Dear Parents/Guardians of 9th Graders,

In order to give every 9th grader the opportunity to succeed at Bowie High School, we will provide a mandatory tutorial class for every 9th grader who earns a grade less than 70 for each Six Weeks Grade Reporting Period in a 9th grade core class.  Core classes are academic and Pre-AP classes in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.

We have named this class I Can Succeed (ICS).

•    9th graders will attend ICS class twice a week for 30 minutes each day during the first 30 minutes of his/her lunch period.
•    9th graders receiving a failing grade in two core classes will attend a ICS class four times a week  (twice for each core class for which a failing grade is earned).
•    9th graders who earn a grade less than 70 in more than two core classes, that include Math & Science, will attend the Math (Algebra I or Pre-AP Algebra) and the Science (Biology or Pre-AP Biology); four classes a week  - Monday thru Thursday.

Attendance will be required for a minimum of the first 3 weeks of the current six weeks period.   
The tutorial teachers are either certified in the subject they tutor or are college-degreed professionals.  
Students who deliberately miss this class will receive a disciplinary consequence.  
Students who have an excused absence for their ICS class will attend ICS class on Friday as a make-up session.

If the student is passing the academic core class by the end of the third week of the current six weeks reporting period, then he/she may be dismissed from attending ICS in the 4th week of that six weeks reporting period.  However, if the student is still failing a core class, he/she will be required to attend ICS until a passing grade (70 or higher) is achieved.

A 9th grade special needs student who earns a grade less than 70 in a core academic class will attend an ICS class, as well.

The lunch period for students in ICS begins after their class ends as per the schedule below.

Monday/Wednesday     4th period tutorial class    11:41 - 12:11 (Wed. 4th period for ICS is 12:02-12:25)
Monday/Wednesday     5th period tutorial class    12:37 - 1:07   (Wed. 5th period for ICS is 12:54-1:17)  
Tuesday/Thursday        4th period tutorial class    11:41 - 12:11
Tuesday/Thursday        5thperiod tutorial class     12:37 - 1:07
Friday                          4th period tutorial class    11:41 - 12:11
Friday                          5th period tutorial class    12:37 - 1:07

On Fridays – Attendance to ICS is not required.   Attendance is required only for those students who were absent from ICS class earlier in the week.

As you already know, when home and school work together, the likelihood that our students will be successful increases.  The I Can Succeed class is our intent to allow students to accept some of the responsibility for the improvement of their learning.  By taking ownership of this important role, we believe your son/daughter will more regularly experience academic success.  Please support us in this genuine effort to help your child succeed in his/her educational endeavors.

As with any new program, there will be some questions that you and your child will have.   Please direct your questions, comments, or concerns to assistant principal Jorge Luis Rodriguez at 414-7309.  We are very hopeful and excited that the ICS class will offer all our 9th graders the opportunity to experience success.  ICS is not intended to be a “permanent” class to which a student is assigned.  However, if academic success becomes a persistent problem for your student to attain, then we will work with you to provide your student the academic offering that will help him/her to achieve academic success at Bowie High School.

REMINDER:  ICS class begins on Monday, 15 October 2007.  Attendance is mandatory for any 9th grader who receives a grade less than 70 in a core academic or Pre-AP class - Algebra I, Pre-AP Algebra I, Biology, Pre-AP Biology, English I, Pre-AP English I, World Geography, Pre-AP World Geography.

Sincerely…………………………………………………Jorge Luis Rodriguez

Students that receive a grade of less than a 70 will receive a form with their tutorial sessions (dates and times) circled.   An example of this form may be viewed by clicking here.