Welcome to CMS

1
Welcome to CMS

• Introductions
• Evenings Agenda

2
CMS Bell Schedule

• Wednesdays there is a Late Start
• Students take 7 classes during all three years
• They will have one Wheel elective in 6th grade or
  Band

3
Course Selection Process

• Met with 5th grade teachers in February
• School visits this spring

• Required courses
• Language Arts
• Reading
• Social Studies
• Math
• Science
• PE

• Elective courses
• Band
• Beginning
• Intermediate
• Wheel Flow
• Quarter system

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CMS 5th grade visits

• Collins
• Garden Gate
• Montclaire
• Nimitz
• Stocklmeir
• West Valley

• March 13
• March 11
• April 21
• April 24
• April 21
• April 24

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Wheel Courses

• Keyboarding/Technology
• Art
• Speech/ Drama-Study Skills
• Spanish/French

6
Due Dates

• Paperwork
• Due to 5th grade teacher
• No later than March 31

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Math

• Math Assessments
• March at elementary school sites
• Administered by 5th grade teachers
• All students will take two levels of a math
  assessment
• Placement notification will be included on the
  student schedule in the fall

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Other Dates

• Aug 14- WEB orientation 8-12
• Aug 21- First day of school
• Aug 19- Welcome Back BBQ

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Required Courses

• All students take 7 classes
• Foundation courses that prepare for the next
  grade level
• Standards Based curriculum
• Students are assigned to a team of three academic
  teachers

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Core

• Language Arts/Reading
• Emphasis on literacy and writing

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Social Studies

• Ancient Civilizations

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Math

• Math placement is determined using multiple
  measures
• Math assessments
• Grades
• Teacher recommendations
• Students are place where they will be most
  successful based on the above criteria's

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Science

• Earth Science
• Ecology

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Physical Education

• Standards Based curriculum
• Emphasis on nutrition and life long health
• All PE doctors notes need to be directed to the
  main office.
• All students must take PE regardless of outside
  activities

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GATE

• Students are provided opportunities for
  enrichment in our after school program
• Destination Imagination
• TBLA (Tomorrows Business Leaders of America)
• NJHS
• Disassembly Club
• Chess Club
• Lego Robotics

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Homework

• Increased work load
• Organization increasingly important
• Good study habits crucial to student success
• Team effort between students, teachers, and
  parents are vital

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Student Expectations The Four Rs

• Respect each other
• Respect yourself
• Respect your school
• Respect all staff and volunteers

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Grades vs Standards

• 6th graders are given letter grades as a measure
  of their understanding for the first time
• Homework counts and does affect grades
• Students dont understand the difference between
  earning a grade and meeting the standards

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Parent Expectations

• Concerns communicated to teachers before
  contacting the office
• Staying connected to your childs education
• Be on the website and in the backpack
• Utilizing parent connect, website, and bulletins
  to stay informed
• Regular communication with your student regarding
  their progress and consistent support with
  homework completion and organization

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Student Success

• Set a routine for homework and communication
• Go through their backpacks at least once a week
• Look at their planners and their homework
• Utilize the websites with your student for info

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Fun at CMS

• Wide Variety of clubs and organizations
• Afternoon and evening social activities
• After school sports throughout the year
• Field Trips
• Student Leadership opportunities
• Community Events
• 6th grade teams for almost all after-school
  sports

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CMS PTAs Top Ten List

• CMS PTA Presents
• Top 10 Middle School tips
• for 6th grade Cupertino Middle school Parents
• 10. Be extra-patient and extra-nurturing. Your
  child is likely to be totally exhausted for the
  first few weeks of school not just the
  physically getting-up-early-again tired, but the
  emotionally wrung-out-like-a-washcloth kind of
  tired, from all the stress of adjusting to a
  strange, wild world.

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CMS PTA Top Ten (cont.)

• 9. Do not ask, How was school today? as soon as
  your carpooling kids flop into the car. You are
  sure to get a grunt of O.K and nothing more A
  favorite tip comes from seasoned parents who
  would turn on the car stereo and adjust speakers
  so that they were louder in the back seats and
  quiet in the front then they would listen very
  attentively as the kids in the back talked loudly
  about everything that really mattered to them!

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CMS PTA Top Ten (Cont.)

• 8. Boxers for boys, bras for girls, and two P.E.
  uniforms are a must. Tighty-whiteys are out
  bras (even if not really needed) are a must.
  According to a 6th grade girl, the bra is helpful
  and provides for some modesty when changing for
  P.E. Two P.E. uniforms will help with the Sunday
  evening (or Monday morning!) smelly uniform being
  pulled out of the backpack!

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CMS PTA Top Ten (cont.)

• 7. Join the PTA and volunteer! It is an easy way
  to begin to get connected with the CMS community
  and one of the great benefits is that you will
  receive a copy of the school directory.
  Volunteer activities include the magazine drive,
  copy service, noon aide dance chaperone,
  graduation, and more! Some of the volunteer jobs
  are big, but many of them are in fairly small,
  bite-sized, manageable chunks.

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CMS PTA Top Ten (cont.)

• 6. Use the Pinnacle Viewer website (the school
  will provide you with access to this system)
  regularly to check your childs grades online.
  Or even better set it up to have your students
  grades emailed to you as often as daily or send
  you a notice when their grades drop below a
  certain percentage. Use the Teacher Web website
  to check your childs assignments. Enjoy the
  look of stunned horror on your childs face when
  you say, Hmmmmm, dont you have a book report
  due Wednesday? or Shouldnt you be studying for
  that quiz tomorrow? Middle school is the time
  when missing homework assignments can take a
  serious toll on your childs grades. The school
  also helps out by providing every student with an
  assignment book at the beginning of the year.

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CMS PTA Top Ten (cont.)

• 5. Encourage your child to go to the school
  dances (typically held every month or so during
  the year). Even kids who dont like to dance
  have a great time hanging out in the quad with
  their friends and eating pizza. In addition, the
  library is kept open for those kids that enjoy
  playing games. Make sure to carpool to the
  dances, it is much better to walk into the dance
  with a friend or a group of friends.

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CMS PTA Top Ten (cont.)

• 4. Your child may go to Cupe with plans to play
  three team sports a year but chances are, it is
  not going to happen. Most teams hold several
  rounds of tryouts for relatively few spots and
  many of the sports field only 7th and 8th grade
  teams. Your 6th grader can try out for a 7th
  grade team, but the competition is fierce.
  Cross-country is one of the school sports teams
  that take ANYONE who is interested. Be advised
  though, that the practice for cross-country start
  off within the first week or two that school
  starts. Have your child keep their ears open for
  announcements during P.E. Keep other sports
  options open, like SYBL, swimming, or soccer so
  kids can stay active and keep up their skills and
  friendships. And encourage them to try out again
  as a 7th grader.

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CMS PTA Top Ten (cont.)

• 3. Remind your child to retrieve their Bear
  Bulletin from the bottom of his/her backpack,
  however CMS publishes it on the web each
  Thursday. The Bear Bulletin is CMSs weekly
  newsletter distributed in 7th period classes on
  Thursdays. You can also find the daily
  announcements posted every day on the web, too.

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CMS PTA Top Ten (cont.)

• 2. Make sure your child attends WEB orientation.
  WEB stands for Welcome EveryBody. Teachers and
  8th grade students run the orientation. This year
  WEB day is August 14, 2008. Students receive
  their schedules, get a tour of the school, and
  participate in other fun activities. It
  definitely helps decrease stress for the first
  day of school!

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CMS PTA Top Ten (cont.)

• 1. The absolute 1 most important piece of advice
  is to establish a CARPOOL. It will help keep you
  sane. If you arrive at Cupe around 755am or a
  little after, driving and dropping off are a
  breeze. After 800am, things can get a little
  crazy. Also, remember that Wednesdays are late
  start at 835am. With afternoon pickup, try and
  arrive by 225pm (especially the first few months
  of school). You can then conveniently park and
  wait at one of the white painted curbs on Helena
  or Bernardo. Arrive 230pm of later, and youll
  be parking several blocks away and your blood
  pressure may move up a few points! You may also
  consider choosing a pick-up spot that is neither
  the Bernardo nor Helena white zone. One last tip
  dont even consider walking your 6th grader to
  class (unless they ask!).

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Welcome Reception

• Please move to the multi-use room
• Parents and counselors to welcome and answer
  questions
• All forms referenced will be available