Shepherd Junior High 6 th Grade Parent Information Night

1. Shepherd Junior High6th Grade Parent Information Night Mrs. Eileen Cahoon, Principal Mrs. Jennifer Chilton, Asst. Principal

2. Counselor Assignments • Mrs. NetinaBodine 8th grade • Mrs. Eva Dwight 7thgrade

3. The role of a junior high counselor Academic advisor - planning classes to take in grades 7 – 12 - helping students define academic goals and how to achieve them Facilitate parent/teacher conferences, as needed Teach monthly classroom units: 7th grade: focus on transition to junior high and career exploration 8th grade: focus on career exploration, preparation for high school Personal/social counselor– assist students in dealing with personal issues, as needed Facilitate academic support groups for students who are struggling in classes Other hats worn , as needed

4. School mascot: Stallion School colors: Navy blue and gray 7 class periods: 50 minutes each 4 minute passing time between classes 2 lunch times: A, & B (1/2 hour each)

5. Registration Process Our junior high day consists of 6 classes (7 periods—English Language Arts is 2 periods long: one period English, one period reading), five days per week. Elective choices offered depend on the number of students selecting each subject and the availability of staff and materials. The pre-registrationprocess provides information about your student’s choices. It does NOT ensure that your child will be in these classes. • Confirmation of students’ schedules requires your participation in Mail-In Registration. • You can expect to receive Mail-In Registration forms by mid-July. They must be postmarked and mailed back to the school by the end of July. You can expect to start receiving schedules back during the first week in August. • Office personnel are not available until after July 30th. • Once the Mail-In Registration packet has been processed, a class schedule, student ID and bus routes will be mailed to you.

8. 1 hour in addition to the ELA reading class that is part of the regular schedule taught during 2 hour ELA block for all students

9. Please return this form to your child’s 6th grade teacher, along with the registration form! If you select the A hour, summer school, or test out option, we will contact you by the end of the school year, to confirm your child’s participation.

10. Gifted and Talented(formerly Extended Learning Program) GT (ELP) in junior high is Honors English, social studies, science, and math *If your child is already in ELP/GT, we will use test scores to determine appropriate placement by subject level *Please indicate if you do NOT want your child placed in honors classes by NOT marking the placement request boxes AND ALSO by writing NO HONORS in the Gifted and Talented box on your form. *If you want your child to be placed in GT/Honors, and he/she is not currently in the elementary GT/ELP program: Your child should be making A’s in 6th grade and be ready for the additional challenge of the more rigorous course curriculum in the Honors classes. *Mark Please test for honors in the box on the registration form *testing dates: to be determined (We will contact parents who mark the Please test boxes.) *If your child does not earn a qualifying score on the Cognitive Abilities Test but you still want him/her to take the Honors classes, we will discuss the process for placement with you. Please note: those students who make less than a C in Honors at the end of the quarter or semester, will be moved to the general level class.

11. Math/Science Placements If you receive your child’s class list in the summer and believe they have been inappropriately placed in math, please make note of it on the registration form when you mail it in. We will call you to discuss the placement before sending your child’s schedule. If you want your child placed in advanced math/science: Cognitive Abilities Test quantitative or nonverbal score of 90+ = MA10 Accelerated Math 7 (earning an A in this class would place the student in Algebra I in 8th grade, for high school credit) Lower scores will require a parent to sign a waiver taking responsibility for that decision, and we will need to look at current grades in 6th grade math/science. Honors math (Accelerated Math 7) will be automatically linked to Honors science, as the teachers will be doing cross-curricular assignments throughout the year

12. Adolescent Brain Development The adolescent brain is different from an adult brain. Even when a teenager LOOKS fully grown, his/her brain is still developing. The brain is not fully developed until about age 20 - 25. The greatest changes to the parts of the brain that are responsible for self-control, judgment, emotions, and organization occur between puberty and adulthood. You may be thinking: My child was pretty (or very) successful in elementary school. He/she is getting older now and should be able to manage homework assignments, studying for tests, following through on expectations, etc. …and you may be absolutely right! However,…

13. In junior high, your child will have… *6 teachers (7 if you sign him/her up for A hour) *up to 6 homework assignments per night *quizzes or tests on any day of the week *extended assignments or projects that aren’t just due the next day *a wider variety of kids to hang out with, social pressures, personal pressures, family pressures, etc. He/she may have difficulty staying organized, keeping track of due dates, remembering to study, figuring out HOW to study…. 7th grade is a big transition year and your child needs you NOW, more than ever!

14. Help your child be successful in junior high • Check your child’s planner daily. • Expect daily homework in math and ask them to show it to you. • Expect weekly homework in English and social studies – vocabulary, spelling, study guides, etc.; ask them to show you and spend time reviewing. • Read 20 minutes daily – newspaper, book, magazine, etc. • Encourage your child to attend AM or PM tutoring programs or make an appointment with a teacher for extra help. • Get a user code for My MPS Portal so you can easily track attendance and grades online, as well as have an easy email link to teachers. Your elementary school front office secretary can give you an access code and directions for setting up your user name and password. • Encourage your child to sign up for clubs and activities. This can help them feel more like a “big fish in a small pond” and give them opportunities to make friends with students who have something in common. • For students who really struggle with organization and following through on the necessary tasks to be successful in school, we offer academic support groups. Students meet once/week with a counselor during either PE or their elective class to work on self-management skills, receive a weekly grade printout, and discuss weekly goals for success. Please call your child’s counselor to discuss this possibility if you believe it would be helpful. 472.1816