HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD BE SUCCESSFUL IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

1. HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD BE SUCCESSFUL IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

2. Overview • Middle school basics • What does a day in middle school look like? • What are the teacher’s expectations? • How can parents support their child? • Middle School Organization • Technology and your child • Career and College planning

3. Middle School Basics • School Calendar-Website is Key!! • Attendance Policies • Code of Conduct/School Rules • School Counselors • Courses • Scheduling • Extracurricular Activities • Standardized Tests • Bullying

4. What does the day look like? Regular Bell Schedule 8:30 Warning Bell 8:35 – 10:07 1st/5th Block 10:12-11:42 2nd/6th Block 11:47 – 1:47 3rd/7th Block 1:52 – 3:23 4th/8th Block On A days blocks 1,2,3 & 4 meet. On B days blocks 5, 6, 7 & 8 meet.

5. When does my child eat lunch? Lunch A 11:47-12:17 Lunch B 12:17-12:47 Lunch C 12:47-1:17 Lunch D 1:17-1:47

6. What are my child’s teacher’s expectations? Visit the Stone Hill Middle School website http://www.lcps.org/shms Click Staff Select your child’s teacher View syllabi, resources for additional help, curriculum, project information, and calendar for homework and upcoming tests and projects.

9. What is Resource? • Purpose • Provides an opportunity for students to: • Complete homework • Retake tests • Receive additional instruction from teachers

10. Resource Schedule • 6th and 7th graders • 45 minutes every other day, at the same time their core academic teachers are on planning and available to help students. • Spectrum students go to Spectrum in place of resource • 8th graders • 90 minutes every other day. • Spectrum students have Resource for 45 minutes every other day.

11. The Parent Portal as a Tool for Communication

13. Ways Clarity can provide information…

14. Missing assignments will be prominently displayed.

15. Teachers may write more general comments here.

16. Teachers can link to documents to provide resources.

17. What are middle schoolers most concerned with?

18. Changes, Changes, Changes • Physical Changes • Emotional Changes • Intellectual Changes • Social Changes • Be aware and be informed • Communicate with your child • Teach Responsibility • Provide appropriate consequences

19. How can school counselors help your child? • Provide individual, group, and classroom guidance • Mediate peer issues • Collaborate with teachers • Conduct career and educational counseling

20. What can parents do?

21. Partner with Your School • Support the school and the teachers • Make the most of parent-teacher conferences • Communicate with the school staff • Work with the school to resolve problems • Get to know the administration, counselors and especially teachers • Attend all parent programs

22. What can parents do at home? • Keep lines of communication open • Get/stay involved in your children’s lives • Encourage extra curricular activities • Provide school supplies and a place to study • Help set academic goals/Provide academic support • See all midterm reports and report cards • Use rewards and consequences to encourage change

23. What can parents do at home?(con’t) • Encourage a healthy lifestyle • Help improve organizational skills • Help with time management • Make homework your child’s responsibility • Encourage independent problem solving • Insist that they attend school regularly and on time. If they will be absent, call the absentee line 703-957-4422

24. Organization

25. Organized Student Doesn’t cram everything he owns in his backpack Can identify and bring home the books, supplies, and worksheets he needs in order to complete his homework Can locate his finished homework in class and hand it in on time Can study efficiently because he knows when tests are coming up, has set aside enough time to study, and doesn’t waste time looking for class notes and handouts

26. Disorganized Student Frequently loses papers Doesn’t hand in assignments on time or at all Has a backpack full of crumpled paper and random objects Can’t break down long-term projects and misses deadlines Leaves everything for the last minute Disrupts home life with frantic searches, urgent request for late-night help, and anxiety ridden meltdowns Exhausted by the effort they put into trying to keep themselves together Often end up doing twice the work

27. The Three-Part World of the Organized Student Organization in school Organization at home Time Management

28. Organization at Home Place to do her homework and an easy way to store papers and projects he isn’t using in school anymore. Needs to be able to function both in his bedroom and within the household at large The Desktop File Box and desk, are tools that make doing work at home less stressful and more effective.

29. Organization in School Place to keep current class notes and handouts Way to get everything from home to school and from classroom to classroom Someplace to store everything when she’s not using it. Binder, the backpack, and the locker are the three storage systems that can make your child’s school day more efficient and productive

30. Binders • Follow Subject Area Teacher Tab Guidelines • Papers in Correct Binders • Homework Tab or Folder

31. Locker • Purge: remove any unnecessary papers and trash - 3 to 4 times a year • Accessories :Out fit the locker with accessories that make it easier for your child to find things. • Shelves • Schedule • Map of locker • Categories: Separate the contents of the locker into categories. Maybe, have an A-day shelf and B-day shelf. • Keep it up- regular maintenance, check to see if everything is organized once a week.

32. Backpack • Purge: remove any unnecessary papers and trash - 3 to 4 times a year • Accessories :Out fit the bag with accessories that make it easier for you to find things. • Map of bag • Categories: Separate the contents of the bag into categories. Make sure all the papers are in correct binders • Keep it up- regular maintenance, check to see if everything is organized once a week.

33. File Box Binder gets full or out dated Make a file for each class, and put the overflow here Personal Files: Instructions, Art, Writing or ideas, Music, Clubs, Team, Summer Applications Anything that doesn’t have a home

34. Make a Home Base The Drop-Off Station The Study Space

35. Time Management • Daily Use of Agenda • Use Monthly Calendar for big projects • Create a schedule for yourself outside of school, including study time

36. PARENT INVOLVEMENT RESEARCH Studies find that students with involved parents are more likely to: • earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher-level programs, • pass their classes, earn credits and be promoted, • attend school regularly, • have better social skills, show good behavior and adapt well to school, • Graduate and go on to further education • www.NEA.org, Research Spotlight on Parental Involvement in Education.

37. Parent-Teacher ConferenceDiscussion Topics & Questions • Homework • Class Participation • Organization • Academic Success • Classroom Time Management • Attendance & Punctuality • Focus • Social Adjustment • Strengths & Weaknesses • Additional Comments

38. Technology and Your Child

39. Understand their Technology In order to protect and guide your child, learn as much as you can about the internet, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Ask FM, chat rooms, etc.

40. Tips for parents • Monitor your child’s technology • Have them share with you all their user account names and passwords. • Ask them to take you places they frequently visit and show you what they do • Friend your child on Facebook • Limit child’s time on social media • Your child does not need a social media account • Internet Safety Presentation TBD Deputy Spurlock*NOT FOR CHILDREN* • Controls on home computers, their devices (i-Phone, I-Pad, iPod touch)or wireless within the home.

41. Career & Educational Options • Identify abilities and interests 1. Career Café’s 2. Career Exploration through Guidance-Naviance • Explore career/educational options • High School Career & Technology Programs (Monroe) • Academy of Science/Thomas Jefferson High School • Four-Year Colleges • Community & Technical Colleges • Career & Trade Schools • Military • Apprenticeships

42. College Information If you want your child(ren) to consider going to college after high school, now is the time to start planning. Preparation • develop good study skills • encourage them to do as well as they can in their classes • attend a college sporting event or visit a college campus • in high school, take recommended high school courses, sign up for the right tests and complete the necessary forms.

43. College Recommended Courses 4 years of English 3-4 years of math (including Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II)** 3-4 years of science (with lab experience) At least 3 years of the same foreign language*** 3-4 years of social studies 1 year of fine or performing arts **students who want to go to a competitive college or program should also take advanced, honors, and AP courses when possible. *** This is the MINIMUM requirement for an Advanced Studies diploma and for most 4 year colleges, it always advisable to go above and beyond this requirement

44. Admissions Criteria • Grade point average (GPA) • Strength of subjects • ACT/SAT scores • Class rank • Recommendations • Special Talents • Personal qualities • Activities/awards • Essays • Interviews

45. Programs At Stone Hill • PBIS-Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports • SSA-Safe School Ambassadors • Peer Helpers • Study Skills Workshops

46. SHM Contact Info SCHOOL COUNSELORS 6th Grade and Lead Counselor: Jennifer.Alberth@lcps.org (Barracudas & Dolphins) Amani.Allen@lcps.org (Piranhas & Marlins) 7th Grade, Cynthia.Alcorn@lcps.org (Jellyfish, Starfish, Sea Turtles) Amani.Allen@lcps.org(Seahorses) 8th Grade, Nicole.Bryan@lcps.org ELL students, all grades, Program Coordinator: Jennifer.Alberth@lcps.org Deans 6th Grade- Ashleigh.Spiegel@lcps.org 7th Grade- Ben. Thompson@lcps.org 8th Grade- Edward.Chi@lcps.org All can be reached by calling 703-957-4420, we all have confidential voicemail.

47. References Woodburn Press Linda O’Brien www.woodburnpress.com Where’s My Stuff: The Ultimate Teen Organizing Guide Samantha Moss, Lesley Schwartz Zest Books http://zestbooks.net/ The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond Donna Goldberg Touchstone