[Vocabulary] Booklets? Journals?

[Walt Whitman]

English teacher

In Italy, students have little booklets (kind of like passports) where teachers write grades and notes to parents, which have to be signed and returned when indicated. Do you have anything similar? How do you call it?

Thank you.
WW

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

Where I went to school this was simply known as 'the report'.

 

[Walt Whitman]

Hi Roman55.

In Italy, "the report" is called "la pagella", which is quite different from the booklet I was referring to in my OP. "The report" is usually given out twice a year. Students must carry their "booklets" with them every day. This “booklet” is a sort of little book of about 20 pages equal in size to a passport. It contains grades, notes to parents (if their kids misbehave, forget materials, don’t do homework, etc.), absent notes, and so on.

 

[Barb_D]

We have nothing like that where I live.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

In the U.S., they're called report cards.

 

[SoothingDave]

In the U.S., they're called report cards.

Yes, but they are issued on a set schedule, usually every 6 or 9 weeks. They are not used to convey messages to parents on an ongoing basis.

 

[Walt Whitman]

They are not used to convey messages to parents on an ongoing basis.

This is what I'm looking for.
Since there seems to be nothing like that, do you think "booklet" would be an appropriate term?
Likewise, do you think "Communications via (student's) booklet" would be a suitable phrase?
WW

 

[SoothingDave]

I wouldn't know what you meant by "booklet" unless you explained it. Then it would be suitable term.

 

[Tdol]

Journal might work better- like SoothingDave, I wouldn't know what booklet meant without an explanation.

 

[Walt Whitman]

So, if I used the term "journal" would you know what I mean without an explanation?
Would it be clear that a student's journal usually contains grades, notes to parents, etc.
as I explained in my previous posts?
WW

 

[Barb_D]

I think of a journal as a personal document with writing recorded by the journal's owner.
Maybe if you called it a "course journal" or "class journal" it would work. You would need to explain this to American parents.

 

[Walt Whitman]

Thanks Barb_D.

Do you think "student's journal" would work also?
Each student is given a journal at the beginning of the school year. They are supposed to carry it with them every day.
WW

 

[Barb_D]

To me, since we don't have this thing here, "student's journal" would suggest something kept only by and for the student. Perhaps they would write their assignments, perhaps their thoughts. But I would never infer that there would be comments from the teacher to the parent in the student's journal unless you had spent some time describing this thing to me first.

 

[Walt Whitman]

Thanks again Barb_D.

Let's see. In Italy we call this thing "libretto scolastico" = (literal translation) "school booklet". It's a small thin book", about 20 pages, similar in size to a passport.
Every student has got one. It is divided into sections: (1) student's absences (reason for the absence signed by a parent); (2) student's grades; (3) notes to parents.
I don't think it can be called "class journal" because it does not belong to the whole class.
Well, I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
WW

 

[Barb_D]

Then call it an an "individual student's school booklet" the first time and simply "the booklet" or "school booklet" after that.

 

[Walt Whitman]

EUREKA!

Thanks a lot Ms Barb_D.
WW