December 19, 2012
Dear Families:

As the end of this year approaches, I would like to wish you and your entire family a very best holiday and a great New Year. I am writing to touch base with you and to remind you of the goals and expectations that I have laid out during the first trimester. At the beginning of the first trimester, I sent a letter home with your child. In that letter, I outlined the following goals for all 8th grade students for this current academic year (2012-2013):

(1) By December 21, 2012, your child will have the necessary prerequisite skills to become proficient in mathematics at his/her current grade level;
(2) By March 4, 2013, your child will have the necessary skills to perform, at least, at a proficient level in this current academic year “MSA;” and
(3) By the end of this academic year, your child will have obtained the requisite mathematical knowledge to succeed when s/he reaches 9th grade.

We have made some progress. However, we are not yet at our goal. The challenges were much more daunting than I had expected. What is mainly preventing most our 8th graders from succeeding is a lack of discipline. I believe that discipline is a condition precedent to learning. And as such, I am pleading with you all to speak earnestly with your child as to how to conduct oneself in a classroom environment.
The window to achieve our goals is quickly closing on us. During the first trimester, I have spent an inordinate amount of time preventing most our 8th graders from engaging in behaviors that are not conducive to learning. The time I spent preventing my classroom from descending to utter chaos could have been spent in instructing your child.
This trimester, I cannot afford to waste any more time. I know that 10 to 15 minutes of wasted time during each period of instruction may not seem much. However, the accumulation of 10 to 15 minute segments is the main culprit as to why many of our students are 2 to 3 grade level behind. I truly believe that you send your child to “The Stadium School” to receive the very best of education that public school can provide. And, I am deeply committed and well-suited to ensure that your child receives such an education. However, I cannot do it alone. Thus, I am inviting you to be my partner in this great endeavor—your child’s education.
The road ahead will not be easy. I am very confident that our strong partnership will ensure that your child will show tremendous success in mathematics. I believe your child has what it takes to succeed. I have faith in your child. However, “What is Faith without hard work? Together, we must work hard to make it happen.