Malta Middle School switches to trimesters, change on report cards

This year the Malta Middle School will switch to a full trimester schedule, doing away with quarters and semesters of years past, according to Principal Shawn Bleth.

Bleth said the changes hinges on scheduling conflicts as well as confusion on grading and report cards sent to parents.

“Before, we had activity classes that where trimester based and then regular core classes were quarter and semester based,” Bleth said at last Wednesday night’s school board meeting. “Now, whenever a report card goes home, it all means the same thing. A final grade is on the report card.”

Bleth stressed that elementary school and high school will be staying on the semester and quarter system.

“I think once parents get used to this will be a smooth transition,” he added.

Bleth also informed the school board that another change parents can expect this year is no mid-term report cards to be sent out for middle school students unless specifically requested by a student’s parents. He said trimester report cards – which contain final grades for students for that grading period – will still be sent home to parents. Bleth said parents wanting to see how their student is doing in school can log into Infinite Campus for the latest progress reports.

“It’s better information, it’s more detailed and it is up to the minute, Whereas a mid-term report is out dated before it ever gets home,” he added. “That grade could be completing different even within two or three days of receiving the report card at home.”

The Infinite Campus website -- mtstate.epm.infinitecampus.org/mtstate/portal/malta.jsp – requires a username and password. When signing in to the Infinite Campus website for the first time will need a Campus Portal Activation Key which will be supplied by the school.

Bleth said that nearly 50-percent of student’s parents used the Infinite Campus website and that he hoped even more would start utilizing the tool this school year.

Bleth said there is a possibility that he would send out trimester report cards with a note notifying parents that the document will be the last one sent home unless a parent request them in the future. For parents who know that they will not have internet access this year, they can call the middle school office at 654-2225 to request the continuation of paper trimester report cards or can stop by the office during Open House on Thursday, August 28.

A new course for seventh grade students, entitled Communication Seven Course, will be replacing the Reading Seven Course from years past. Mrs. Schye will be teaching the course which will focus on speaking, communications and presentation skills and students will rotate through the course 12 weeks at a time.

The first open house for Malta Middle School will be held on Thursday, August 28 from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. On that night, parents will be able to go around the school following their child’s daily class schedule.

It’s a good way to start off the year with a nice night,” said Principal Bleth.

Organizational meetings for middle school start on the first day of school while middle sports practice start on August 21. The first football game for the middle school athletes will be on Saturday, September 6 starting at 10 a.m. at the Glasgow Jamboree (the first home game will be the following Saturday for the Malta Jamboree starting at 10 a.m.) The first girls’ basketball game of the season tips off at 10 a.m. in Havre on Saturday, September 6 with the first home game against Harlem to be held on Saturday, September 11 at 4:30 p.m.

This year, the middle school will have around 105 students.