LOWER SCHOOL
Dear Kindergarten- 4th Grade Families,
The end of the school year is an exciting time, and it foreshadows a well-needed time of rest and rejuvenation! We wish all of our students and families a safe, fun, and relaxing summer. We also want to help our students maintain the academic edge they have worked so hard this year to obtain.
Please remember summer is an important opportunity for your child(ren) to continue developing their reading, writing, and math skills to better prepare them for their next grade. Below are suggested activities to encourage the process of learning during summer vacation. None of these activities are mandatory.
Happy learning and see you in August!
Kelly Von Busch
Director of K-6th Grade
LOWER SCHOOL
Summer Resources
Grades K-4
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Dear MIddle School Families,
The end of the school year is an exciting time, and it foreshadows a well-needed time of rest and rejuvenation! We wish all of our students and families a safe, fun, and relaxing summer. We also want to help our students maintain the academic edge they have worked so hard this year to obtain.
Please remember summer is an important opportunity for your child(ren) to continue developing their reading, writing, and math skills to better prepare them for their next grade. Below are activities to encourage the process of learning during summer vacation.
Note for 7th-8th Grades: the 7th Grade assignments are mandatory for Language Arts. 8th Grade assignments are optional.
Happy learning and see you in August!
Kelly Von Busch
Director of K-6th Grade
Pamela Zipper
Director of 7th-12th Grade
7th-8th Grade Textbooks
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we would like to provide you with important information regarding student textbooks.
Each grade-level has a specific list of required textbooks linked here. This Grade-Level Textbook provides:
• The full list of textbooks your child will need.
• Clear indication of whether the school will provide the textbook or if it is the family’s responsibility to purchase.
To assist families in obtaining the necessary materials, we recommend the following affordable and trusted websites where textbooks can be purchased:
• AbeBooks
• Chegg
NOTE: Please ensure the ISBN number matches the title and edition of the book you are purchasing. Some books have multiple editions, so double-check that you are ordering the correct one.
Please ensure that all textbooks are ordered and received by the first day of school: Thursday, August 7th.
If you have any questions or need assistance with textbook orders, please don’t hesitate to contact Pam Zipper at pzipper@walden-school.org.
Middle School Reading LINKs
5TH GRADE READING
(Optional)
6TH GRADE READING
(Optional)
7TH GRADE READING (MandaTory)*
8TH GRADE READING (optional)
*Why 7th Grade Language Arts Assignments Are Mandatory
These assignments are essential because they give teachers valuable insight into each student’s current writing and language skills. By reviewing students’ writing samples, teachers can better understand their strengths and areas for growth. This helps us tailor the curriculum to meet the specific needs of the incoming 7th Grade class, ensuring all students receive the support and challenges they need to succeed.
5th-6th Grade Math
Parents, over the course of this school year one of our resources has been the use of a math program called Deltamath. This program breaks learning into topics that align with standards. The topics are presented in a way that helps students to understand the process of getting the answers correct. It also allows the students to get immediate feedback, if the answer is incorrect on how to get the correct answer. If the student is assigned 20 questions in a topic, they cannot simply rush the work and do 20 with no care to whether they are right or wrong. Instead, they must get that amount of questions correct before they can close out that topic.
Over the course of the summer the students' accounts on Deltamath will remain active. Each week I will push new work to the students. This will be targeted at needs shown in MAP scores as well as work that will help to best prepare them for the coming school year. I will work to ensure that it is time well spent, designed to give them the best possible push forward for success in the next grade level.
The goal of this is to prevent, to the extent possible, the summer slide. I want the students to feel engaged without feeling overloaded. With all skills, if you don’t practice and use them, they can diminish or get lost over time.
The program shows me metrics including; number of attempts on a problem, time spent on a problem and whether or not they utilized the help videos available to them. I will certainly be available to help our students, should the need arise. We are all committed to the success of your student. As they should be committed to their own personal success.
We hope you and your family have a great summer.
7th-8th Grade math
This school year your student was enrolled in a math course that used ALEKS. Students completed a pre-assessment this past fall and the adaptive nature of this online program identified math topics from their current course that they did not yet know. While students may have learned some of these concepts over the course of this year, additional practice or greater depth of exposure will only be beneficial for moving forward in our curriculum.
Your student's account will remain open throughout the summer. While the 'teacher-specific assignments' component of the program will not contain any new activities, the 'individualized learning pie' component of the program will still be accessible to every student.
The goal this summer is to continue to engage in math concepts each week without being too overwhelming. The point of summer math is to continue working on math concepts a little each week in order to retain what we have learned throughout the year (i.e. “if you don’t use it you lose it).
This summer will be the last time we use ALEKS. Next year we are adopting a new program, Delta Math. Click here if you would like to learn more about the program.
HIGH SCHOOL
Dear High School Families,
The end of the school year is an exciting time, and it foreshadows a well-needed time of rest and rejuvenation! We wish all of our students and families a safe, fun, and relaxing summer. We also want to help our students maintain the academic edge they have worked so hard this year to obtain.
Please remember summer is an important opportunity for your child(ren) to continue developing their reading, writing, and math skills to better prepare them for their next grade. Below are activities to encourage the process of learning during summer vacation.
Note: Any AP assignments listed for high school are mandatory.
Happy learning and see you in August!
Pamela Zipper
Director of 7th-12th Grade
High School Textbooks
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we would like to provide you with important information regarding student textbooks.
Each grade-level has a specific list of required textbooks linked here. This Grade-Level Textbook provides:
• The full list of textbooks your child will need.
• Clear indication of whether the school will provide the textbook or if it is the family’s responsibility to purchase.
To assist families in obtaining the necessary materials, we recommend the following affordable and trusted websites where textbooks can be purchased:
• AbeBooks
• Chegg
NOTE: Please ensure the ISBN number matches the title and edition of the book you are purchasing. Some books have multiple editions, so double-check that you are ordering the correct one.
Please ensure that all textbooks are ordered and received by the first day of school: Thursday, August 7th.
If you have any questions or need assistance with textbook orders, please don’t hesitate to contact Pam Zipper at pzipper@walden-school.org.
GENERAL SCHOOL SUPPLIES
All high school students will get a more detailed list of supplies needed for their specific classes on the first day of school. All students should bring general supplies including:
• Notebooks
• Loose leaf paper
• Graphing paper
• Pencils and black/blue pens
• A graphing calculator (TI-84 family of TI-NSpire family)
• Organizer/agenda
High School English
WHY READING MATTERS (EVEN WHEN IT’S OPTIONAL)
Reading isn’t just an assignment—it’s a powerful tool for expanding your mind, building empathy, and sharpening your ability to think critically. Whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, or something in between, reading helps you connect ideas, understand different perspectives, and find your own voice.
This year, reading is your choice. What you read—and how much—can be a reflection of your curiosity and your willingness to grow. We’re not just checking boxes anymore. We’re inviting you to explore, reflect, and discover what matters to you.
Choose something that interests you. Give it a chance. You might be surprised by what sticks with you long after you’ve finished the last page. Below are some suggestions from your teachers to guide you in your love for reading.
High School Reading Links
High School reading recommendations are optional (not mandatory).
English 1 (Optional)
9th Grade
English 3/Ap Language (Optional)
Sophomore Seminar (Optional)
Mandatory: Get a Library Card
senior english (Optional)
High School Math
This school year your student was enrolled in a math course that used ALEKS. Students completed a pre-assessment this past fall and the adaptive nature of this online program identified math topics from their current course that they did not yet know. While students may have learned some of these concepts over the course of this year, additional practice or greater depth of exposure will only be beneficial for moving forward in our curriculum.
Your student's account will remain open throughout the summer. While the 'teacher-specific assignments' component of the program will not contain any new activities, the 'individualized learning pie' component of the program will still be accessible to every student.
The goal this summer is to continue to engage in math concepts each week without being too overwhelming. The point of summer math is to continue working on math concepts a little each week in order to retain what we have learned throughout the year (i.e. “if you don’t use it you lose it).
This summer will be the last time we use ALEKS. Next year we are adopting a new program, Delta Math. Click here if you would like to learn more about the program.
Mandatory AP CourseWORK
Ap Us History (Mandatory)*
AP PreCalculus
(Mandatory)
AP Calculus AB/BC (Mandatory)
Ap Spanish (Mandatory)
*Note: Ap Us History
Students going into AP US History must complete this assignment. There will be a summative assessment and applicative essay or DBQ within the first couple of weeks of school on the material after brief discussion and orientation to the course.
Students should make a copy of the attached doc and complete this assignment.