers for my class.
Mrs. Wilsbach (pwilsbach@wssd.k12.pa.us) Learning Support (Room 209)
This year, Mrs. Wilsbach will be co-teaching with Mrs. Basinger in Language Arts, and Mrs. Ziegler in Math. This provides the opportunity for students who receive learning support services to receive that support within the regular classroom, participating in the same activities as their peers, but with support. This also provides an additional bonus to all students of having two teachers in the same room. If your child is in one of the co-teaching classrooms, he/she will have the benefit of two teachers and two teaching styles, providing better opportunity for concepts to be explained in a manner that matches your student’s learning style. The Learning Support Aide will also join a Social Studies class, and a Science class for additional support to students in those classes.
In any classes that will be taught through direct instruction, the concepts taught in the learning support classroom will cover the same concepts being taught in Mrs. Basinger’s and Mrs. Ziegler’s regular classrooms. However, direct instruction in the learning support classroom provides smaller groups and opportunities for more individualized instruction and pacing.
Social Studies (teachers from the Social Studies department)
Mr. McClintock (mmcclintock@wssd.k12.pa.us) Room 211
Mrs. Niesen (lniesen@wssd.k12.pa.us) Room 225
Mr. McKay (cmckay@wssd.k12.pa.us) Room 221
Mr. Potteiger (zpotteiger@wssd.k12.pa.us) Room112
Seventh grade Social Studies focuses on the Eastern Hemisphere. We will study various ancient cultures and discuss their influences on our world today. Students will have the opportunity to work independently and together-expanding research skills and becoming familiar with regional cultures of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. As we study geography, history and cultural elements, students will have the opportunity to gain a clear understanding of key events from the Eastern Hemisphere.
Power School:
Student's grades can be accessed through the Internet. More information can be obtained through the school's office. Students should keep an accurate record of grades at all times. The teacher will have documented grades using Power School. The link to Power School can be found on our Links page.
Homework:
Homework is assigned daily from all teachers. Homework may be defined as written work, working on on-going projects, studying notes, and re-reading text from classes. Study skills and strategies may include making flash cards, creating outlines, and reviewing vocabulary terms. Students in seventh grade should expect to devote about 60-70 minutes of time on "homework" daily. This is stated in Board Policy 130 found in the Middle School Student Handbook.
Team Website:
Check out our team website! It can be accessed through the Crossroads Middle School website under "Team Razzle Dazzle." Once you visit the site, bookmark it for easy access! Our website will provide you with important information and upcoming events, as well as your child's homework. Please notice the date posted next to each teacher's name to reflect the most current updates. Some of our team teachers have individual teacher web pages, as well.
Portfolio Conferences:
Our team will be conducting portfolio conferences twice this school year. The first time will be after marking period 1 on November 23rd and 24th. The second opportunity will be in the Spring during the third marking period. Please plan to attend with your child to this wonderful opportunity to view and share your child’s cumulative work. The students are very proud to show off their work to you on these days!
AFT Opportunity:
Four times a cycle, students will have the opportunity to have Academic Focus Time. This time will be devoted to an academic activity followed by study hall time. Students will be expected to come to AFT with homework or a book to read each AFT period. It will be expected and enforced that all team and school expectations/rules will be followed.
Students will be expected to adhere to the following rules in AFT:
- Students must have a pass signed by another teacher to leave the assigned room.
- Students will spend this time to "study" and complete homework, not to socialize.
- Students will be expected to bring a book to read or notes to study to AFT daily.
Cell Phones:
Our team will adhere to the BOARD POLICY 237 as stated in the student handbook. Therefore, no cell phones should be seen or heard in our classrooms.
Team Expectations/Rules:
The classroom should be a comfortable home away from home, an atmosphere which challenges, yet helps, encourages, and allows students to become excited about what they are studying. In order to achieve those goals, the following rules will be in effect in all of our classrooms.
- Be on time and be prepared.
- Bring books, planner, pencil and paper to all classes on a daily basis.
- Be a listener who HEARS. When someone is talking, your hand is down.
- NO talking during announcements.
- Follow directions the FIRST time.
- Your planner will be used to sign in & out of your classes.
- Respect must be earned.
In event of students violating Board Policy 218, students may be assigned a team detention after school. This will be assigned on an individual basis and is applied to individual students, not all students at the same time. If an after school detention is assigned, a notice will be sent home with your child. The teachers will give at least a 24-hour notice and will be held in the proctor’s classroom from 2:50 - 3:50 p.m.
