“Everything you Ever Wanted to Know about Junior High, but Were Afraid to

Ask”

Protecting your childO http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDgjJxJp6DQ

Three types of students

STUDIOUS

O Always preparedO Does HomeworkO Gets good grades

Three types of students

SLACKER

O Capable but not workingO “If you don’t know about it, I don’t

have to do it”

Three types of students

STRUGGLER

O They may work O They may not work

Junior High School Mind

O The brain is not fully developed until age 25

O Some of this is physiological & some is not

O Sometimes uncaring about potential consequences, (“living in the moment”)

O The region of the brain that leads

to motivation is still developing in adolescence

Prefrontal Cortex or the “Thinking Brain” is not fully developed

O Less likely to stay organizedO Less likely to show:

Responsibility in planning Prioritizing Evaluating the consequences of

their actions

Staying on top of itO EdmodoO Home Access CenterO Teacher WebsitesO Retest <70O Online TextbooksO Email teachers

Edmodo

Parent tutorialhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbkJ3QAIEaw

Student tutorialhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxrty5j8MS4

Home Access Center

http://www.katyisd.org/pages/home-access-center.aspxO Parents are issued a HAC letter O If you have children at multiple

campuses, one login will show you all of your children’s information at one time.

O Use the “Frequently Asked Questions” section to help you.

Home Access Center (Students)

O Username= Student ID Ex: K1211111

O Password= first initial of first and last name + last 4 of Social Security Number or State ID Number

O Example: Student’s name is Mary Barker and the last four digits of her social security # is 1234. Mary’s password is mb1234.

End of Year Average6th & 7th Grade

O 1st six weeks average O + 2nd six weeks averageO + 3rd six weeks average _______________________ Total Divided by 3 = Semester Avg

EOY average = Avg of Sem 1+Sem 2 = 70+

How grades are averaged by semester

8th Grade 1st 6 weeks x 2+ 2nd 6 weeks x 2+ 3rd 6 weeks x 2+ Semester Exam

---------------------------------------------- Total divided by 7= Semester Avg

Junior High School classes = EOY 70+ High School classes = Semesters are independent

Grade Category Breakdown

Major Minor Other

6th 45% 40% 15% 7th Aca

7th PAP/ 50% 35% 15% 8th Aca

8th PAP / 55% 30% 15% High School

70% Rule as passing100 Homework is top 15%

85

70_____________________________________69 and below is failing

150 Homework is not bottom 15%

Attendance ChangeHouse Bill 5 requires students to

be in attendance 90% of the time in order to receive class credit or a final grade.

Careful about unexcused absences or vacations

Don’t leave at semester exam time

OrganizationBOSS video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIfgsWqwtqg&feature=youtube. Organize your Locker Notebooks should be reorganized

every six weeks Use a PLANNER Use a different notebook for each class Pencil bag with supplies To do/done Homework folder

How much homework to expect?

O 6th grade : 1 – 1 ¼ hours dailyO 7th grade Academic: 1 – 1 ½ hours

dailyO 7th grade Pre-AP: 1 ½ - 2 hours dailyO 8th grade Academic: 1 – 1 ½ hours

dailyO 8th Grade Pre-AP: 2 hours daily

Use Advisory Period to study or for tutoring

Studying at homeO Where? A regular place: Kitchen table;

Dining room table; Study; Bedroom desk

O How? Quiet place, well lit, without distractions

O When? Every day at 3:30 p.m. after snack

O Regular Routine? It should become routine.

SSI (Student Success Initiative)

8th grade requires students to pass the Reading & Math STAAR tests in order to be promoted to 9th grade.

Three attempts: Beginning of April Middle of May End of June

The Gift of FailureO “Almost everyone knows that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school

basketball team. But most don’t know that Walt Disney was once fired from a newspaper for a lack of ideas and his first cartoon production company went bankrupt. Everyone loves Lucy, but Lucile Ball was told that she had no talent and should leave Murray Anderson’s drama school. With all of Dustin Hoffman’s success it’s hard to believe that he worked as a janitor because he failed in his first attempt as an actor in New York. Can you imagine Bob Dylan getting booed off the stage at his high school talent show? What would have happened if Dr. Seuss actually burned the manuscript of his first book, which he wanted to do after it was rejected by 27 publishers. It’s also hard to fathom Steven Speilberg not getting accepted to UCLA’s film school because of average grades. It’s easy to forget that Steve Jobs was fired from Apple at thirty years old and Oprah Winfrey was once told she wasn’t fit for television and was fired as a news anchor. Failure gives you a test designed to measure your courage, perseverance, commitment and dedication. Failure is not meant to be final and fatal. It is not meant to define you. It is meant to refine you to be all that you are meant to be. The fact is everyone fails in life, but it is a gift if you don’t give up and are willing to learn, improve and grow because of it. When you see failure as a blessing instead of a curse, you will turn the gift of failure into a stepping stone that leads to the gift of success.”

Thank you

This concludes Part 1

Teacher Panel Part 2

Teacher PanelO Mr. Harrigal (8th grade Math D.C.)O Mrs. Wood (High School Credit

Spanish)O Ms. Sadler (7th grade Science)O Mrs. Fernandez (6th grade SS

D.C.)O Mrs. Drake (6th grade English/8th

grade Eng)O Ms. Grubbs (Instructional Coach

for Math)