SOARING LIKE EAGLES The Journey Through Middle School

SOARING LIKE EAGLES: The Journey Through Middle School 6 th Welcome 2017 -2018 Grade Parents!

Tonight’s Agenda The Middle School Child: The Changes Counseling Program Academic Program Extracurricular Activities Lunch Program Discipline/Dress Code Tools for Parents School Involvement

The Changes Physical ◦ Maturity occurs at different rates; there is a wide variety of shapes and sizes Emotional ◦ Often moody; a result of their body Intellectual ◦ Think more abstractly; handle complex tasks Social ◦ Friends are important

Changes in the School Routine Ø Ø Adjustments ◦ Lunch period ◦ Lockers ◦ Changing classes, rotating classes More Responsibilities ◦ Courses more difficult ◦ More homework ◦ More independent work ◦ More freedom

Changes in the School Routine ØNew Experiences o Clubs 6 th-8 th Grade o Athletic Events o School-wide Activities ØNew Classes o o ELA Enrichment Healthcare Sciences, Marketing Computer Applications, Technology Band, Drama, Public Speaking

The Changes: Advice to Parents Have your child…………. 1. Use a system to record assignments/due dates • • 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. itslearning Paper calendar Check itslearning every night Stay organized Be prepared for class Ask for help Be at school every day

Counseling Department Counselors provide the following to students: Group Counseling Individual Counseling Classroom Guidance Mediation Career Exploration/Career Cruising SOAR Leadership Development Program

ACADEMIC PROGRAM Ø Ø Semester System Progress reports every 4 ½ weeks via parent portal. Printed report cards every 9 weeks. Standards-Based Grading Formative— 20%; Summative— 80%

ACADEMIC PROGRAM Ø Ø ABC Schedule A/B/C Rotations Students will have every class every day. Period 1 remains the same; the other six classes will rotate on an every three week basis. Placement in Courses Recommendation Process

ACADEMIC PROGRAM Various Levels of Classes Resource Co-Taught On-level Advanced/Gifted

On-Level and Advanced/Gifted Classes Both……. • Follow the Georgia Standards of Excellence • • Provide a framework to prepare students for success in the 21 st century world Homework is most often dictated by each student’s productivity and time management during class

On-Level vs. Advanced/Gifted ON-LEVEL Average pace Required reading Independent and guided reading, annotations Complex problems broken down into steps Repetition and practice offered Multimedia presentations ADVANCED/GIFTED Faster pace Higher text complexity reading Independent reading with annotatio Apply new learning to complex problems Recall previous learning with little prompting Multi-step projects incorporating multimedia

Successful Characteristics of Advanced/Gifted students Self-advocate Independent learner Strong self-discipline and work ethic Strong communication and writing skills Strong organization skills and self-motivation

ACADEMIC PROGRAM Core Academic Classes Math Language Arts Science Social Studies Enrichment ELA with Study Skills

ACADEMIC PROGRAM 6 th Grade Math • Multiplication/Division with fractions • Equivalent Ratios/solving for a missing value • Writing numerical expressions from verbal expressions • Writing verbal expressions from numerical expressions • Create and solve one-variable equations and inequalities • Determine surface area of triangles and polygons • Calculate volume of right rectangular prisms • Understand rational numbers and absolute value • Understand calculate measures of central tendency and coordinated variability measures

ACADEMIC PROGRAM 6 th Grade English Language Arts • Non-fiction Reading • Literature & Novel Studies • Grammar • Write arguments using evidence and logical reasoning from text Summer Reading Assignment Coming soon on SFMS website!

ACADEMIC PROGRAM 6 th Grade Earth Science Rocks and Fossil Plate Tectonics Soil, Erosion and Weathering The Water on Earth Ocean Floor Features The Movement of Ocean Water Meteorology Astronomy

ACADEMIC PROGRAM 6 th Grade Social Studies The geography, history, economy, and civics of the following countries and regions: Canada Caribbean South America New Zealand Islands of Oceania Mexico Central America Australia Europe

ACADEMIC PROGRAM Enrichment ELA English/Language Arts Standards Research-based SIM Strategies Proficiency in Sentence Writing Test Taking Mnemonics INFER Listening and Note Taking Organization- year-round istudy for success -additional on-line practice of strategies

Connections and PE All students will take PE and Health PE Uniforms required ($20 -$25) The t-shirt students received while touring SFMS may be used as their PE shirt Locks for PE lockers are required ($5) Rotate through the other Connections randomly Art, Computer Literacy, Drama, Technology, Music, Healthcare Science, Marketing, Public Speaking Band Chorus are optional year-long classes

Band 6 th Grade Instrument Fitting: May 15 5: 00 -8: 00 pm, Connections Hallway Power. Point online highlighting the instruments is posted on the school website

Chorus is a year-long music class where students learn to sing and read music as part of a large group. Sixth Grade will perform four times outside of school during the course of the year. We also have several fun trips planned for next Spring! No audition or previous experience is required to take and enjoy chorus.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Sports We do offer intramurals to 6 th grade students. August Basketball September Basketball October Wiffleball November Flag Football December Rec Games January Rec Games February Rec Games/Bball March Kickball April Indoor Soccer May Basketball

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Clubs Academic Bowl Aerospace Education Be Code Confident Beta Club Blue Crew Chamber Choir Chess Club Cricket Club Debate Club Drama Club Eagle Pride FCA Geology Club Glee Club Grateful Girls Give Back Homeless Pet Club I’m Possible (Advanced Art) Introduction to VEX Robotics Club Jazz Band Just One Africa Math Club Men’s Chorus National Geographic Club News Crew Philosophy Club Retro Games Club Robotics Running Club Science Olympiad SOAR Team Student Government Table Top Gaming Club Tri-M Voice Class/Club Writers’ Melting Pot

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Organizations TSA FBLA HOSA DECA

LUNCH PROGRAM Breakfast and lunch are served each school day. Menus are available on our website. We do accept cash and checks for payment of meals or prepayment on account. You may prepay for meals using a major credit card. For more information visit www. forsyth. k 12. ga. us

6 th Grade Expectations Grade Level Discipline Plan ◦ Classroom Discipline Not being prepared Minor class disruptions ◦ Office Referrals Four or more classroom discipline slips Major class disruptions

DISCIPLINE Code of Conduct for grades 6 – 12 (Different from elementary)

Everything is Possible Passion First We are connected 100% Accountable Attitude of Gratitude Live to Give The Time is Now

A Few Important Details Car Rider Line AM vs PM Traffic two lanes in front of school Walkers-after school only, not after events Rainy Days

itslearning forsyth. itslearning. com Parents: Same username and password as Parent Portal Students: Same username and password as what they use to log-in to the school computers Can also be used for Parent Portal to check their own grades without access to sibling information! Use itslearning to check for daily assignments and upcoming tasks Use Parent Portal to check grades

itslearning When logging in as a parent, multiple children may be listed on the left Content blocks with classes, lesson plans, and tasks due (& past due) are listed on the right hand side Don’t Forget! Update your settings on itslearning to receive the emails and/or text notifications that your child is also receiving

When logging in as a parent, multiple children may be listed on the left Content blocks with classes, lesson plans, and tasks due (& past due) are listed on the right hand side Don’t Forget! Update your settings on itslearning to receive the emails and/or text notifications that your child is also receiving Click on your name in the top right corner and select Your Settings

Helpful Tips Log in as your child – this allows you to access/download documents and see more detailed information ◦ Even better: Have your child log-in for you and show you how to navigate itslearning – put the responsibility on your child! There’s an APP for that… ◦ Parent Portal District Code: NMPXCZ Check out the Parent Tutorial: http: //vimeo. com/77228950 Additional Training Materials are posted on itslearning!

Stay Informed…. Campus Messenger Communication Folder Constant Contact Facebook & Twitter Remind (app) School Website

SFMS Website School Calendar Latest News (from Calendar) Upcoming Events (Big News Items) Quick Links ABC Rotation Itslearning My Payments. Plus Contests Soaring Eagles

Be an involved parent, Support PTO!

We’ll see you at 6 th grade Open House on Monday, July 31 10: 30 - 12: 30 pm 6 th grade A-K 4: 00 -6: 00 pm 6 th grade L-Z