Please realize that learning something new is never easy, often takes time to master, involves making mistakes, and can be a very messy, frustrating process.
I will NEVER just give you the answer or tell you what to do, but I will always be here to help you through that process.
​
How to get Extra Help!
To schedule Help Appointments, go to my Help Desk page and following the directions. You can get to it here and there is also a link in the Student Resources page
(1) Sign-up for a MORNING HELP Sessions!
Students are welcome and encouraged to ask for help if they are having difficulty understanding the material. Help sessions will be before school on most Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 until 7:50. You must make arrangements with Mr. Racchini prior to the day you would like to come in. Also, in order for the students to receive adequate attention for their concerns, space will be limited to five students per help session. Students must have a pass to get into the help session, which will be given to them as an appointment pass in ehallpass the night before the help session. DO NOT just come in and assume your teacher(s) are free, because most mornings they have meetings or are doing many other things to prepare for your day.
(2) Use your IE Period (Intervention and Enrichment)
This year the Middle School will once again implement an Intervention and Enrichment during period 9. During this time, students will be given time to get help on current topics and/or explore different areas of interest to them. Students will use the FlexTime Manager program to select where they would like to or need to go during 9th period. This IE period will be held every day during the period 9 with each subject getting a priority day. For example Wednesdays are Science I/E days. This simply means that if both your Math and Science teacher request you for extra help on a Wednesday, you will automatically be placed in to Science over Math. However, it is not solely the responsibility of the teachers to seek out students to help. If you feel that you are not grasping a concept or skill, then you need to request help from that teacher and sign up for their Flextime.
Almost EVERY DAY, I will offer Science Help as one of my options. There will be 5 seats available everyday. Please only select this flextime if you truly need help with a current topic or if you had an extended absence and need help getting caught up.
Sometimes you may not sign up for my help session and find yourself in another flextime needing help with your science. The first thing you should do is see if anyone else in the room can explain it to you. If no can, or if you need further help, you can request a HALL PASS to come see me for a quick question. to do this:
1.) Open up ehallpass and make a pass to my room
2.) WAIT..... Wait patiently, until your pass is accepted/ Started by me. When I start your pass it indicates that I am now free and able to help you.
3.) Come to my room with your question/ paper that you need help with.
4.) Then return to your original Flextime room.
If you do not need HELP at this time, then you will select an enrichment activity and will be expected to use this time as a way to further expand your understanding of one or more subject areas or other interests through the activities that will be provide to you. This is NOT just FREE TIME. It will be expected that each student has his/her needed materials prior to entering his/her IE class.
(3) Need a Quick answer? Send me a message on the BAND APP!
For the past several years my students and I have used the BAND app to open up a safe line of communication between us. Since it is a Mobile app, it is more likely that I will be able to answer your question or concern faster than reply to an email. The app is required for all students.
For those students with out a cell phone, you are able to join via the BAND website so you can have the same line of communication as everyone else.
** Please be aware, that even though this is maybe the fastest way to address your concern, You might still have to wait a few minutes to get a response. There will be times when I will be driving, involved in an activity with my kids, in a movie theater, or simply away from my phone. Don't panic. I will respond as soon as I am able to.
(4) Lab Make-ups
If you are absent during a lab you will still be required to make-up the lab work. ALL LABS must be made-up BEFORE the summative test can be given to you. If you miss a lab, try to make it up as soon as possible. There are three options to do this:
-
Option One: Before School - BEST OPTION! Tues & Thurs (7:20 - 8:00). These are the best options that will give you the most time to complete the labs. YOU MUST BE ON TIME FOR THIS OPTION! Please see your teacher to sign up for open Lab Make-up mornings.
-
Option Two: IE Period time. Students may choose to use the time during the IE period to make-up any small labs. In most cases the IE time should be enough to make up most labs. However, because this period is often slightly shorter than other a normal class period, there will be some labs that can not be made-up during this time.
-
Option Three: Heinz Days (Catch Up Days). Every once in a while, your teacher will plan a Heinz day for the entire class. This will be the plan for that day. There will only be a few Heinz days throughout the entire school year, so don't plan on always having this as an option.