Dr. John Folks Middle School 2017-2018

Dr. John Folks Our Namesake, Northside ISD Superintendent – 2002-2012 Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dean, School of Education Southwestern Oklahoma State University Midwest City-Del Mar Public Schools Supt. Spring ISD (Houston) Superintendent

Parent concerns and apprehension Anxiety…Nervousness...

Key Campus Staff Principal ~ Shawn McKenzie Vice Principal ~ Yvette Lopez Assistant Principal ~ Robert Alvarado Academic Dean ~ Ann Devlin Head Counselor ~ Freida Donzis, Head Counselor Counselor ~ Angel Mitchell SE Coordinator ~ Emily Wilson GT Specialist~ Mrs. Totah Police Officer ~ Officer Cris Valenzuela Nurse ~ Melissa Perez Attendance Secretary ~ Margaret Schaefer Daniel Coronel ~ Club LT Site Leader

Mission Statement Mantra: As a unified community, Dr. John Folks Middle School will provide a safe and nurturing experience built upon innovative, engaging instruction that meets the needs of our diverse learners. Mantra: Welcome to the best middle school in Texas If we say we are the best...walk the talk A place of excellence Respect: cornerstone of our character education Be a leader Live by the Folks Code

Folks Code F: Future O: Opportunity L: Leadership K: Knowledge S: Success

School Improvement Goals Relationships and Culture Data to drive instruction Engagement

Student Success Continuum Culture Challenge Clarity Context Engagement Relevance Why? Domain 2 Instruction Data Tracking Assessment Curriculum What? Domain 1 Planning Domain 3 & 4 Environment and Practice Relationships PLC/Mission/SIP Differentiation/Rigor How? Intervention/Enrichment

Elementary vs. Middle School The SAME The DIFFERENCES Core Subjects Student ID # Homework Grades & CDB’s Parent Connection Great Teachers 8 Periods a day Passing between Classes 7 teachers Six weeks Grading Period Different School-day Hours (8:30am– 3:40pm) Year-long Elective Course P.E. (dressing out & showers) Lockers (two of them!) Lunch Choices Mobile Technology NO Shorts : (

Our School Day Building OPENS @ 7:30 AM * Enter doors closest to the fine arts wing * Pull Up as far as possible Students move to grade-level waiting areas @ 7:50 First class starts at 8:30 AM Seven 45-minute classes & one 90-minute 30-minute Lunch (around 11:00 AM) 4 minute Passing Periods Last class ends at 3:40 PM Buses start leaving at 3:50 PM

6th Grade Academics English Language Arts & Reading (ELA) (90 minutes) Math Science Social Studies P.E. Elective Class (choice of 1) Advisory (daily for 45 minutes) Lunch – 30 minutes

Advisory Daily class period for all 6th graders Opportunity to incorporate organizational and study skills Targeted interventions Time for study hall and SSR  

Academic Services Pre-AP Classes (Math & ELA) GT (ALPHA) through ELA, social studies, or science Special Education Support (Co-teach classes, specialized instruction, ALE, BMC, etc.) Tutoring (before & after school) Reading & Math Specialist (SCE) Academic Dean (Ms. Devlin) Parent Connection & Student Connection Counseling Services (Mrs. Donzis & Mrs. Mitchell) Club LT (Learning Tree) After-School Program

Course 1 or Pre AP 6th Math Course 2 or Pre AP 7th Math 2 Pathways for Math Pre AP route allows 8th graders to receive High School Credit for Algebra Course 1 or Pre AP 6th Math Course 2 or Pre AP 7th Math Course 3 or Algebra

Electives Band Choir Orchestra Art Theatre Arts FCS I & II (7/8 only) Spanish I & II (7/8 only) I.T. Production (7/8 only) Tech. Expl. (7/8 only) Journalism (7/8 only) Office Assistant (8 only) Study Hall

Art Pathway Art III Art III Pre AP Art 1 High School Art II 8th grade Art III Art III Pre AP Art 1 High School 7th grade Art II 6th grade Art I Middle School

Orchestra 8th Grade Advanced 7th Grade Intermediate 6th Grade Beginner

Electives availability is determined by: 1) The number of student requests 2) Allocated staff ALL Electives are YEAR-long courses.

Course Cards 1) Students will select their top THREE elective choices (rank order them) **Electives will not be changed once the year starts.

We Encourage Parents to… Play an active role in the education of your child Form partnerships with your child’s teachers Monitor your child’s academic progress Communicate concerns, questions, ideas to campus staff – EARLY!

We Encourage Parents to… Allow some space for growth.

Kahoot.it

B: Bring Y: Your O: Own D: Device *** With privilege also comes responsibility *** Digital Citizenship

Cyber-Safety Highlighting some important things about cyber-safety in middle school.

Why Cyber-bullying is different... Cyber-bullying can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and reach kids even when they are alone. It can happen any time of day or night. Cyber-bullying messages and images can be posted anonymously and can be distributed quickly to a very wide audience. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to track the source. Deleting inappropriate or harassing messages can be extremely difficult after they have been posted or sent.

Preventing Cyber-bullying Be aware of what your kids are doing online. Establish rules about technology use. (click this link for contract)

Parent 411

S.N.A.P. Forms S.N.A.P. stands for Students Needing Assistance Pronto. S.N.A.P. will help Folks students create a safe, school environment. S.N.A.P. will give Folks students a safe place to let adults know of possible hurtful situations.

Continued S.N.A.P. Students can get a S.N.A.P. form from a teacher’s room or wherever there is one available. S.N.A.P. forms are also available online on the Counseling webpage.

Students Needing Assistance Pronto   Name (optional): ___________________________________________ Today’s date and time: ______________________________________ Your concern (please put where it is happening or will be happening and the time of the day.) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Re-Think App http://www.rethinkwords.com/inthenews

Originally, one of only 170 campuses nationwide 2014-2016 & 2017-future Originally, one of only 170 campuses nationwide One of the first 2 campuses in NISD

Monitor the Folks MS website for updates. So What’s Next? Counselor Visits – DONE! Course Card Completion – In Progress or DONE! Transition Visit (May 24) Summer Letter w/ Important Dates (late July) Saturday Transition Event (August 19 tentative) 6th Grade Meet Your Teacher Event (the week prior to school) Monitor the Folks MS website for updates. * Important information will be e-mailed, mailed, or through a School Messenger call-out.

Questions? Contact me: shawn.mckenzie@nisd.net (210) 398-1605