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Welcome Back Sixth Grade!Parent MeetingApril 17, 20145:00

+Welcome! Thanks so much for coming. Please help yourself to cookies,

juice, coffee and tea. Help yourself to any of the research articles

about grade configuration. These can be found on the back table.

Around the room are posters with topics relevant to the sixth grade move. Please feel free to add additional comments or sticky sticky notes to the posters.

+Outcomes for tonight

During tonight’s meeting we will: Continue the discussion regarding the move of the

sixth grade to the elementary school Share the observations from the recent

Accountability Committee trip to Moab Present progress the district has made regarding

the move: curriculum development space configuration

Identify further questions and issues that need to be addressed over the next twelve months

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Questions from the

February Parent Meeting

+Where did this idea come from?

Challenges about where the sixth grade fits in: Not quite ready for middle school yet too old for the elementary

Student readiness for middle school: challenges of the transition Organizational skills Multiple transitions: seven different teachers or classes Exposure to more mature issues and social pressures

Crowding in secondary: Building project issues Opportunity!

+What do the researchers say abut where sixth grade belongs? Sixth graders in middle school have more

behavioral problems than their peers in elementary.

Sixth graders in elementary school test higher than those in middle school.

Sixth graders in middle school are exposed to older teens which may have a negative influence on them.

Public School Review: March 30, 2008

+Will the sixth grade change what is taught? If so in what ways? Teachers teach the standards for that grade or subject area.

This is not dependent on where the class is located. We are looking towards building an upper elementary (grades

5 and 6) program that better prepares students for middle and high school. We would like to incorporate the idea of “switching” classes for a limited amount of content: perhaps only for science and one other area perhaps math.

We will do our best to schedule our support classes so the fifth and sixth graders get a high level of instructional support from special education and title one.

We will do our best to continue the traditional sixth grade activities such as Science Fair and Night of the Notables.

+What are the space considerations for the elementary school? Blue Prints of new spaces for the

elementary school: five classrooms and a small much needed storage room. Options:

Upset the apple cart 3-4 wing, K-2 wing, and 5-6 corridor Other

+What will the “left over” space be used for in the middle school?To what use would the junior high classrooms

be put? 7th grade classes are huge. Would this allow for smaller class sizes? Or would classrooms be left empty? Remodel the middle school science classroom

and perhaps add an additional lab. Return the middle school computer lab to the

middle school hallways and add an additional computer lab for the middle school

Add an additional classroom for class size reduction.

+What will be done about bullying in the sixth graders? The sixth grade year will be built as a transition

year from the elementary school to the middle school

Although students will be in this transition year, all elementary policies and procedures will be in place, including our policy on bullying.

Because students will be participating in sports, Mr. Lankford will be assisting with athletic discipline codes.

+Questions from Students

Will 6th grade still have privileges such as buying food from the ala carte and candy? Sixth graders will be able to purchase ala

carte items from the cafeteria. The salad bar is considered a meal and will be available to the 6th graders as it is now.

The cafeteria no longer carries candy, ice-cream or other items not supported by our wellness policy.

+Accountability Trip: Destination Moab Moab is the closest school with a K-6 configuration

Currently has 800 students School divided in half: K-3 and 4-6 Five sections of each grade level Each grade level separate from the others

Self-contained classrooms: Each teacher teaches all subjects

Curriculum and scheduling changes reflect what we have currently in place.

Parent: Overwhelmingly support the K-6 model

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Planning for 2015-2016

+Curriculum and Opportunities

Curriculum The elementary and the secondary are

investigating a focus on a combined STEM and humanities approach to instruction.

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Humanities: Communicating, reading, writing, and the social sciences

+Curriculum

Science Instruction: Fifth and sixth grade taught by a teacher focused on the sciences

Math Instruction for fifth and sixth grade: Aligned more closely with seventh and eighth grade

Humanities: Holistic approach to social studies: taught within the context of

reading Increased emphasis on reading informational text Continued emphasis on writing across all content areas and for all

purposes Hiring:

Currently looking for an elementary certified person with a strong background in science.

+Curricular Possibilities Leadership

Leadership camp in the fall

Buddy system between 6th graders and kindergarteners

Peer mediation program Staffing

Assistant principal/athletic director reach down and work with 6th graders

Elementary certification preference

Begin transition of teachers during the 2014-2015 school year

Curriculum and Programs Schedule to allow

departmentalization of 5th and 6th grade for math and science

Align math for 5th and 6th with middle school program

Continuation of curriculum maps already developed by 6th grade team

Increased interventions and supports for an additional year

+Athletics and Activities

Middle School Sports Volleyball Football Track/cross country Basketball Wrestling

Electives during school Technology PE Music Band? Art

Extra Curricular/After School Drama Knowledge Bowl Rec. Center Sports

Volleyball Basketball

+Next steps… Continue to develop space recommendations considering class

size recommendations and the best ways to utilize the new classrooms

Continue identifying staffing patterns for the reconfigured elementary and secondary schools

Begin to develop curriculum and programming for the sixth grade

Develop a strategic implementation plan for the 2014-2015 school year

Include sixth grade teachers in planning process and elementary training opportunities beginning the spring of 2014

Next Parent Meeting: September 18 at 5:00

+Questions and Answers

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Thanks so much for coming. Next Meeting: September 18: 5:00

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