[0:01] [music] [0:04] Hi, welcome to West. We're so glad to [0:06] have you. I'm Gwen Chase. I'm the [0:08] principal of Shock P West Middle School [0:09] and we are so excited to start this [0:11] transition where your child will be [0:13] going from fifth grade into our sixth [0:15] grade middle schools. [0:16] >> Hi, my name is Nate and I hope you like [0:18] East Middle School. [0:18] >> Hi, I'm Clayton Ellis, principal of East [0:20] Middle School. Welcome. What an exciting [0:23] time as you are registering your child [0:25] for middle school and just wanted to let [0:28] you know that I can understand that it [0:29] can be a very nervous time but yet an [0:31] exciting time as we are getting prepared [0:33] to register for classes. Shockby schools [0:36] prides ourselves on offering a unique [0:38] educational opportunity for our [0:40] students. [music] [0:41] Starting in the middle school level, we [0:43] offer elective courses that are called [0:45] gateways that introduce the [0:46] differentmies that your child will [0:48] eventually get to participate [music] in [0:50] once they get to the high school. [0:51] >> As we have those courses set up, your [0:53] child will have an experience to think [0:55] about uh what they might be interested [0:57] in and where [music] they might go with [0:59] their careers and in life. [1:01] >> In middle school, I love how you have [1:04] super fun opportunities with the classes [1:06] you get to take. [music] You get way [1:07] more options. Some people have taken [1:09] band, but if you haven't, you can [1:11] definitely join band. There are lots of [1:12] art courses and you get you just get to [1:15] kind of dip your toe in lots of [1:17] different areas to help you kind of [1:18] figure out what you want to do when you [1:19] grow up. Um, and what you want to do in [1:22] high school and kind of get to make [1:24] those decisions. [1:24] >> When you come here to sixth grade, [1:27] you're going to have electives and [1:28] you're going to have stuff like medical [1:30] detectives and teen [music] chef and [1:32] architecture. And it's really fun [1:34] because you get to pick different [1:36] classes that you like [music] like [1:38] topics in and it's really fun and you [1:40] meet a lot of different people with the [1:41] same interest. [1:42] >> We understand that this is a [1:44] nerve-wracking time for you and your [1:45] child and there are a lot of changes [1:46] that you will uh go through as a family. [1:49] But please know that as your child [1:51] starts to explore in responsibility and [1:53] independence um we have got their back [1:56] and we will help them along the way. [1:58] >> There is a lot of support in place. [1:59] [music] We have liaison. We have our [2:01] counselor. We have school psychologists. [2:03] We have social workers [music] [2:05] and our office staff that are readily [2:07] readily available to help. [2:09] >> I think a good [music] way to get help [2:11] is ask teachers if they know where [2:13] certain classes are cuz [music] nine [2:15] times out of 10 teachers are really [2:16] willing to help you. As for teacher [2:19] support, there is plenty of it and lots [2:21] of teachers definitely go out of their [2:24] way to try to invite you in and welcome [2:26] in uh conversation [music] [2:28] about how you're feeling, how you're [2:29] doing, um stress level, whether that [2:31] goes for just normal teach like just [2:33] teachers [music] and also the counselors [2:36] are great. One of the biggest changes [2:37] from elementary school to middle school [2:39] is that instead of primarily having one [2:42] teacher, students move between several [2:44] different teachers throughout the day. [2:46] In middle school, kids have seven [2:48] different classes and typically a [2:50] different teacher in each one of those [2:51] classes. In sixth grade, students will [2:54] take five core classes. These will be [2:57] taken every day for the entire year. The [3:00] biggest change has to be like classes [3:02] and passing time. Cuz when I was [music] [3:04] in fifth grade, it was like one [3:06] continuous class and you go for lunch or [3:09] if you had like an extra class that you [3:11] needed to go, you go to that class. [3:13] [music] [3:13] But now you have to walk to your [3:16] separate classes and you have a lot more [3:19] teachers and [music] [3:21] kids in your classes that you have to [3:22] introduce yourself to. [3:24] >> Kind of a little hard to adjust and on [3:26] the first day it's very nerve-wracking. [3:28] Um, but the teachers made that very easy [3:31] and there's other classmates that help [3:32] that help me. [3:34] >> In middle school, students will get [3:35] their own iPad. We are onetoone with [3:37] technology. It is really exciting for [3:39] students to be able to take that iPad [3:41] [music] home with them every day in [3:42] order to do their homework and and [3:44] submit assignments online. We have two [3:46] software programs that we use at the [3:48] middle school. The first one is Canvas. [3:51] Canvas is our learning management [3:53] management [music] system where students [3:55] can interact with courses, their [3:57] teachers as well as submit assignments. [3:59] This the second system that we use is [4:01] infinite [music] campus. This is kind of [4:03] a larger scale program that holds um [4:06] long-term information, health [4:08] information, attendance [music] records, [4:10] as well as final grades once a grading [4:12] term is completed. [4:15] Infinite [music] Campus is also the [4:16] district-wide system that we use for [4:18] communications and contact home with [4:20] families. [4:21] >> We also want to make sure that our [4:22] students are advocating for themselves, [4:24] which means they can talk to their [4:25] teachers and say, "I need support with [4:27] something." And we are here to help with [4:29] that. The challenge that [music] was [4:31] hard for me was getting a lot of like [4:32] assignments turned in for like seven [4:34] different classes. So, [music] that's [4:36] like really hard to do. I learned to [4:38] make like a schedule or in a class if [4:40] I'm done with any of that work. [music] [4:41] I just do missing work for my other [4:44] classes or just do work that I have to [4:46] do. [4:46] >> In middle school, students have the [4:48] [music] ability to connect with their [4:49] teachers at all times. Whether they're [4:51] using the Canvas platform or they're [4:53] connecting through [music] email, um [4:55] teachers are readily available to [4:57] support. What I like best about middle [4:59] school, probably the teachers. They're [5:01] um they're very inviting. They are [5:03] they're always welcome to they're always [5:05] flexible to stay after class or before [5:08] to help you one-on-one if you need it. [5:10] Please understand that patience is [5:12] needed as we work through this [5:13] transition from elementary to middle [5:15] school. Know that it is going to take a [5:17] little a little time to [music] adjust [5:19] and for students to get acclimated to [5:21] the middle school model. Building [5:23] relationships between the home and with [5:26] the teacher is also just as important. [5:28] [music] [5:28] Conferences is a great natural point to [5:31] connect with your teachers, but know [5:33] that they are available at [music] all [5:34] times and they are ready to dialogue and [5:36] talk about how things are going and how [5:38] your student is progressing. In the next [5:40] few weeks, your students will be viewing [5:42] videos [music] about registration and [5:44] getting acclimated to the middle school [5:47] uh with their teachers. [music] [5:48] Following that um the registration [5:50] information will go out to the students [5:52] and [music] to you to make the best [5:54] informed decision uh that you would like [5:56] to for your child with registration with [5:58] the registration process. [music] In [6:00] May, students will have the opportunity [6:03] of uh taking a little field trip to East [6:06] and West and getting an opportunity to [6:08] [music] [6:08] see the the building. They will see [6:11] classrooms, the lunchroom, so forth, see [6:13] the locker area and um getting support [6:16] and having questions answered [music] [6:18] by staff and students. And we're really [6:20] excited for that opportunity to welcome [6:22] in during the school day [music] and [6:24] touring our buildings. Later in June, [6:26] there will be a confirmation of courses [6:29] and more information um solidifying what [6:32] the what your child's [music] schedule [6:34] will look like. During the summer, there [6:36] will be continued communication and [6:37] supports, making sure that you are [6:39] informed and ready to begin [music] the [6:41] school year in the fall.