September 29, 2005

Parents,

 Cobb Middle School students will present to the Leon County School Board a
check in the amount of $3,200.  As you know, this money will go to the Red
Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  There will be a live
district news conference today at 10 a.m. on cable Channel 23.

On other news, Cobb invites students to take the PSAT/NMSQT on Wednesday,
October 12, 2005.  This test is the same test that is usually administered
to 10th and 11th graders.  Taking this test is optional and shows you
firsthand what kind of reading, math, and writing skills your child will
need to succeed in college.  It is never too early to start planning for
your child’s future.  The PSAT will take approximately 2.5 hours and will
be given on the morning of October 12, 2005.  Each student will need to
bring a couple of sharpened number 2 pencils and a calculator.  The PSAT
will have 5 sections: two verbal, two math, and one writing.  You will
receive your child’s score, answers to the test questions, and a selection
index.  The cost to take the test at Cobb will be $12.00 and checks should
be made payable to Cobb Middle School.  If you have questions, please call
Bob Coleman (488-3364) or email ([log in to unmask]).

Last week your child took the first of four writing assessments called
Writes Upon Request (WUR).  Your child will bring home a letter stating the
score he/she received from the WUR essay. The letter also explains how the
writing is scored; papers can range from “unscorable” to “6.”  We have a
school goal for all of our students to score at least a “4.” Remember the
promotion requirement for writing requires a sixth-grader to have a score
of 3.5 or higher on one of the four WUR papers.  Seventh and eighth graders
are required to score 3.5 or higher on both persuasive and expository
essays.  All the promotion requirements were explained to your child this
week during the Language Arts classes.  Our guidance counselors, Mrs.
Thompson and Mrs. Reilly, visited each language arts class this week
explaining the promotion requirements and giving each child a brochure to
take home for parents.  If you should have any questions about the
brochure, please do not hesitate to call our guidance department.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Shannon Meeks, Principal