New Parent Orientation Welcome to Shepherd! Administrators: Eileen Cahoon, Principal Jennifer Chilton, Team Leader (Asst. Principal) Counselors: Netina Bodine, 7th grade counselor Eva Dwight, 8th grade counselor

Daily Schedule A Lunch Mon-Tues-Thurs-Fri 1 st pd9:05 – 9:56 (51 min.) 2 nd pd10:00 – 10:50 (50 min.) 3 rd pd10:54 – 11:44 (50 min.) A lunch11:44 – 12:14 (30 min.) 4 th pd12:18 – 1:08 (50 min.) 5 th pd1:12 – 2:02 (50 min.) 6 th pd2:06 – 2:56 (50 min.) 7 th pd3:00 – 3:50 (50 min.)

B Lunch Mon-Tues-Thurs-Fri 1 st pd9:05 – 9:56 (51 min.) 2 nd pd10:00 – 10:50 (50 min.) 3 rd pd10:54 – 11:44 (50 min.) 4 th pd11:48 – 12:38 B lunch12:38 – 1:08 5 th pd1:12 – 2:02 (50 min.) 6 th pd2:06 – 2:56 (50 min.) 7 th pd3:00 – 3:50 (50 min.) Daily Schedule

Please see your child’s student handbook for a copy of the Wednesday Late Start schedule on p. 6. School begins at 9:35. LATE START WEDNEDAYS!!! SLEEP IN! DO SOME CHORES! Get up early and make breakfast for your parents! Study for a test!

Handbook: It’s a TOOL for SUCCESS!

Wksht 12-5 Read ch. 1 Sec. 3-4 Questions 1-6 Spelling list 1 Begin essay Intro paragraph due Tuesday Review safety rules Science lab layers of the earth Muscles and how to tone Spelling test Friday Science project on earth layers due Thursday

Keeping up with homework: UUse the planner to establish what needs to be done. EEstablish a specific time for homework each day. -- as soon as your child gets home or -- right after supper or -- at a specific time daily that gives them enough …. time, whether they have a little or a lot to do.

Keeping up with homework…  Stay organized -- keep separate folders for each class -- organize at the end of the day or at least at the end of the week -- keep a folder at home for “old assignments,” just in case you might need them  Do long-term projects a little at a time  Ask for help as soon as you don’t understand something  Use the Shepherd website to check assignments or contact teachers if you’re absent (

My MPS Parent Portal Check your child’s grades online weekly, with your child. See what assignments he/she is missing or needs to re-do for a better grade. See your child’s schedule, health records, etc. See progress reports and report cards before they arrive home in the mail. Your child has been given a user name and password. The user name is st + ID # (ex: st123456) and the password is just the ID # without the st. (ex: ). Parents can obtain their own access code from a counselor or the registrar, and set up their own user name and password.

Academic Resources: Extended Learning Program (EDP): Monday – Thursday 3:50 - 4:45 p.m. (starting date Monday, August 19 th ) This is a study hall, supervised by teachers who can help your child with homework. A late bus will be available for students who normally ride the bus. Math tutoring will be in room 243. Reading and English will be in the Media Center.  Talk to your child’s teachers! Ask them for help before or after school.  Teachers’ phone #’s and s are available on Shepherd’s website

Academic Support Groups  once/week, during either P.E. or elective class (every Tuesday) for one semester  beginning the third week of school 8/27  work on self-management skills  weekly grade checks and parent contact (if student is earning a D or F in an academic class)  weekly behavior goals to work on to improve performance at school  Please speak to your child’s counselor if you are interested in signing your child up for Group.

Parenting Partners: Raising a Successful Teen Come join the discussion! Learn, laugh and walk away with new insights and strategies for raising independent, responsible and capable teens. Identify strategies for dealing with such challenges as chores sibling fighting homework motivation back-talk and “attitude” or moodiness Parenting Partners: Raising a Successful Teen will be a featured class through Mesa’s Parent University onTuesdays, October 22 nd – November 19 th from 6:30 – 8:30PM in the Shepherd Media Center. To register for this free series, go to and request class#21307 This class is available to parents across the district, so encourage friends to come! What is going on with my teenager? Why are his emotions all over the place? Why isn’t she more organized and responsible—she’s in 7 th grade, after all! What causes him to be so “normal” most of the time, and then suddenly he’s someone I don’t even recognize! Learn about what’s going on in the brains of teens that causes them to be more emotional, more prone to risk-taking, and sometimes just plain hard to figure out!

Why do we think getting students to do their work is sooooo important? One student failing a class is TOO MANY! We want your children to learn skills and be successful in school…and in life! Practicing daily skills by doing homework will lead to improved test scores, higher grades, and--most importantly--higher learning. There is a direct correlation between students who pass their classes and students who pass the AIMS. All students must pass AIMS in high school in math, reading, and writing, and also take a science AIMS that is not required for graduation. We want students to pass AIMS in high school, and graduate with the skills they need to be successful in college and in life. That means they need to learn junior high skills and good study habits.

Clubs & Activities Intramurals see PE teachers or front office for sign-up information; Mr. Ziebell sponsor National Academic League (NAL) NAL is a quiz and debate team that competes with other schools in Mesa. Practices are on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the debate team and Wednesdays and Thursdays for the buzzer team. Practices will begin in October, and the season finishes in February. NAL is a fun way to get involved! Mr. Cox or Miss Driskill sponsors Yearbook Club Yearbook Club will meet once a month; dates haven’t been determined yet. Yearbook club is only for taking pictures for the book. They will not have the ability to work on page layouts this year, only submit pictures. Mr. Knoblock sponsor Anime Club Anime Club is for any student interested in Japanese culture, including art, cuisine, and language. The first Anime Club meeting is on Friday, September 20th. All club meetings are on Fridays after school from 3:50 to 4:30. Mr. Cox sponsor Student Council Student Council is looking for six 7th graders. Students must run and be elected by fellow 7th graders. We meet M, T, Th, F morning at 8:15 EVERY week. We will have a mandatory informational meeting for all interested students on Thursday, Aug 15 at 8:15am in room 147. Mrs. Ampha sponsor Won by One (aka Christian Club) This club is open to all students who wish to express and strengthen their faith. Activities include discussions, prayer, games, and service projects. If you are interested in joining the Christian Club, see Mr. Ziebell (in P.E.) or Ms. Dixon (in Social Studies). Meetings will be held every other Tuesday starting September 3 rd in Ms. Dixon’s room. Garden Club Come and enjoy planting a garden of your choice. We can design a Salsa Gardens, theme gardens or a holiday garden. You can plant your favorite fruits and vegetables and enjoy the harvest. We can facilitate your gardening efforts by providing information, guidance and fun. We meet once a week after school and you can meet friends who enjoy gardening as much as you do. Mrs. Williams sponsor Science Club All of the dates are on the calendar. We have a number of presenters, including the Herpotological society bringing 100 pound lizards, 15 foot pythons, etc on our first meeting in September--- (families welcome). No dues, but donations to ECA Science GREATLY appreciated!!!!

What if my child doesn’t have friends at lunch? This is a great opportunity to make new friends! Students eat with their 4th hour class. Your child can find someone who looks nice and ask to sit with them… …or look around the cafeteria and find someone they “kind of know” and sit with them… …or sit with someone new each day.

Junior High seems big and scary! Encourage your child to ask for help when needed. Counselors Teachers Principals Secretaries Security guard We’re all here to support your child…and you! THEY’LL BE FINE!...and so will you!

Contacting Teachers  Parent Portal: There is a link next to each teacher’s name on your child’s schedule for sending that teacher an .  / Easier access: on the Shepherd website… …click Departments …click the name of the department you need …click the name of the teacher you are trying to reach …the teacher’s and phone number will be at the top of their page

When to contact teachers: *when your child needs an appointment for extra help *if your child comes home with a detention slip *if you need more information about an assignment or about your child’s progress in class *if your child has been absent or will be absent for 3 or more days **Please give teachers 24 hours to send homework to the counseling office or /fax you an assignment **The Counseling office is a central location for drop off/pick up, but counselors will not request work for your child. You need to contact teachers directly. **The office will be open from 8:15 AM – 4:15 PM so that you may come by and pick up your child’s work.

When to contact counselors: *when your child is struggling in school, you’ve discussed problems with the teachers, and you’re not sure what else to do *when your child has a scheduling issue *when you need information about graduation requirements, class level placement, AIMS scores, etc. *when you want to schedule a parent/teacher conference with several teachers *when your child has personal issues that you need us to be aware of **We can help you strategize and troubleshoot. **We can refer you to outside counseling services. **We can refer to you drug intervention facilities. **We can be there for your child if personal issues present themselves at school and they need immediate intervention.

Building a College Going Culture The jobs of the future WILL require education beyond high school. Your child needs to see high school as a stepping off point, not as a finish point. College can = *2 year Associate’s Degree from a community college or technical training school *4 year Bachelor’s Degree *Bachelor’s Degree + Graduate School

Building a college going culture: Preparing for college MUST = *hard work in junior high and high school *grades of at least C’s or higher in academic subjects *taking AA and AP classes in high school in every area possible *ongoing discussion at home about the importance of education and where children plan to go to college

Career Guidance at School: Kuder Career Awareness Program 7 th graders will take two inventories on the computer in September and register on the Kuder website. This allows them access to Kuder throughout high school and into adulthood. They can explore careers, colleges, training programs, scholarships and other financial aide, and more…as much as they want! 8 th graders also take an ACT Explore exam in October and write a 4-year-plan for high school in January.

Need more help or information?  Counselors are available from 8:15 AM – 4:15 PM  Mrs. Bodine (7th grade counselor)  Mrs. Dwight (8th grade counselor)  **Please remember that we have no secretary, and student aides will frequently be answering the phone. If your child’s counselor is unavailable, please just leave your name and number and the name of your child, without sharing too much personal information. We will return your call as soon as possible.