LATHROP R-II SCHOOL DISTRICT

700 East Street Lathrop, Missouri 64465

Distinction in Performance

CHRIS FINE, SUPERINTENDENT

Phone: 816-740-3861 Fax: 816-528-7514

MR. ROBERT BOWERS MR. KURTIS JENSEN MR. CHAUNCEY RARDON

High School Principal Middle School Principal Elementary School Principal

Phone: 740-4502 Phone: 740-3451 Phone: 740-3935

Dear Parents,

One of our biggest concerns at LMS centers on homework. Some middle school kids struggle with organizational skills and have trouble remembering they have homework to complete, or even remembering to bring it back to school.

When a student does not turn a homework assignment in, he or she receives a “0” in the gradebook. This not only affects the student’s grade, but it also means the student may not have learned the information, and at the very least puts he/she further behind in the class. For this reason we started the ZAP (Zeroes Aren’t Permitted) program. Not only has this program helped students academic performance, it has greatly increased the amount of communication between the teachers and parents. However, as we are always looking to improve, we have made a few changes to the program this year.

The ZAP program will work like this, if a student does not have two or more homework assignments completed, or fails to do it to the best of his/her ability (which is the teacher’s call) the student will be “Zapped”. The “Zapped” student will be required to attend the ZAP room during 8th hour (the last hour of the day). If the student does not have the assignments completed by the end of 8th hour, they will be required to stay after school to complete the assignment. If the student stays after school, they will be missing any extra curricular activities until the assignment is complete.

Ten percent will be deducted because it is late, but that is much better than receiving a zero. Anyone not in the program will continue to attend the 8th hour ZAP room, but will not be required to stay after school. I hope all of you will see how beneficial this can be and allow your children into the program.

Schools using this program have shown a great decline in the number of assignments not completed on time. Our goal is for the students to believe they might as well do the homework on time because we will get it out of them eventually.

Sincerely,

Kurtis Jensen

Principal

Lathrop Middle School

Yes, I agree to allow my child to attend the ZAP program to complete missing assignments after school.

No, I will not allow my child to attend the ZAP program to complete missing assignments after school.

X______

Parent Signature Date

Website: http://lathrop.schooldesk.net/ E-mail: