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Welcome Highlanders. This Online Presentation. Comprehensive Honest Helpful Contains information slides from the incoming seventh information nights minus student pictures. This Presentation. Presented from the perspective that you have never had a child in secondary school
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This Online Presentation • Comprehensive • Honest • Helpful • Contains information slides from the incoming seventh information nights minus student pictures
This Presentation • Presented from the perspective that you have never had a child in secondary school • Will answer almost any question you could have and I believe you will feel better when you are done • All information is located at our website in the district Program of Studies and the McCullough supplement
Documents Available Soon on our Website • District Program of Studies • McCullough Supplement • FAQs • District math flyer • Private P.E. links (April) • Summer School flyer (May)
Welcome • Looking forward to a new year • New challenges for students in secondary education • New responsibilities • New opportunities
Snapshot Of Our School • Composed of young people from around the country and the globe • Wonderful students • Supportive parents • Tremendous staff • All are expected to be successful
Snapshot of our school • TAKS Scores 2011 • Reading 99% • Writing 98% • Social Studies 99% • Mathematics 98% • Science 96%
Snapshot of our school • TEA Gold Performance in • Writing • Science • Reading • Social Studies • Math
Snapshot of our school • T.E.A. Exemplary Campus
At McCullough • We do things for a reason (We have kids here too!) • Kid-friendly and preparing for the future • Grading • Projects • Discipline • Testing • Procedurally
Goal 1 • Academic Preparation • Paradigm Shift
Goal 1A: Safety • Visitors sign-in and sign-out • Visibility of administrators and police • Building opens at 8:00 a.m. • All outside doors locked at 8:50 a.m. when school starts in fall of 2012 • Video surveillance system • Safety letters home
Goal 2: Preparing Students for High School • 356 working days over two years to prepare students for high school once they enter our doors for the first time • Students are in high school the day they walk in the door if they take Algebra Pre-AP in seventh grade • Procedures are age-appropriate and have a reason
Personal Vision • Is that we will be the best secondary school in Texas
Success For Your Child • Many schools prepare students to qualify for admittance to a college or university • We are preparing students to be successful when they arrive at college and to have the tools to stay there
Construction Through August 1st • Parking lot • Parking lot lighting • Fine arts practice areas for band, choir, and orchestra • Art classrooms • Gym floors and stands • Bathrooms for Commons area
Construction Through August 1st • Ceiling tiles • Marquee • Additional classrooms • Classrooms renovated • New carpet • New walkways
Summer Front Office • It is likely our front office will be located outside in either the field house or a portable building this summer • All the phone numbers will remain the same
Important Dates to be Determined • Student Orientation Dates • Football Equipment Issue Day • Semester Exams • First semester exam dates • Hinges on district adoption of calendar • Two drafts on website for your review at this time • Construction due to be completed August 1st • First day of school tentatively set for August 27th
Student Orientation • Final date will be announced this spring • Will publicize through Tartan Tribune • Dependent on the C.I.S.D. School Calendar once adopted for 2012-2013 • Also dependent on construction • Need volunteers to make it happen • Social event of the summer • Attendance is not required, but is enormously beneficial
First Day of School • Report to Alpha Homerooms until 10:00 a.m. • Obtain final schedules • Car line longer first two days • Buses a little later due to third run and K • Help everyone get where they need to go
A Typical Day • Students can enter building at 8:00 a.m. • Please do not drop your child off prior 8:00 a.m. • Students wait in Commons • Go to classes at 8:34 a.m. • Lockers/Backpacks • School begins – 8:50 a.m.
A Typical Day • Lunch/3rd Period • 11:45 a.m. • Students encouraged to eat breakfast • Which lunch you eat depends on the subject of the class you are in during third block on that day • Lunch time can be different on red or green days • Advisory – 1:55 p.m. – 2:19 p.m. • School Ends – 3:50 p.m. • Pick-up • Car/Bus
Advisory • Meets each day (1:55 p.m. – 2:19 p.m.) • Distribute information • Pledges • Moment of silence • Work on completing some homework • Tutoring • SPARKS • Announcements
Free Academic Assistance • Tutoring- Most days of the week with your academic teachers (most important) • PAWS Homework Help- • Tuesdays and Thursdays • Located in room D109 • McCullough teacher • TWHS Interact students • SPARKS- • Advisory • Elite eighth grade students • Ms. Donna Meyer
Information to Help A Guide to Success
Communication • E-Mail – Easiest, quickest, preferred • Please give us a day or so as we are with students as opposed to in front of a computer • Teacher e-mail addresses are listed on the left green column of our website
Communication • McCullough Webpage • www.conroeisd.net • Links to teacher webpages • Important spring registration documents • Athletic schedules • “Tartan Tribune” online
Communication • Conferences • Most at 8:05 a.m. • Try to do a good job of communicating and prevent the need for you to come in • This is the time normally that the teacher is tutoring children • Important to have your child present • Most center around a young person not turning in assignments
Communication • Parent Newsletter “The Tartan Tribune” • Sent home through students • Online 24 hours a day at our Parent Services Page • Available in multiple languages with Google Translate • No promises on accuracy of Google translate
SchoolMessenger • System that calls or emails your home • I try to limit the phone calls to really important items • Expect numerous calls in the immediate days leading up to the start of school • Do not worry, the 6:30 p.m. phone calls will end for the most part once school begins
SchoolMessenger • We will email when breaking news happens or information becomes available you need to know • Helps to have the correct phone number and email address in our database system
PTA • Volunteer • Appreciate the help! • PTA • Front Desk • Student Orientation • Socials • Library • Copy Room
Common Assessments (Tests) • Tests are high quality and developed over time to choose the most accurate/fair questions • Are now “Common Assessments” in the district • Sixty percent of grade for marking period
Common Assessments (Tests) • Exams, and exam questions, are now being utilized as common assessment exams among teachers in the school and within departments • Tests are now developed in the summer to have questions which are asked at the rigor level wanted by the state for these tests and STAAR exams
Common Assessments (Tests) • Enormous time goes into the development of each question to ensure it addresses the TEKS and is at the level of questioning required • Exams are used not only among different teachers in same discipline but also other CISD junior highs
Common Assessments (Tests) • Exams are being utilized more extensively among all CISD campuses to supplement benchmark testing throughout the district and inserted into Eduphoria program to optimize individual academic support • As the exams are utilized throughout the campus and district throughout the years, they do not go home
Common Assessments (Tests) • View at school with student and/or instructor • Stumble Sheets in class to learn from mistakes • Students correct any errors, with the teacher, in class
Semester Exams • Last four days of each semester • Be aware the calendar for next year has not been adopted yet and there is a possibility we could end the first semester before winter break • Prior week students will complete review packet and prepare in the classroom
Semester Exams • Modified schedule in exams • Grading percentages • Junior high finals – 10 percent • High school finals- 15 percent • Synthesize learning and practice taking major exams • Please do not plan long and exotic vacations during that time
Student Success Initiative (SSI) • Students must pass Reading and Math STAAR in eighth grade to advance to high school
Student Success Initiative (SSI) • Students must pass 13 End of Course Exams developed by the Texas Education Agency in order to graduate from high school. • More information on this at the T.E.A. website and at our 1/26 P.T.A. meeting.
Parent Access Student Access • Free opportunity to view grades, attendance, discipline, STAAR, etc. • Supplements planner • Places you on a school e-mail list to receive breaking news and routine e-mail communication • Sign up at www.conroeisd.net each year
Parent Access Student Access • Unparalleled communication and access to data • This program exists to supplement, not replace student accountability for grades and assignments • Student should have accountability
Parent Access • This system will literally email you every time your child receives a grade if you select it to do so
Dress Code • Critical • Worth the battle if you are a parent • We will enforce • The way a student dresses affects the way he/she feels about education and success
Dress Code • One of the first steps to caring in any area of life is to dress like you care • Always feel free to drop in with food at lunch to see what they are actually wearing four hours later • For the most part, a non-issue with our students
Transition to Secondary School • Kids transition quickly • Tardies • 3 free each quarter • 7 minutes between classes (most around) • Resets each nine weeks • First two weeks amnesty
Tardies • Email notification to your Parent Access Account • Normally email comes same day to your email address in our database • Being in class for the first five to ten minutes of instruction/review/plan for the day is critical to academic success • Plans for the day • How it is to be done • What is on the exam • When is the review