Grade 8 is considered the culminating year of middle school/junior high at Portsmouth Middle School.  This is their last year in our school, but the first year that they can begin earning high school graduation proficiencies/high school credit.  Students continue with four specialized content area teachers on a team and add Spanish to their core curriculum.

Your child’s current progress toward mastering grade-level standards is designed to be met by the end of the school year.  Here are a few notes:

• Grade 8 is on a quarter schedule (four progress reports/four formal report cards)

  • Our progress report is the same as the report card. 

  • The progress report and report card will be published in the Aspen Family Portal   

• Middle school grading is based on a traditional 100-point scale, which is then converted to the conventional letter system.

• A (90-100): Your child has mastered the end-of-year benchmark.

• B (80-89): Your child is meeting grade-level expectations of the standard.

• C (70-79): Your child has a basic understanding of the standard and is approaching grade-level expectations.

• D (60-69): Your child is beginning to understand the content, but may need additional support to meet grade-level expectations.

• Any grade below a 65 is considered a failing grade and would deem a student academically ineligible for extracurricular activities/athletics.  

• F (Below 60): Your child is not meeting grade level expectations and requires significant support.

Growth Mindset: We encourage you to focus on your child’s growth, not just the grades. Learning is a journey, and each child develops at their own pace. Praise their efforts and help them set goals for the next grading period.