STUDENTS PARENTS • 8:45-9:05 — Check in • 8:45-9:05 — Check in • 9:05-9:20 — School Tour • 9:05-9:15 — PTA • 9:25-12:00 — Breakout • 9:15-9:11:30 — Sessions Transition to middle school information session • 11:30-12:00 — Parent Presentation with Officer Armstrong
STUDENTS PARENTS - Cafeteria • 12:05-1:05 — Check in • 12:45-1:05 — Check in • 1:05-1:20 — School Tour • 1:05-1:15 — PTA • 12:25-4:00 — Breakout • 1:15- 4:00 — Transition Sessions to Middle School Information Session
• Mitch Haber – Grade-level Chairperson • Fred Johnson – 6th Grade Counselor • Christina Kim – 6th Grade Assistant Principal
Students will rotate through eight 20 minute sessions: 1. Lockers Office 365 2. Bullying 3. Accountability and Responsibility 4. Digital Citizenship 5. School Guidelines 6. Kid Talk with the counselor 7. Clubs and Extracurricular Activities 8.
Taylor • Sent once a week Road on Mondays Messenger Principal • Sent once a week Parker’s on Thursdays Email
The Transition from Elementary School to Middle School
How anxious are you about your child starting middle school? A. Cool as a cucumber…bring Respond at: on August 6th. B. A little, but not losing any PollEv.com/mitchhaber249 sleep over it. or C. Eek! Middle School! I need Text MITCHHABER249 to some pointers! 22333 once to join. Then text D. EEK! MIDDLE SCHOOL! A, B, C, or D Wake me when it’s over! Results
WELCOME! • Tips and Tidbits to understanding your middle school student • A typical day in the life of a 6 th grader • Who do I contact if I have a question?
Think-Pair-Share • Think-Pair-Share is a 3 stage discussion strategy that allows all students to be an active participant in classroom discussion in a structured manner. • This strategy provides opportunities to check for understanding while holding ALL students accountable and increasing participation. This strategy builds in wait time which allows students to rehearse their response and enhances depth and breadth of thinking. In addition, this strategy limits off-task behavior and off-topic thinking. www.fsusd.org
Think-Pair-Share • THINK: What is your biggest concern about middle school? What is your child’s biggest concern about middle school? • PAIR: Turn to your elbow partner and share. • SHARE: Do you have any of the same concerns? Hopefully, some of them will be put at ease today! Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
The Transition to Middle School • It is normal for your child to be nervous about starting middle school. • It is also perfectly normal for you to be nervous about your child’s transition to middle school. • “The transition to middle school may be one of the toughest transitions during childhood, for both parents and kids” (Brown, 2004). Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Procedural Concerns Just Academic Concerns Concerns Emotional Social Concerns Concerns Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Procedural Concerns • Getting lost or finding classes • Finding and opening the locker • Finding the bathroom • Not knowing the school rules • Carrying around all those books • Going from class to class without being late • Bringing the right materials to the right class at the right time • Eating in a larger cafeteria (Brown, 2004; Elias, 2001) Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Procedural Concerns: What You Can Do • Buy a combination lock before school and have your child spend time trying to open the lock. • Don’t buy backpacks that can store 50 lbs. of materials. Smaller backpacks allow for better organization. • Locker dimension: 11 ½ x 28 ½ • Use information day to tour the building and walk around to help your child be more comfortable. (The elementary to middle school transition: Five helpful hints for parents, n.d.) Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Academic Concerns • Getting good grades • Having more than one teacher • More homework • More long-term projects • Work that is more challenging and requires more effort • Expectations of teachers in different subject areas • Basic tasks such as studying, taking notes, and taking tests (Brown, 2004; Elias, 2001) Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Academic Concerns: What You Can Do • Be the example … Show the importance of education • Ask your child about their day • Set aside a quiet space and time for your child to study/complete homework • Balance school work and play time • Encourage reading • Assist your child with their homework and/or check their homework daily • Set high but reachable expectations for your child • ENCOURAGEMENT! (Ford-Coabley, Crenshaw, DelAunter & Isaacs, 2006) Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Social/Emotional Concerns • Bullies and/or being teased • Making new friends • Feeling stupid compared to other kids • Success in sports • Popularity • Being embarrassed by parents in front of other kids • Puberty • Changing before and after P.E. in front of other kids • Having girlfriends and boyfriends • Having someone to sit with at lunch (Brown, 2004; Elias, 2001) Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Social/Emotional Concerns: What You Can Do • Be upbeat about what lies ahead • Recognize their fears • Offer support • Hold your child accountable • Give your child the opportunity to make decisions on his/her own • Pick your battles • Give them tools they need to succeed • Allow them the freedom to make mistakes (The elementary to middle school transition: Five helpful hints for parents, n.d.; Dean, n.d.) Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
What Parents Can Do at SCHOOL • Have an open dialogue with • If you have raised your student's teachers adolescents, be willing to • Visit the school share advice and information • Know and understand school with other parents rules (Ford-Coabley, Crenshaw, DelAunter • Attend meetings (PTA, & Isaacs, 2006; The elementary to conferences, etc.) and child’s middle school transition: Five helpful hints for parents, n.d.) activities • Make sure your child attends school daily Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
What Happens if Parents Get Involved Decades of research show that when parents are involved students have … • Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates • Better school attendance • Increased motivation • Better self-esteem • Lower rates of suspension • Decreased use of drugs and alcohol • Fewer instances of violent behavior • Greater enrollment rates in post-secondary education (Ford-Coabley, Crenshaw, DelAunter & Isaacs, 2006) Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
School’s Role • Adolescents making the middle school transition need a combination of skill training and social-emotional learning (Elias, 2001) • The school provides experiences that meet essential needs in these four areas: – Contributions (Opportunities through clubs and activities) – Belonging (Peer groups, positive relationships, safe) – Talents (Academic and non-academic) – Life Skills (Learning about feelings, goal-setting, group work, problem solving and resilience) (Elias, 2001) Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Partnership & Trust • We are working together toward a common goal – our kids! • Need each other and need to have each other's back • Assume good will • Must have an open dialogue between all parties Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Positive Aspects of Transition • Making new friends • Participating in sports • Having lockers • More personal and social freedom • Changing classes • Greater academic choices (Akos & Galassi, 2004) Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Guiding Our Children Through School Transitions: Middle School • Blog by Dr. Sharon Sevier • Tips to help ‘parents navigate these years keeping their kids safe and in check, while also keeping their sanity’. • Close Reading: A significant body of research links the close reading of complex text — whether the student is a struggling reader or advanced — to significant gains in reading proficiency and finds close reading to be a key component of college and career readiness. (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, 2011, p. 7)
CLOSE READING ANNOTATIONS Vocabular ulary Word (i.e. New, Challenging, Important) * Main Idea Important tant Details ails Highli hligh ght I don’t understand? ? I made e a connect nection ion (i.e. Connection in my life or to another part of the text) + I agree - I disagree ! I didn’t know that !!!
Close Reading Protocol • Read the article through once to get the main idea. 3 minutes • Read the article through a second and third time, using close reading annotations. 7 minutes. • For this article, focus on questions ? , I made a connection , I agree + , and I disagree ---, Need to remember* Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
Questions? Please write questions for the teacher panel on the notecards and give to Mr. Haber or Ms. Kim. Jackson, McKinnon, and Wilson (2006)
A day in the life of a 6 th grader at TRMS
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