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| Learning From Kindergarten to College |
Current middle school students also should be prepared for and included in orientation presentations through a leadership/student government class, a “buddy” system or other planned ways.
School leaders should plan and provide for several events that involve students, teachers and parents. These events should focus on providing a positive message about middle school that it is safe and fun. They also should focus on providing information about the changes that early adolescents will be experiencing.
Elementary teachers, counselors and other licensed staff members should be aware of the concerns of their students and the anxieties of moving into middle school. They should be upbeat and reassuring—and they should not use middle schools as a “threat” or misplaced motivational tool. They should know about the developmental issues and changes some of their students in the elementary schools already experiencing.
Middle school teachers should be well versed in the developmental issues of their students. They also should be aware that students will experience anxieties associated with the change, and they should begin before school starts to work to neutralize these anxieties. Visiting elementary schools in the spring so the students know the teachers and addressing any questions or concerns on the first day of the school year are two ways to facilitate easing into the year.
Parents should attend the spring incoming parent night to meet homeroom teachers and begin to establish a relationship with the teachers.
Parents should attend school meetings to learn about the concerns and questions their children have and will have. They should talk with their children about the upcoming school year and emphasize the positive aspects of attending middle school. Parents should watch for signs of depression and be ready to address them.
Parents need to learn about young adolescents and their developmental issues and stages so they will better understand this new and wonderful person with whom they live and be able to interact with them in positive ways that build relationships.
Making the transition into middle school is the first and most significant step to ensuring a successful middle school experience. It is one that deserves time and attention. A well-planned transition program helps parents and students have a greater peace of mind by taking some of the stress out of the summer before middle school and providing the groundwork for a successful beginning of the new adventure.
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Project Chrysalis Middle School is a charter school designed as a small-school alternative for children in Houston’s East End. Housed at the Cage Elementary Campus since 1995, Chrysalis has grown from a team-taught sixth- and seventh- grade class to an established middle school with approximately 150 students and eight faculty and staff members. It provides an extended-day and extended-year program, which emphasizes project-based and interdisciplinary learning.
Middle school children should be taking the right courses in middle school to prepare for high school and college. Studies show that if students take algebra and geometry early—starting in the eighth and ninth grades—they are more likely to go on to college than students who don’t. By taking algebra in earlier grades, a child more likely will be able to enroll in chemistry, physics and advanced mathematics courses before finishing high school. Then there will be room in a student’s high school schedule to take a second language, art or Advanced Placement courses. Making good grades in these kinds of tough courses can be a big plus in helping a child get into college.
Some other helpful hints for parents include the following:
HISD also offers challenging high school-level classes in middle school. Students with demonstrated language abilities can start taking AP Spanish in eighth grade. Eligible students from Johnston Middle School take on an AP courseload meant to prepare high school juniors and seniors for college.
PRIVATE SCHOOL
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that private school students scored higher on standardized tests, had more demanding graduation requirements and sent more graduates to college than public schools. The report said that students who had completed at least the eighth grade in a private school were twice as likely as other students to graduate from college as a young adult.
NCES statistics also showed that students in private schools are much more likely than others to take advanced-level high school courses. Joint reports by the NCES and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and a private study by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans have found that private school students are significantly more likely than others to feel safe and be safe in their schools. Students thrive when allowed to learn in a safe and supportive environment.
School leaders should plan and provide for several events that involve students, teachers and parents. These events should focus on providing a positive message about middle school that it is safe and fun. They also should focus on providing information about the changes that early adolescents will be experiencing.
Elementary teachers, counselors and other licensed staff members should be aware of the concerns of their students and the anxieties of moving into middle school. They should be upbeat and reassuring—and they should not use middle schools as a “threat” or misplaced motivational tool. They should know about the developmental issues and changes some of their students in the elementary schools already experiencing.
Middle school teachers should be well versed in the developmental issues of their students. They also should be aware that students will experience anxieties associated with the change, and they should begin before school starts to work to neutralize these anxieties. Visiting elementary schools in the spring so the students know the teachers and addressing any questions or concerns on the first day of the school year are two ways to facilitate easing into the year.
Parents should attend the spring incoming parent night to meet homeroom teachers and begin to establish a relationship with the teachers.
Parents should attend school meetings to learn about the concerns and questions their children have and will have. They should talk with their children about the upcoming school year and emphasize the positive aspects of attending middle school. Parents should watch for signs of depression and be ready to address them.
Parents need to learn about young adolescents and their developmental issues and stages so they will better understand this new and wonderful person with whom they live and be able to interact with them in positive ways that build relationships.
Making the transition into middle school is the first and most significant step to ensuring a successful middle school experience. It is one that deserves time and attention. A well-planned transition program helps parents and students have a greater peace of mind by taking some of the stress out of the summer before middle school and providing the groundwork for a successful beginning of the new adventure.
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Project Chrysalis Middle School is a charter school designed as a small-school alternative for children in Houston’s East End. Housed at the Cage Elementary Campus since 1995, Chrysalis has grown from a team-taught sixth- and seventh- grade class to an established middle school with approximately 150 students and eight faculty and staff members. It provides an extended-day and extended-year program, which emphasizes project-based and interdisciplinary learning.
Middle school children should be taking the right courses in middle school to prepare for high school and college. Studies show that if students take algebra and geometry early—starting in the eighth and ninth grades—they are more likely to go on to college than students who don’t. By taking algebra in earlier grades, a child more likely will be able to enroll in chemistry, physics and advanced mathematics courses before finishing high school. Then there will be room in a student’s high school schedule to take a second language, art or Advanced Placement courses. Making good grades in these kinds of tough courses can be a big plus in helping a child get into college.
Some other helpful hints for parents include the following:
- Expose your child to people, events and places that light up their imaginations and lift their aspirations.
- Encourage reading habits. The content doesn’t really matter as long as the child is interested in reading. Regular reading outside of school is key to the critical reading and language skills that will determine their placement in advanced courses.
- Encourage your underachiever to pull up weak grades because colleges are impressed by improvement.
HISD also offers challenging high school-level classes in middle school. Students with demonstrated language abilities can start taking AP Spanish in eighth grade. Eligible students from Johnston Middle School take on an AP courseload meant to prepare high school juniors and seniors for college.
PRIVATE SCHOOL
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that private school students scored higher on standardized tests, had more demanding graduation requirements and sent more graduates to college than public schools. The report said that students who had completed at least the eighth grade in a private school were twice as likely as other students to graduate from college as a young adult.
NCES statistics also showed that students in private schools are much more likely than others to take advanced-level high school courses. Joint reports by the NCES and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and a private study by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans have found that private school students are significantly more likely than others to feel safe and be safe in their schools. Students thrive when allowed to learn in a safe and supportive environment.
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