Welcome to Elm Middle School Incoming 7 th Grade Parent and Student Orientation May 31, 2012

Middle school is a new experience…. O New routines O New building to learn O New teachers O New expectations O New route to school O Locking lockers, changing classes all day, conference sports, semester grades that count…….. O Social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth

Tips to help with the academic adjustment O Keep on top of homework and long-term projects. O Set small goals for each day. Avoid the A Day/B Day trap. O Provide lots of structure. O Enforce the use of the daily planner and homework website. O Use the Power School parent portal and set up notifications. O Students are expected to use the Power School student portal regularly to stay informed of their own academic standing. (We will teach them how to do this).

More tips… O Students may need reminders about appointments and due dates, and help thinking ahead about things like materials that are needed for projects and assignments. O The Elm website is the best place to check for school announcements, printable forms, school calendar, etc. Papers sent “home” often stay in the locker. There is no “Friday Folder.”

Middle school is different O Students change classes every block and have different teachers for every subject. O Teachers meet together each week to discuss curriculum and student needs. O There are not designated “teams.” O We try to schedule groups of teachers with most of the same students. O A few teachers teach both grade levels, but most do not.

What the school day looks like O Buses arrive between 7:40 and 7:50 a.m. O Students may enter the building at 7:45 a.m. O First bell rings at 7:52 a.m. All students should be in the building. O Class begins at 7:55 a.m. Students are tardy if they are not in class. O Classes end at 3:05 p.m. O After school activities take place from 3:05 – 4:05 p.m. O The late bus leaves at 4:10 p.m. (Stops at both John Mills and Elmwood).

Elm’s daily schedule: A “Flexible Block” schedule “A” Day“B“ Day Exploratory30 minutesExploratory30 minutes Math80 minutesMath80 minutes PE80 minutesMusic80 minutes Lunch30 minutesLunch30 minutes Advisory30 minutesAdvisory30 minutes Language Arts 80 minutesLanguage Arts 80 minutes Science80 minutesSocial Studies80 minutes

What is Exploratory? O The first class of the day O 3 week rotations O Mini-classes designed to augment the regular curriculum O Non-graded O Some topics are: Consumer Economics, Reading for Scientific Knowledge, Study Skills, Math Boot Camp, Chess O Students also receive extra support in Math and Reading during this time if needed.

What is Academic Advisory? O Is paired with lunch time O “Homeroom” O Teachers set academic goals with Advisory students, monitor progress O Announcements, hand-outs, information O Main school/home contact O Students can request help, work on that day’s homework O Wednesdays are PBIS days

Athletic opportunities at Elm O Elm is a member of the Leyden-Norwood Athletic Conference. O We offer softball, volleyball, basketball, and soccer for boys and girls, as well as cheerleading and pom pons. O Teams are competitive and based on try-outs. O All students must maintain academic eligibility (passing all classes) in order to play. O Sports physicals are required before a student may participate in try-outs. (Get one this summer. It is good for one calendar year). O Proof of parent insurance is required for participation in athletics. O There is a $30 athletic fee for each sport.

Extracurricular opportunities at Elm O We offer CLC (Student Council), Art Club, Math Club, Science Club, Yearbook, and National Junior Honor Society. O After-school homework lab meets every day. O Students are highly encouraged to participate in academic activities outside the school day.

Elm is a PBIS school. What is PBIS? O Positive Behavior Interventions and Support O It is a system to establish behavioral supports and the school culture needed for students in our school to achieve social, emotional, and academic success. O Behavioral expectations are taught, modeled, reinforced and rewarded by all staff in all settings. O All EPCUSD 401 schools use PBIS.

Elm’s Expectations O Respect yourself O Respect others O Respect property O Be there; be ready

Thank you for coming. Principal: Dr. Kassie Porreca Assistant Principal: Mr. Adam Parisi

Social and emotional development in middle school: Information for parents and students Dr. Stacey Horn, Associate Professor Educational Psychology Middle school specialist University of Illinois at Chicago