Algonquin Middle School

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Algonquin Middle School

• 2008-2009 Programs

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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Middle
School

• Start talking about the differences between
  elementary and middle school early and with
  honesty.

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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Middle
School

• 2. Give your child more responsibilities for
  decision-making tasks at home as preparation for
  increased deadlines, demands, and expectations in
  middle school.

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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Middle
School

• 3. Supplement schoolwork with additional reading
  and writing projects at home in readiness for
  lengthier school assignments.

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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Middle
School

• 4. Talk about the fun of changing rooms and
  teachers several times a day. Explain that each
  class is a separate subject.

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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Middle
School

• 5. Help your child understand that students have
  to adapt to different teachers, not the other way
  around.

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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Middle
School

• 6. Visit the middle school several times together
  to help your student become comfortable with the
  changes from his or her current school. Algonquin
  Middle School summer hours are 630 a.m. 300
  p.m.

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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Middle
School

• 7. Attend all new school orientations. Make the
  transition seem like an adventure and a step
  forward in your youngsters education. 6th Grade
  Orientation will be held on the following date
• August 25, 2008
• 500 630 p.m.

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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Middle
School

• 8. Discuss the fact that your child will be
  moving to a bigger school where they are once
  again the youngest. Preparation for this makes it
  easier.

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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Middle
School

• 9. Find out who your childs teachers will be and
  see if you can make appointments to meet them
  prior to the new year. Schedules will be given to
  students at orientation. The office is open the
  remainder of the week for you to set up times to
  visit teachers.

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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Transition to Middle
School

• 10. Make a list together of your childs
  expectations for middle school. Make a plan to
  ensure that the expectations are met.
• Studying/Homework
• Socially
• Lunchroom
• Communication between school and home

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Questions?
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New/Adapted Programs at AMS
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Lunch Program

• No pop machines in hallway
• Move away from pop to healthier choices or
  non-carbonated choices
• No bathroom during lunch
• May use bathroom on way to/from lunch with teacher

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Lunch Program

• Students need to be supervised by teacher at all
  times to and from lunch
• Assigned seats by teacher teacher that picks
  them up
• Students will be escorted down through Home
  Economics Hallway and released to teachers down
  the Office hallway.

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Lunch Program

• 30-minute breakdown for lunch
• 10 minute activity time in gym or outside
  student choice
• 5 minutes through the line new service lines
  for lunch
• 15 minutes to eat

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Lunch Program

• Gym time once you are outside, you stay
  outside. We dont want mess in the gym from
  outside water, snow, dirt, etc. (again, student
  choice.)
• Students outside will come in through Entrance 4
  students in gym will exit through gym doors and
  proceed to lunch line.

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Lunch Program

• New lunch service lines
• No separate snack sales
• 2 lines to service students
• 1 full service line with regular choices
• 1 self service line with snack, nachos, small
  food items, drinks not cash any more
• New Zangle meal program
• Check balance and purchases online

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Lunch Program

• Teachers/Administrators will determine if area is
  picked up before we release. No food or drinks
  outside cafeteria.

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Seminar

• The Seminar program will revolve around the
  philosophy of allowing students time during their
  normal school day to receive tutoring,
  assistance, and/or enrichment in one of the seven
  classes.
• The Algonquin staff will analyze student data and
  progress thus far and assign students to the
  appropriate seminar period. Again, this
  seminar period will take place during your
  childs normal school day.

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Seminar

• Start seminar at the beginning of the year for
  6th and 7th grade students in areas of
  MEAP/academic need.
• Students that are proficient in all areas of the
  MEAP and show academic success may select
  student choice.

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Seminar

• In grades 6 and 7
• Once a week on Wednesday
• Will re-assign students after each progress
  report marking
• Academic and student choice offering

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ELA Block

• Algonquin will remain dedicated to an increased
  time for students in ELA.
• In 2008-2009, Algonquin will offer ELA in two
  separate, non-blocked, classes in both reading
  and writing.
• In 7th and 8th grade, a student may not have the
  same teacher for both reading and writing.
• In 6th grade, this may be possible, but we will
  not know until scheduling is done this summer.

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Elective Tier Policy

• In Grades 6 and 7
• All students will receive one semester of
  rotating elective classes in no particular order
  for one hour of their day. After MEAP scores are
  released, students will enter our new PLUS tier
  of academic programming for the second semester.
  Students will transition into an additional hour
  or Plus Hour to receive focused instruction in
  the subject area of the MEAP that they shown the
  greatest need. These targeted areas are math,
  writing and reading. Students that receive a
  score of one (1) or two (2) in math, reading,
  and/or writing will have the option to jump to an
  elective tier for the second semester.

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Plus Hour

• 6th 7th Grade Students
• 2nd semester only
• Floating change date due to fluctuating MEAP
  results release.
• Math no concern with grade change
• ELA no concern with grade change
• Common stopping point for curriculum
• Students may switch classes/teachers

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Plus Hour

• If failing more than one subject (reading,
  writing, or math), seminar must be second option
• Using MEAP scaled score
• Most proficient will go to seminar
• Least proficient will go to Plus Hour
• If fail 2 may switch at marking period, but
  team meeting to determine if appropriate to make
  change to other subjects.

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Plus Hour

• Seminar student may opt out of seminar in
  subject they are in plus hour.
• Band students and parent, if they choose to
  continue in band, must sign an educational
  contract detailing educational plan.
• Special Education will not be involved in this
  program as they will receive additional
  accommodations within the Special Education
  Department.

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New Elective Tier Option

• Electives offered to students who show academic
  success in four (4) core classes.
• Informational Literacy
• Based in media center
• Curriculum based on State of Michigan Technology
  standards (available)
• Offering aligns with Algonquin goal of giving
  students more access to the media center and
  concepts they need to be successful.
• Other Elective Tier offerings will be Computer
  and Physical Education (students are required to
  dress for P.E.)
• Computers will be three days in computer lab, two
  days in classroom (tentative).

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STRIVE Program(Student Tutoring and Rigorous
Intervention for Valued Enrichment)

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• Time 6 weeks before MEAP, not counting first
  week of school
• Frequency At least two a week for each subject  

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STRIVE Program

• Student involvement is optional however, if you
  commit, student will also have to commit to the
  STRIVE attendance policy.
• Intervention will be made with MEAP data.

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STRIVE Program

• MEAP data will drive instruction.
• STRIVE will function with assistance from a
  computer-based curriculum when possible.
• Data Director for assessment and targeted gain

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Daily at Algonquin

• 6th and 7th grade will be on a separate schedule
  than 8th grade.
• 6th and 7th grade will have 56 minute classes
  with 4 minutes passing.
• 8th grade will have 50 minute classes and four
  minutes passing.
• 30 minute lunch period with four minutes
  scheduled to travel both to/from lunch see new
  lunch program.
• School day will last from 745 a.m. 234 p.m.
• 2009-2010 Projected All grades on same
  schedule.

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Tentative Daily Schedule of Classes
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Tentative Daily Schedule of Classes - Wednesday
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Spanish

• Core class in 8th grade
• Part of new State of Michigan graduation
  requirement
• Need one (1) credit of foreign language in middle
  school
• No opt-out

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Breakfast Program

• Your student will have the option of purchasing
  breakfast each morning.
• Our breakfast program stops serving at 740 a.m.
  and cafeteria is closed at 742 a.m. and students
  are to report to class. (Exceptions are made for
  students arriving on verified late buses.)
• Breakfast must be eaten in cafeteria to maximize
  academic time in class.
• No food/beverage leaves the cafeteria.

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F.I.T. Focused Intervention Team

• Algonquins new special education pre-qualifying
  program
• Systematic student intervention program for
  student success
• Students identified by teachers and/or student
  instructional/behavioral data

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Lunch Intervention Programs

• Started in the Winter of 2008 school year.
• Tuesday and Thursday are Lunch Study Hall days
  teacher recommends students based on missing
  assignments
• Monday and Friday are designed reward activity
  days in the gym for students who have all
  assignments student choice.
• Follow through with study hall director and
  classroom teacher

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Schedule Changes

• None made once school starts
• Schedule change forms available in main office
• Schedule change forms will only be accepted for
  consideration on 8/26/08 8/28/08
• Office hours are 630 a.m. 300 p.m.

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Grade Level Hallways

• Will no longer be a priority in terms of and
  because of room movement

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Band/Choir

• If in Band cant be in Choir and vice versa
• This will be the students elective all year
  long.
• No Choir in 6th grade
• Incoming 6th grade students should have signed up
  for Band in May with Mr. Gras in their 5th grade
  classes.
• If interested, contact Mr. Gras at 810-794-9317
  x3342

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Parent Documents/Information

• Parent Connect sign up with us in AMS office
  (Handout)
• Planner first one is free / 5.00 for any
  additional (Sample) How is it used.
• Progress Reports four times a year (Handout)
• Parent Connect Meetings

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Extra-Curricular Opportunities 6th Grade

• Intramurals
• NJHS
• Yearbook
• Student Council
• Cross-Country
• Band
• Wrestling (practice only)
• Handouts

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Changes to Winning Warriors Organization and
Student Trips

• No undue financial burden on families
• Must have a focus/point to trip
• Whenever possible/practical will hold functions
  in-house
• If students leave school property for a trip, a
  priority will be placed on student returning
  before the end of the school day.

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MEAP Testing/Calendar

• Toolboxes to start the year
• Change in calendar puts emphasis on students not
  being absent in October
• October 14, 2008 - Math
• October 16, 2008 - ELA
• October 21, 2008 - ELA
• October 23, 2008 - Science/Social Studies

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New Attendance Line

• Phone number will handle grades 6-12
• Report the reason for the students absence
• Call must be made within 24 hours of absence.
  After that, the absence will remain an unexcused
  absence.
• 5 minutes after class period starts student is
  absent.

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Bond Update _at_ AMS

• Parking lot
• Auditorium
• Technology
• Science Labs
• New office area

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Forms Documentsyou or your child needs to
start the year

• Acceptable Use Policy
• Emergency Card(s)
• Sports physical dated after 4/16/08, good for
  2008-2009 school year
• Free/Reduced Lunch Program Form

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Algonquin in 2007-2008

• Reading Zone
• Parent Group March is Reading Month 829 Books

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Annual Events

• NWEA testing twice a year (Fall and Spring)
• Average 3-4 dances per year No formal dances
• Students do take final exams at the end of the
  year
• Share Lockers

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How to Be Involved

• Parent Connect Meeting
• Schedule Handout

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Phone Policy

• Students should report to the office from the
  classroom only if they are sick.
• When a student comes to the office, they should
  have a planner with them, initialed by their
  teacher, allowing them to report to the office.
  If they do not have a planner, they will be sent
  back to their classroom for a planner/pass.
• Before they are allowed to call home, they will
  have their temperature taken to determine whether
  they have a fever.
• Once the student has called home, they may go to
  their locker and return to the office to wait for
  the parent/guardian to pick them up (providing
  that will happen in a short time.)
• Students will have ten (10) minutes to lay down
  in the nurses room. After 10 minutes, the
  student will go back to class or go home if
  necessary. Determining factors may include fever,
  vomiting, headache, etc.

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Medication Policy

• Students who require administration of medication
  should have a Permission for Medication Form on
  file in the office.
• Upon receipt of permission form, office staff
  will administer prescription and/or
  non-prescription medication (with a witness).

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Medication Policy

• Students are not to have any form of medication
  in their possession, or to take medication
  unsupervised at any time.
• Any parent who wishes to have their child keep an
  asthma inhaler in their possession must file a
  written request in the school office.