May 23, 2017
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students in Grade 5:
Welcome to Memorial Middle School!! The sixth grade team, student
support services, and the administration have started preparations for the
Class of 2024. Over the last two years, we have been able to provide
several new programs that are very popular with students while working to meet
the rigorous Massachusetts Frameworks:
- Enrichment and
Intervention: This program provides time during the school
day to receive extra help or to participate in enrichment activities.
- Accelerated Math:
Students in Grade 7 and 8 have an accelerated math class option.
Effort and grades during grade 6 will be very important to determine an
appropriate placement.
- Engineering
Technology: Students take this course each year to meet the
MA State Frameworks for Science. Students learn to use hand tools,
cordless drills, soldering irons, and glue guns as they learn to build
mag-lev cars, bridges, catapults, AM radios, and hydraulic arms with
electromagnets. Students are also introduced to robotics and computer
programming using Lego Mind Storm kits.
- The Advisory Program:
Once per week for 30 minutes small groups of students meet with a teacher
to participate in team-building activities, to discuss academics and other
issues relevant to students.
- National Junior Honor
Society: Students apply after first term of 7th
grade for this academic Honor Society. Excellent grades are very
important during your first year of middle school in order to be
considered for NJHS.
- iPad Program:
Every student is issued an iPad to use in school and at home. This
past year the middle school introduced Google’s G-Suite for
Education. This is a suite of productivity tools that allows
students to collaborate with other students and the teacher through a
variety of cloud-based apps.
- Spanish:
All students in grades 7 and 8 have the opportunity to enroll in
Spanish.
- Additional Programs
and Activities Include:
The Geography
Bee
Student Council
Thanksgiving Rally and Turkey Trot
Pi Day Rally
The Spelling Bee
Penny Wars (a charity fundraiser)
Science Fair/Mad Science Night
Memorial Mini Marathon
and Rally
These activities are in addition to other traditions including the PTO Arts
Alive Day, Friday Night Dances (2 or 3 per school year), the PTO Book Fair and
Read-a-Thon, Band and Chorus Concerts, and the Talent Show and ice cream
social.
While many great things are happening at Memorial Middle School, the first
step is to help Grade 5 students transition from elementary to middle
school. We started this process several weeks ago when Mr. Kelley, the
Assistant Principal, and I participated in Literacy Week. After reading
to students, we took time to answer many questions from students about the
middle school experience. Students asked many excellent questions about
changing classes, the schedule, lockers, locks, homework and other
topics. Mr. Kelley and I will also attend the grade 5 YMCA field trips on
May 31
st and June 8
th to give students the opportunity to
get to know us better.
The next transition event is Step-Up Day on
Monday, June 5th.
Students should follow their normal routine on this day and report to Jacobs
Elementary School in the morning. Students will be bused to the middle
school where they will spend the morning with the Grade 6 team. Students
will meet their teachers, learn about classes and expectations, and have
additional questions answered. They will also meet the School
Nurse, Adjustment Counselor, School Psychologist, and the administration.
They will take a tour of the building and will even practice changing classes.
Parents/Guardians of grade 5 students that have any questions or concerns
about the transition to middle school can meet with me at a parent coffee
hosted by Christine Cappadona. This event will take place on
Friday,
June 9th at 9:00 am at the elementary school.
On Friday, June 9th at 10:00 am, grade 5
students will have the opportunity to meet Mr. St. George, our Music
Teacher. Mr. St. George will bring middle school and high school students
to the elementary school to demonstrate the different instruments that students
can play in the Grade 6 Beginner Band. Students will receive a form to
select the instrument they wish to play and will also receive information about
the instrument rental night in September. Students do need to supply
their own instrument. Most families rent an instrument through our
provider, Goulet &Co., for $25 to $45 per month depending on the
instrument. Students that would prefer not to play an instrument can
select chorus. These forms will need to be signed by a parent/guardian
and returned to the student’s grade 5 teacher by Wednesday, June 14
th.
Grade 6 Orientations will occur during the weeks of August 14
th
and August 21
st. Mr. Kelley and I will host this
program. Approximately six different dates and times will be available
and will be announced in mid-July. Students
and
parents will attend an orientation approximately 90 minutes in length on the
middle school, the iPad, Aspen (our student information database), and Social
Media/Communication/Notifications. We will review the first days of
school. Students will receive their email addresses, usernames,
passwords, locker number and combination and will be able to practice their
combination if they choose. If the master schedule is complete, we
will distribute class schedules.
Your grade 6 team has been working together for many years. They know
that some students adjust to middle school in a few minutes while other
students need a week or more. The first week of school is very structured
with extra time built into the schedule to allow students to “figure out”
middle school. Additional staff is on hand on the grade 6 floor to help
with combinations, lockers, schedules, directions and any other concerns that
may arise.
I also wish to extend an invitation to any student or family that might be
anxious about the transition. Please do not hesitate to email me over the
summer to set up a tour of the building or to ask any questions. I am
here most of the summer and always look forward to meeting new students and
families. On behalf of the faculty and staff, welcome to Memorial
Middle School! We look forward to the next three years providing students
with an exceptional education!
Sincerely,
Anthony Hrivnak, Principal
