'CHAT WITH CHANG' 

Chinese CBE 101
April 4, 2019

• CBE1 and CBE2 are offered to our current 6^th and 7^th graders who are in the advanced immersion group (discouraged for beginning immersion students)
• Passing Score: 80
• High school credit courses that can be earned at MIMS are: Chinese 1, Chinese 2, Chinese 3, and Chinese 4
• High school credits earned in middle school will NOT be included in the GPA calculation in high schools.
• Our Chinese 1 course is harder than the Chinese 1 course offered in high schools.
• Students have the option to take non-high school credit course, Mandarin Reading, after passing CBE.
• Descriptions of each component of CBE and samples for CBE 1 and CBE 2 will be posted on PTO webpage.

STAAR Anxiety
MARCH 6, 2019

• STAAR overview
• Review: TEA STAAR Released Test Questions
• Passing Standards
• Accountability System for Schools
• Middle School Classes at MIMS (PreAP, High School Credits)

How to Help Your Child at Home
FEBRUARY 7, 2019

• Agenda
• Your Voice is Important

Some parents and I had a great conversation last night about how to help their child at home. There were other topics mentioned, including field trips, CIASP, testing, and magnet funding.

There are 2 more Chat with Chang sessions:

• March 7, 2019   STAAR Anxiety
• April 4, 2019     Chinese CBE 101

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Mr. ChaoLin Chang, Principal

Middle School Course Sequence
JANUARY 10, 2019

• All PreAP Middle School Courses
• Opportunities for High School Credit Courses

7^th Grade: Chinese 1, Chinese 2, Chinese 3 or Chinese 4

8^th Grade: Algebra, Biology, Chinese 1, Chinese 2, Chinese 3 or Chinese 4

• Attend Information session on January 17^th from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at R301
• Course options based on budget and availability
• Follow SDMC Meeting Minutes for more details 

Other Topics

• HISD Preliminary Budget Update
• Support our teachers

SEL  & Understanding Our Teachers [continued]
DECEMBER 6, 2018

The topic this month at MIMS is SEL (Social Emotional Learning) & Understanding Our Teachers. 
Here are the key notes:

• We have 30+ students signed up for Psych on Site service. The counselor is on campus to assess students for eligibility.
• Parents mentioned that some parents are not as courteous as others. I will continue to encourage parents to support our teachers and each other.
• Middle-of-Year Teacher Satisfaction Survey has been sent to teachers.
• HISD School Choice has heard our desire to continue language learning in High School. Proposal will be made to present to the Board.

Understanding Our Teachers
NOVEMBER 8, 2018

Several parents participated in the “Chat with Chang” on November 8th. Although the topic was “understanding our teachers”, my focus was to help our parents understand our Chinese teachers better. Parents identified some areas that might lead to misunderstanding and I provided feedback based on my personal experiences. It is not an excuse for our teachers, but I wanted parents to know that our teacher try their best to work with them in order to support our students. Here are some key points.

1. Incorrect Grammar: Most of our teachers learn English as a second language. Mistakes do happen, but the teachers are encouraged to work with English teachers to proofread emails and other documents.
2. Writing Style: In Chinese writing, details are often inferred and “the less is more”. Teachers are encouraged to provide more details when communicating with parents. Parents are encouraged to ask clarification questions before forming conclusions. 
3. Differentiation: Most of the classrooms in China or Taiwan expect students work on the same assignments. HISD TADS standard (I-3) expects teachers to provide differentiated instructions. Rigor and differentiation have been on our PD agenda every year. 
4. Negative Feedback: Chinese teachers tend to be straightforward when interacting with students by pointing out the areas that require attention for improvement. There are PD sessions focusing on communicating effectively with parents. One parent pointed out that it can be considered as “shaming” if a teacher identifies all students who have passed the test because it can be inferred that the rest of the students fail. Teachers need to be aware to protect students’ privacy.
5. Parents were advised to reach out and communicate their concerns with teachers. However, only focus on the facts and try not to add emotion in the emails (e.g., all caps, strong adjectives).

Immersion 101
OCTOBER 5, 2018

One of the strategies to help our students develop advanced language skills is to create various opportunities to apply their classroom learning in real-life situations (e.g., dialogues in the morning assembly, Great Race, academic competitions, student ambassadors). The 17^th Greater Houston Area Chinese Speech Contest will be held on November 4^th. Please review PTO webpage (mimspto.org) for more details.

Here are some strategies provided by the event host:

1. Pick a title and tell a story that the student can relay.
2. Provide enough details in the story so that the student can finish within time limit.
3. Add gestures and facial expressions to enhance the speech.
4. If preferred, simple prompts are allowed.
5. Please do not read the script.

China Trip for 8^th Graders
SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

Key Points:

• Our 8^th graders are eligible to participate the China trip hosted by HISD Confucius Institute 2019
• Last year’s trip was in the last 2 weeks of June (CI is waiting for confirmation from the university for the dates)
• Students will spend 2 weeks in Harbin Normal University (teacher prep university)
• Live on campus (half day intensive language lessons, half day cultural excursion)
• HISD chaperones, no parents (8 to 1 adult to student ratio)
• Estimated fee per student: $2,200 that includes airfare, VISA, insurance, and fees (need to be paid in full 6 weeks prior to departure)
• Application should be ready by mid-October
• Stay tuned for more information

 2019 Spring Semester Topics:

• February 7, 2019 How to Help your Child at Home
• March 7, 2019 STAAR Anxiety
• April 4, 2019 Chinese CBE 101