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Incoming 6th Grade Parent/Guardian Zoom Orientation, 2020

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all right hello everybody I'm Deborah Middle School principal y'all want to give me a thumbs up if you can hear me look at all the great so this is something new and different which is also different so glad I just say welcome really nice to see all of your faces out there were currently up to 120% Spence climbing and normally we would be in our Middle School gym, the cobras welcoming you to our school that way so this is going to be a different different types of experience and Ivy hopefully you read from the emails butaton is geared towards our parents Guardians and will have on presentation geared towards our students on Monday morning I'm going to review those times at the end of our presentation so we also have here with us on Catherine Fresca are assistant principal I don't know if you want to go ahead and wave and say hello soup and see you yeah hi everyone thank you for being here and then and then and for those and then we also Kelly Britain nice to see you all I know some of you were on Zoom all the time and for some of you this may be your first time so just a couple of little quick text note technology pieces if we are in the gym I be showing you where the bathrooms are but runs so I'm up on the top right of your screen with the speaker view on you can click either to see a grid or you can click to see the speaker and that will automatically draw attention to whoever is talking and then there's also a chat feature on the bottom of the screen it looks like a little a little message bubble and those that setting is set to go to me and so when we have time at the end for questions instead of us Mewtwo I'm meeting a lot of people on here where do use a chat feature as a way of I'm taking questions I'm for it all three of us so if you need to say something in the middle release if you need to communicate something with me that would be on the way to do it so you all ready to get started great okay going to snow for I just kind of want to address that the obvious point which is that we are all at home on shelter in place and not in school right now and there's a lot of uncertainty about next year I'm from for all of us so unfortunately you know it's too early to know what next year is going to look like there's a lot of discussions happening a lot of information or waiting to get from the stage you know in terms of what what are is it going to be there's definitely a lot of brainstorming happening a lot of possibilities getting worked out this has been the spring has been a good trial run for figuring out how we do inspection at home and of course we're all hoping to be back at school because I know for me. I love being around students so working at home in my living room was never the plan so we're all hoping that we'll be able to be back and and I think you know we don't know if it'll be back but delayed if we'll be back with some hybrid of some sort of all train schedule if we won't be able to be back at first will be starting with online learning I'm so there's a lot of big questions about that and so you know which hesitated with our orientation of do we still do this kind of parent information night knowing that I'm a shift and change and what we decided at that it's still a great opportunity to talk about the Middle School scary and welcome you to our school talk about what the sixth grade A typically looks like and then just know that will be sending you updates as the spring progresses I have all of your email addresses now so as we get more information and have a better idea of what the follow is going to look like William will be communicating with you and giving you more information so during this presentation we're basement to talk to you about what middle school day looks like for 6 years it takes to just like if it were if everything were or regular all right and so I think you know one of the biggest pieces is just you know just want to welcome you you've been in elementary school you know many of you the same one for 6 years and want to be welcoming you to your new school new school community and I think middle schools are really really special time and you know what I think you don't know if we have the kids for the shortest amount of time it's three short years but the amount of gross phenomenal think about a 5th grader picture would have seen them look across the room and then you think about what is life like in Bletchley mentally emotionally distant. that amount of growth is is phenomenal right and so it's one of the things that for those of us who were drawn to working in Middle School to start fighting just to see the change that happens during that time is Delta partner with you to help kids with afro. middle school is like riding a bicycle training wheels you know and they come in from elementary school on the training wheels in argolis to pull those wheels off before they get to high school and have them confidence to be able to ride without them until I think about like one thinking about in 6th grade you know kind of picturing not just where they are now but where do you want them to be when they leave 8th grade I'm thinking about you know what academic skills do you want them to have pain and skills Homer scale social emotional skills being able to move around town all of this pieces and I think it's a really important lens because there's going to be a lot of times when there be things that would just be easier to do for your child you know for example let's say that a student come home and you help them get their plan checking in with them about homework and that sort of thing and maybe they're like I don't know what that assignment is I don't understand you know maybe an elementary school you would have just reached out to the teacher emailed the teacher you know what we invite you to do a middle school think about what skill do you want your kid to have when they leave a frayed High School there going to be a really nice time we want you to stay involved even if your children are really pushing back and saying that they don't need your involvement they do and and easier to push that on them in 6th grade than eight so don't give up even if their attitude really helping them to give them that extra support and sixth grade to develop the skills for themselves and see if they're stuck in that moment you can say okay what do we need to do do you want to talk to your teacher tomorrow do you want to send your teacher and email and talking them screw what they need to do in order to solve that problem and you're right there with them supporting them you're giving them that was training wheels on that side you know I'm so you know I think that we're trying to really work on a middle school sat habit-forming that we really see for success it's developing those organizational skills and those habits and kids come in with a wide range and sixth grade teachers are really really wonderful about hey we're going to take out every student gets a plan I got our planners writer homework down make sure it's written down Jesus when you go home and check that out when they're done and so really trying to work with students on developing those habits and the other thing I want to put out there should we really do see this as a SEPTA kids are coming back and forth between home and our school and we have a staff of people here who really are serious and love middle school kids and and so we really want to be working with you and just want you to know that our doors are and we want the same thing that you want we want your kids to be safe here we want your kids to be happy here and we wanted to be successful and I don't think that means that there aren't going to be any bumps right things aren't going to be perfect there will be bumps we all remember Middle School. Hard time to go but those bumps are the things that help kids to learn and grow and we really want to be partnering with you through this transition and so please just remember that our doors are open to you starting now if you know following this presentation things are coming up you know we want to be here with you so what were other plan is for the rest of our evening together is you're going to be hearing from our system principal even here in perfect a counselor and then I'm going to be talking with you also about Sunday I'm going to start off now we'll just giving you just send the basic slow about the 6th grade day is like then I'm going to turn over to our system principal and to our school counselor and then I'll tell you more about some of the other types of Houston we have around like what are lunchtime programs like letters and then we'll have time at the end for a question-and-answer so in terms of the 6th grade de the way it works in 6th grade is what we try to do in middle schools have a model where they have one main teacher you know when they're in elementary Ephrata Main academic teachers and so and then by the time they get to some of the day. Then they're moving plastic class so we see 6th grade is kind of like a stepping-stone we want them to be wrapped around we want to make sure that we want to give them sales before they start moving around from class to class but we also want them to have experienced its difference in elementary what are practicing some of those skills so in Middle School one of them will be teaching writing and history the other one will teach Math and Science say we have those two. The rating History 2. Math signs and I'm one of those teachers also she just read it if you language arts grade and 6th grade so the primary teacher for two periods a day the other for 3 then they also have PE every single day and another difference that you'll find with a with a PE teacher I'm into that kind of the flow of of their of their academic we also have on to sixth graders have a class schedule at start second. All some of the Lakers are first officially start unless they're in a music class and music is optional in middle school so if kids want to sign up for music and I know many of you already filled out all the forms to Google form to do that they might be at work at rib and require first. Of the day first. We also have a support for our students so if a student in math class or an English language learner class those are also first. Of the day so I don't miss out on the other academic. So that's kind of the flower looks like I'm and now I'm to go ahead and turn it over to Catherine's rest of your assistant principal if you can hear from her for a while hi everyone I do just want to say again thank you for spending this time of your evening with us so again I'm captain Preston musician principal here and my payroll on campus is to ensure students safety and that's both physically and emotionally as Deb said that middle school is a big transition for kids and so I am here to help them be their best selves navigate to choices the conflicts that do come up and the consequences that come with those situations when students aren't their best selves really about thinking about the response to the harm created how how do we do that and we do we do that in a couple of ways we incorporate both restorative practices and traditional consequences this is definitely a team approach not only do I work with students but I will definitely call on you throughout the year and we're closer and teachers to really help kids navigate some difficult can I just want to extend that invitation to you to use me as a resource when kids feel like things too big for them to handle on their own but they're still trying to figure it out it is okay to alert me give me you know just give me a heads up of what's going on I will definitely put it out there to teachers and counselors to just keep eyes on situations and I'm also here to help problem so so please when are offices are open you can stop by the office call me or send me an email and I would be happy to help since I just want to say thank you again and I look forward to working with you and your family welcome to Albany Middle all right I think it's my turn yet all right I also I'm Kelly Britain I'm the sixth grade counselor for next year this is my fifth year to Middle School it's why I wanted to just start off by briefly explaining the council's role so typically at the elementary schools there's Mental Health Counselors and there's a school psychologist we're really really lucky I mean currently right now we have a counselor for grade level and so one of the things that we really want to stress is that counseling or counselling is for all students right it's not just you didn't still have a problem with something right you know I think one of my goals always is to make sure that I check Jen with every student just so that they know that I'm here I'm available if at any point they need something so chemicals to be accessible to all students and our families to and so things that a student would talk to a counselor you know as soon as you move forward towards Cuisinart classes it could be about academics it could be about organization but how to organize their work or their time sometimes it's about social situations and not really knowing what to do or just looking for some guidance or just someone to vent to you no emotional support if things are getting hard-nosed puberty hits a different times it all gets his house for kids and religion General guidance or anything I'm on a daily basis you know it's someone who's not necessarily family or friend is kind of a neutral party I guess so typically what it looks like when we're in school is I'm in my office and their everyday and I would either send a pass to a student in the classroom or they could also request to see me they can ask the teacher they can send me an email or they could ask you if parents to reach out to me to send them the past we'll talk more about that as the year continues but just want to put that out there so I'm really really lucky to have rotated currently with students 6th 7th and 8th grade so I've been with the same for 3 years and so I did want to come and highlight what everyone said about transition there a lots of transitions through middle school and it was really really cool to see all three years so they can every student is different writing within the same families different transition to have different challenges or have different strengths at different times and so one of the things I wanted to say is that you know the biggest recommendation I have is to just as we were going to 6th grade work on building those routines bright work on building those routine whatever it is assistant and just know that it's not going to be perfect at first it maybe you know your student or you may be really really organized and have it together or it can be a challenge and that's normal right and so just know that again I'm there to support and know that were kind of moving forward and try new things out of working on building that in terms of friends you know I think 6th grade is a big-time student start to look at their friend groups because they're with new students in different classes and they may see some of their friends they had before previously last and so that is kind of a little bit of a growth spurt and going to transition transition isn't coming to 6th grade one thing I would say is clubs are great now we do they have specific topics but I think it's a good opportunity for students to meet friends and also have somewhere to be during the unstructured lunch time a lot of times while if I go do I have to go forever I was just a try it you know why not it's a new school new Time new called why not try it and Lassie I just kind of wanted to put a little highlight out there about social media grade it always comes up that my friend has social media are there Tik Tok or Instagram or so and so and everybody has it I just want to reassure you not everybody has it not every student has all different account you know I think everything can be screenshot all the time it doesn't matter how could you put it up or how could you take it down a decision but the longer that students don't have Instagram or Tik Tok or social media account typically it allows the maturity to move forward a little bit just because again everything can you screenshot it and I get a lot of screenshot that my way. Just about to not realizing that parents or counselors are admin Macy what's put up there to remind you that not every kid has a social media account and you can tell them I said that so yeah there be more room for questions at the end really nice meeting you all and I'll be here at the end and just to piggyback I'm up Miss Burton with the social media the other pieces that is in terms of phones that we find about about half of our 16 or so I can have phone. they will come Tuesday everyone has a phone except me and again it's not true but it's also a really it by chance of whatever it whatever you going to do is always easier to get more or less than and more rigid you know and so it sounds like really really reckon making should I put them in not inside the room when they're sleeping getting some of those habits and place really makes a big difference early on so that's just fun to become a really big deal for our teenagers just so you know at our school we don't allow cell phone use at all about that here because we want kids to have the experience of being able to focus on humans that are in their presents and so that I wanted to talk about and then we'll do questions I know so I know. people started chatting in some some questions for the chat feature which is fine and I will get those at the end so you're welcome to do that invite you to do that if you if her if you're coming up with questions but just in terms of a few pieces one is time and again you know who knows how things are going to shift and change with everything that's going on right now but typically we really see lunch with a really nice time of exploration to do a lot of different social connections and trying new activities are sixth graders typically go to lunch 2 minutes before 7 but the overlap of 7th 8th graders isn't access the club until that was something that was really important to us and so so what is it happening at lunch time is they eat and then they can go and do whatever activity like to do we have the field open for different sorts of sports hang out running around we have the blacktop open for more Sports gyms open with some organized news activities library is open for kids who want to just relaxing Library get some homework done and then we have a wide wide range of clubs and I'm just like Miss Britain the same we just really encourage our students to try new things you don't really tell them to go to the club and you don't you don't have to go back and spine you know but if I could just put themselves out there to give him a chance to maybe connect with some other kids with similar interests and it's in 7th and 8th graders so we have to offer real experiences pieces after school we have a big on after school athletics program and I'm hoping that we'll all be able to happen next year Denver waiting for guidance on that but starting off in the fall we have girls volleyball country and then throughout our school year we have a wide range of sport everything from basketball to wrestling to Ultimate Frisbee track and field and so so we have a lot of different sports the way that that will work is that you Saint Thomas parents I'm a link to to register your child and basically it's like the kind of a liability release and that allows them to then either try out or participate some of our sports are tryouts orthoceras where they can't hand number for some of our sports are just sign ups for any kid that wants to wrestling can just sign up and participate you know but for our basketball team there's a limited number and so would sixth grade we do an A and B team to try to accommodate more students but not every kid will make the team and again just in couraging your child if they don't just sit like Haiti participating in sports and a lot of kids come back in 7th grade and make the team then so just take chicken fried with that that's another piece of tomato see if there's anything that I wanted to make sure we put a lot of energy we have a really robust advisory program are in small groups and do different circles together and if we talk to kids about about their cyber friends and we do a lot of work with students around pieces that are not just academic because we know there's a lot of other pieces happening at this time and I am a whole lot of supports in place for us students we have this really wonderful program publishing success face that is a place to support students with developing different skills around about how to focus around affirmations in different pieces like that our counseling office is a great resource and then our main office on with myself in this class, there's another excited to bring in your students and I'm in whatever way that happens to look in the fall and just kind of help them to grow to their time in middle school that I think is enough of a talking at you through her computer and we're going to move to questions and answers and so I'm going to just kind of go through them like I see them so current was asking about whether we have different tracks available for students particulate mask and a philosophically when we shifted become a car number years ago we work with a high school in developmentally why does that even for students whom I mathematically be wanting to kind of put the head that a lot has developmentally the executive functioning all those pieces take a little longer and we didn't want to get kids into a track in 6th grade stop so what we do instead is our classes are heterogeneous in 6th and 7th grade teachers work hard to kind of differentiated have kids problem-solving explain upon so many different levels in 8th grade what happens if you have two different math classes you have the standards are the same it's not an accelerated class but the math 8 Challenge does the same standards but with G / harder problem-solving to try to challenge because I did but the tracking doesn't have until I get to high school and so at that point it can move through you depending on how they did an eighth grade move to any track in high school yeah and she didn't answer one person's asking about what are Cancers Lube answer yet that counselors do before their kids and I would just put in a plug that the reason for their kids is because school care has been funded one extra Council Crest every year we use only have two and the difference when we got free at 1 to just focus on a grade level with their kids all three years is amazingly different and we are really really worried about school care finding this year at all and so that happens in 7th grade it's two weeks program that we're doing right now I'm sometimes we have a teacher who's credentialed on our staff who does that and pushes in through electives and sometimes we have Planned Parenthood come in and do it depending on whether we're able to hire for the position or not do we expect that program that follows the California standards someone asked her out Albany elementary schools automatically enrolled in their classes at AMS yes they are and if you're with the exception of music if you want to how to be music you would have needed to fill out a Google form or you can email Miss Britain and Britain at 8 and then if your child support class where the middle of working with Hickory teachers to form the Support classes now and Miss Britain emailing you if your child is recommended for a math or reading support class and we'll go from there basketball season for boys and actually move to a little bit I want to say until maybe maybe February used to be the girls and boys season super overlap but they split them which really helps us with our gym space cell someone said it's not too late to sign up for music class just a few if you haven't signed up and watch you if you just send me an email directly I'll just respond to let you know that I've added it to their course request okay is a question about like how what method students have to voice concerns like if they aren't comfortable talking to a counselor teacher I go around with us that's all we talked to every single class about that specifically a lot of different areas we have a person as we have myself get your teachers and if you don't walking up to someone and saying hey I need some help there's a few different things could always write a note counselors have confidential boxes that they can put them in a more even from home you can send an email to one of say hey this is going on and either could you email me back or could you send a pass for me I'm so we really do what we can to make ourselves available to students and the other thing that I was told students in this might actually be helpful for parents to think about if you have a sensitive situation where they're like oh this kids the first thing that kids off and say is like I'm not going to write and parent don't you dare tell someone cuz it's going to make it so what we want to release say if that were really you we're not going to just go to work with your child and we will come up with a plan I feel comfortable with that will help them to brainstorm a hop in the same three different ideas and they might and their heads up there's no way it's going to get solved but we can be pretty creative with it and I'm really work with them to find a way to feel comfortable we're not going to do something that they don't feel comfortable with are there non athletic activities after school we don't run any non-athletic activities with the exception of our school play which Happens Every Spring but the Wyatt Shivers and which is run YMCA is on our campus I'm at the separate program that you can sign up through the Y to get homework supportive and use other types of things as well is there a dress code or any restrictions the address so you can look it up on our webpage overhaul that about 2 years ago and working with a lot of different students and research in different pieces but it you know and it basically is you know more or less in a safe nothing related to drugs alcohol and that's where the thing first. Today at 8 a.m. orchestra band or choir and that all of those if you haven't signed up yet and you want to just email Miss Britain so I'm as a possible to list of all the clubs and sports yes we have on our webpage a list of our current climate change every year we also have a list of our Sports on our Athletics tab on our on our webpage Middle School does not use a swimming pool typically there at the end of the year but sadly doesn't happen this year so hopefully next year there's a question about a kid can't go back to school in August what are current thoughts about what classes would look like, and I'm not really prepared to talk about that at this time we're just at the beginning stages of brainstorming but that might look like and we are putting work in time little bit more okay do not choose schedules at all in 6th grade other than music classes 7th and 8th grade they will get to choose to electives and I'll get to choose between either electives like our computers and drama or music classes or I'm World Language Mandarin French and Spanish choose two of those we do offer school lunch and simulated elementary schools they can access school lunch by using their student ID numbers if you want to put money on their accounts or they can bring cash we also have a blue lunch cart play smack part where they can buy things like apple string cheese cookies to supplement their lunches so I'm what's the student council yes we have on a student council weather representative from every single classroom including sixth grade classrooms and that's a lot of fun is there a strategy used for classes kids are assigned to yeah we work really closely with fifth grade teachers and and a sign kids on two classes that way and and so they do a lot of work with balance saying boys and girls and a whole lot of other factors to try to make sure we bounce classes Elementary School sixth grade school email account only internal the only being able to use to send messages or receive messages from within at USD is Britain you won't answer the phone stop talking for a moment that's a good question so typically what music teachers in our policy is is that soon as you have adjustment. At the at the beginning so the first two to three weeks of school students will go in their classes they learn some of the routines they kind of feel out whether or not it's a good fit for them because of Janet is first. So it depends you know you have to get up earlier and it's everyday within that two or three weeks. You just can drop that class and she's not to take it but beyond that time. Our policy is usually for students to stick with what is the second semester which is usually in January and at that point then they can drop that class if they would like thank you okay and then we have what percentage of 6th graders bye I would say Amy we do it definitely have quite a bit of 6th graders lining up to buy school lunches also hard to tell because also kids are also just buying snacks to so yes kids are buying lunch will be definitely have a big group of kids who bring their lunch to so I mean that changes daily I'm going to just take a moment just cuz I'm getting more questions about about a list of activities and I'm going to just share give me one moment everyone I'm going to share my screen for a moment and I'll show you our web page can you all see the webpage now you want to give me a thumbs up if you can wait okay so on our web page under Student Life you see this tab where my cursor is we have clubs and activities and that lifts the club that we have this year and said you can go there and check those out like I said that you change every year because it just depends on what teachers are volunteering and then basically so just depends on when they're running them we also have an Athletics and that's where a lot of other questions Athletics homepage and it's a nice general information just about our Sports programs there and what we offer different policies or student handbook is pretty informative here we have a phone policy homework guidelines some different information good academics and click 6th grade it gives you a little overview of what each of our what is covered in each of our academic classes so you can get some information on there if you would like and then parent and guardian there's only have a couple of videos that we have up there today information different information Rich cell Miss Brittany Summers asked if you could tell your email address again yeah and I actually got a bunch of emails from all the parents about adding classes so it is k b as in boy r i t t o n ausdk12. Org our school supply list is on the web page as well so if you want to look that up we will also be sending that out to you again when it gets closer to the new school but if you're wanted to get a jump start it doesn't change too much from year to year there's a few questions people ask about like how we're doing remote learning the sixth graders currently and each 6th grade teams there's two teachers pursuing their working together they're doing some Gym classes with their students to connect using Google Classroom a lot as a platform to use it to do assignments and that sort of thing I'm and I think you know the other pieces like I said we had a lot of opportunity learn this year thanks Ross having discussions of if we end up having either a remote learning a partial remote learning with that going to look like next year so we're working on that now yet those questions are registration for athletic so just before the season starts we there's is the registration and so but we will be sending that out to two families so we will not have any summer programs at AMS and we actually don't don't typically there's usually some sort out there summer school that is our district summer school which is mostly High School Credit Recovery in special education and some Bridge programs on those will be my last year question Nespresso you answer this one is about whether Amos the ride lockers for students you throughout the day yes we have plenty of lockers available for you we don't give them out to sixth graders yet just because they're their only into classroom so this plan storage in the teacher's classroom for them to leave their stuff and move out throughout the day but once they get seized and they do get PE Lockers in 6th grade but not regular the annex which is our beautiful new building across the street we on share it right now with our Ocean View 1st through 3rd grade neighbors but we do have classes over there we have all of our 8th grade English class is over there and all of our 7 days drama and Technology electives are for there has been wonderful the question about task size and how many classes there are so sick right now we're currently planning for 9 sections 9 class size limit our teachers contract is 31 some years are closer to 2627 and some years are closer to 31 so what students joining the music lab need to have private lessons for their chosen instruments private lessons are not required some students to have access and students don't we also have some wonderful High School musical tutoring to students and our band teacher regularly opens up his room at lunch to help students who need some extra assistance as well Chicago the question is will homework be more in Google classroom in Middle School to Post Elementary so I was before all of this started I would have said no you know how much will a signed in the classroom writing down and planners but since olives a shelter-in-place has started it's been primarily Google Classroom so I know all of our teachers are going to be using Google Classroom next year in preparation for whatever hybrid option might end up happening but I will have to get more information provided device is like a Chromebook to use at school she anticipate providing one at home if we end up with some sort of shelter in place we're committed to making sure that anyone any kid who doesn't have access already if I'm start a computer at home I can borrow I'm done this year I'm so we'll just wait to see you what our situation is things to help me things are available for hand-washing and are you looking to install more things yes the district office and facilities are looking into putting more portable thanks all asking if World Language is mandatory it's not mandatory it's not offered until 7th grade just for starters and some students choose not to start it until they get to high school so if you take 7th and 8th grade World Language and it means you start at level 2 in high school so some pictures. Choose another Middle School in just beginning High School how much communication happens between middle school and parents 6th grade teachers do a nice job of early connecting with parents and I think there's probably less communication elementary school because teachers have a lot more students of two groups of students instead of one in sixth grade and then 50 students by the time in 7th grade but they're still available to you when things come up and if necessary they're so where is it? Vaccines and we have no we don't collect any information vaccines in 6th grade 7th grade week 13 so there is a question about how lunch is compared to elementary school yeah I just would say that an in middle school we have more students so we have a lot more variety and so the kids report to us that lunches are better here I think because there's a lot more choices for them so there's a question about if there's a club specifically for black students we have are black African-American affinity group well at least once a month they were doing a little bit more often this year, and we also have one for Latin that students imaginary sure we'll talk about Aries so in middle school we use Aries a lot more than an elementary school can we use Aries in middle school as teachers put all of students homework grade and appraised in there so it's a way for you to be really able to monitor your child and in terms of how things are going beginning a middle school that you're on there at least once a week and I think one really nice way to do it as have your child sign on have them in the habit of checking and you can do that with them I think another good habit around Aries is when they do sign-on don't jump right to the one Redbox a missing assignment maybe there's something positive make it a nice experience checking Aries with with their parent you know the saying hey I know she did everything in for history that's awesome or while you really rock that project what's this so Aries is a really nice way to check that you can also get their tenants information disciplinary information about it we have everything in there is in the hole so yeah IXL interesting question right now we would have to exit our 8th graders I'm about to check on our license let me look into that for those of you who don't know learning program that we've been using two supplementary other middle school program standardized testing in Middle School yes I'm not this year but typically we have the S back on like a tree School and there's a question about whether we anticipate academic catch up in the fall given the challenges we just in the gaps and we just had a teacher leadership meeting on Monday and we had a long conversation about especially for subjects that built you know like Mass kids missed some pieces and really didn't get some pieces how are we going to make sure in the fall that we need provide extra support for catching them up so I don't have a concrete answer for you other than to say that's all are mice too and something that we're really working on a more aware that there's going to be so PE uniforms can you fly I know that you can buy a viking uniforms at the beginning of the walk through orientation and then we talked about during the first week of school year and you can also the uniform is black bottoms in a gold top so if you choose to not purchase a uniform you can also do that if you prefer so my question is as soon as an IEP and needs help and if you have it same situation next year but I think I'm kind of across the country special ed has been a really big learning curve because like how do you provide all the accommodations and supports that students are entitled to when they're not here with us and sorry I really think and figure out how to use paraprofessionals and all of those pieces so I would say that we are you know where as a middle school we're working hard to get those pieces in place and hope to have something we we actually did some more should have been expecting 6th grade what we are General guidelines are as 60 minutes and sixth grade 70 + 7 + 80 + 8 + that includes on time home and he know as I know you all are aware takes different kids drastically different amounts of time to do homework some kids are really efficient to school and are getting a lot of it done here and some kids are taking longer and get all of those pieces so that's what our guidelines are find like you don't give your kid some time to settle in but after a while to find your students taking way too long on your homework you know that at that point I would suggest you reaching out to their teacher and they'll work with you to adjust adjust a cell she has no experience with a string instrument totally fine in 6th grade they can start band Orchestra choir with zero experience and they will learn so she could do it all the time so have him sign on teacher conferences are different in middle school with Britain would you like to talk about that sure so it's a 6th grade and some of the names grade conferences typically transition from every family getting to meet with a teacher to really setting up that time for students that the teachers want to check in with their parents about academics or social growth and so typically they will schedule those appointments when they want to talk with a parent about some areas of improvement or just want to get more information and touch base one on one in person to try and figure out how to support a student so it's transition so that not every parent as soon as I get the conference however I do want to remind you that if anything comes up during the school year even outside of conference me feel free to email me or the teachers directly because we're available throughout the year not return come from I think you there's a question about how we what we do the kind of created inclusive campus and and supporting lgbtq and other students she put a lot of effort into that one is just generally in our classes we have an advisory program specifically focuses on I'm working and helping students to understand one another and also have school that focuses on teaching students skills on how do you respond when you see mistreatment to we have a gay-straight Alliance on our campus we also have on the 8th graders going to 6th grade class lessons on what different types of focus is it something that we put a lot of effort into discussion about what we do grades in Middle School numbers on yeah we do have letter grades in Middle School just typical a giraffe in this shelter in place we in this last Point Oregon to pass no pass because of I'm just the different challenges that kids have was tryna work from home but typically we what are typical events in middle school with some specific questions on their yes we have a really wonderful fun Halloween party that I'm really hoping we're going to do this year say you know where they the whole 60 Highway shut down and there's a different team in every single room and it's really a whole lot of fun and we have school dances 6th graders I have to attend two of them there's three and a quarter score and so that's a whole lot of fun and then the PK does a great job with different fundraising events at me of Tober Cella which got canceled the spring but it's on typically it's meant to be kind of like a music festival and we have student Dan High School sacrifice lots and lots and lots of fun activities on that kids can participate in we have a an arts and crafts fair that happens in our gym which is both professional artist as well as an artist sign up to have tables and sell arts and crafts with create a super fun it's really hard to Washington came up because you want to buy everything and and we have a school play that happens every year which is Us Fall Showcase in a spring Musical let's see we offer piano or guitar and music we don't we don't offer piano guitar the guitar in high school but for students who already played the piano guitar on guitar is vaping something we should worry about a question yes so you know backpack when I say we were in Middle School cigarettes with something that we worried about it and and now it's you know vaping is really I would just say as parents of teenagers you know vaping is a really good thing to be educated about and be thinking about and educating your children about how to pay with and we have we train a group of Educators who work with Alameda County and they go and then they pushing the 7th grade classrooms to do lessons and what are main focuses is trying to convey dispel magic around it we also parents on a PC a presentation every year about vaping just so that you all can be educated about it if you're interested in coaching a 6th grade sport oh that's an awesome question I love that one bill Tressler is our athletic director you can get his information off my web page or just email him beat wrestler at asdk12.org yeah we're always looking for a for coaches so that's fabulous you can also reach out to me how should we prepare our kids over the summer for Middle School yeah I thank you though it's been such a strange spring my typical answer you know is at 4 so I think it's nice for them to have some sort of a mental break over the summer do something different be outdoors whatever it is I'm reading is something we really encourage kids to keep the much as possible basket there's basketball camps that are offered during the summer we typically we do have basket also have a girls-only basketball camp I'm not sure on the it seems unlikely to me I'll say highly unlikely that that's going to end up happening this summer we will we will we will see yeah and there's just just that there's a number questions in here about what next year is going to look like and hybrid learning and all of those pieces and you know and out of the shelter in place kids are in high-risk groups that you know so there is I think all of those things that you're wondering about her all think they were all wondering about and doing a lot of work around and I think it's it's it's going to be a few more weeks at least before we really have some more David says yes you can do that's no you can't do that in the meantime we are certainly working to develop possible options but just know that we really will be communicating with you we have more information and we're all we're all wanting to know so there's a question about if there's a positive girls soccer team in a future we very much really hard to try to make that happen on this year but no other middle schools with girl soccer teams of the kitchen so I know athletic director or net before all this started with a few of the local school to try to see if we could get enough traction to get a girl soccer team I'm is a question about what dance program we have a dance club at the middle school but no specific super fun to watch but there's no full program in the Heights have about five more minutes I'm kind of Pinterest answer all the questions before asking for dates about back to school night open house and things like that we are actually not the finalizing our calendar for next year so I don't want to speak to that but what will happen if you will get a important dates for families sheet that lists all of the important dates for the year so little tricky right now because we don't know whether we're going to be able to what we're going to do back to school night we're going to find some way to do that whether it's electronically or whether it's in person but it's taking a little longer to plan those days cuz we're doing a lot of question about what we can and can't do any advice on how to juggle all the after-school activities with the homework they're going to get yeah so you know I think that's that is the forever question or just helping kids with time management and juggling our goal in Middle School's not to have so much homework that they can order for kids to be able to to do that so you know I think if you know helping his kind of with their management of their time using the time to have in school to get things done and then a few or no finding that you know that again they think they're feeling really out of balance you know work with the teacher because a couple students read me messages right now okay through our social studies 6th grade sign up for art elective starting in 7th grade I'm going to be also do have our elected our club available to them so Christian questions is there a mentor program for middle school kids not specifically we do have this eighth graders to the people going to go to 6th grade classrooms or sort of mentors and the next Lab and are black African American our kind of a combo that can integrate sin and aspects someone really really wants to know when do we go to school not sure what time or when we go back I think there's a few questions in here but school day begins at 8 a.m. if you have a class or music class and discussion at 849-8849 if they do not have a second. Maybe time for just like questions anyone have any last last something they're wanting to ask for a wrap up 40 times when do we go to school yeah can you request a teacher we do not take teacher requests we what we do is we work really hard to balance to go to the students and then they randomly get assigned to and I'm breakfast that'll be my last question for right now we do have a breakfast program that's available and we offer it was first 15 or 20 minutes before delete 15 minutes before the same day so they can have your going to need to wrap up for tonight but just if you if you felt like there was something that you really wanted to ask and I wasn't able to get to it please feel free to just email me my emails D Brill d b r i l l at ausdk12. Organ I'm happy to communicate with you and just know that you know all this currency in all the wrong this together and we're going to just be working together to try to make this as best of experience for your students as we can fight it to welcome you to our welcome and thank you for attending tonight

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Incoming 6th Grade Parent/Guardian Zoom Orientation, 2020

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