Welcome, Future IMS Parents and Guardians:

“B”elieve in yourself “E”xpect the best “L”isten to others “I”nspire respect “E”ncourage success “V”alue friendship “E”xperience Opportunity

Mr. David Muench Dr. George

Spalaris

7th and 8th Grade Counseling Supports

JenniferBlodgett

JohnLorenzi

School Counselor School Counselor

Our counseling and social work staff are here to help with more than academics. Middle school is a very difficult social time for kids. It is our mission to educate the whole child and that includes the social issues that arise with them. Please don’t hesitate to contact these individuals.

Developmental Characteristics of Adolescents• Middle school is a time of rapid and significant developmental change. Families

and school staff have to be aware of and respond to the unique developmental characteristics of each student.

• The following developmental characteristics are overlapping and interrelated. Be careful not to oversimplify or be too general when describing or looking at their impact on student performance and growth.

Physical Development - growth, biological maturity, and pubertyIntellectual Development - increase in understanding, reasoning, and curiosityMoral Development - making principled choices and your personal valuesPsychological Development -identity formation and quest for independenceSocial-Emotional Development - peer approval and belongingness

Executive Functioning in Middle School• Executive Functioning (EF) is a set of mental processes

that help us plan, organize, strategize, manage time, and attend to details.

• These processes continue to develop from adolescence into young adulthood.

• All of our students need to continue to enhance these skills via learning opportunities and practice.

• The cognitive skills of middle school students are changing during this developmental time from more concrete thinking to utilization of analysis, developing personal goals, hypothesizing, and planning for their future

What Do I Look For?Additional EF Skills in Middle School Students

● Working memory● Emotional control● Flexibility● Sustained attention● Task initiation● Planning/prioritizing● Organization● Time management● Goal-directed persistence● Metacognition

Smart but Scattered Teens: The "Executive Skills" Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential, Richard Guare, Peg Dawson, and Colin Guare

How do we develop and generalize these skills across settings

and people?

Who can support the growth of these skills?

Challenging Curriculum● High Expectations● Hands-On

Programming/STEAM● Challenging Math Options● “Writing across the

curriculum”● Robust Remediation

Program● Comprehensive Fine Arts

program● Service Learning● Career Exploration

•Enrichment programs• Full continuum of support–Learning support-Autistic Support-Life Skills Support–Inclusion–Resource Rooms-Speech, OT, PT

Accommodated Curriculum and Supports

• Academy of Reading/Read 180

• Academy of Math• Social Groups/SOARE• H.O.T.T. (Homework Over

Time Team)• Study Labs• Lunch & Learn• Peer Tutoring• Conflict Mediation• Academic Assistance

Typical 7th Grade Schedule

•Math

•Language Arts

•Reading

•Social Studies

•Science

•Foreign Language

•CSI, Band, Chorus, or Orchestra (3 days in a 6 day rotation) or Academic Assistance

•Phys. Ed. (3 days in a 6 day rotation)

•Art

•Music

•Family Consumer Science

•Tech. Ed.

•Lunch

Math CurriculumChallenging Math Curriculum Aligned with the Common Core Standards.

The regular 7th grade math course is:

7th Grade Math

Accelerated Course:

Pre-Algebra

Highest Course Available:Algebra I

*Follows high school curriculum

This course is a Pre-Algebra course and is what is expected of a 7th grader to learn across the state of PA. This course is aligned with Common Core Standards.

This course is also a Pre-Algebra course. It is aligned with the Common Core standards and is more intensive in pacing and rigor. It includes ALL necessary strands for movement to Algebra I.

This is a high school course aligned with the Common Core Standards in Algebra and will culminate in the Keystone Exam which is a high school graduation requirement.

Math Placement Criteria

The regular 7th grade math course is:

7th Grade Math

Accelerated Course:

Pre-Algebra

Highest Course Available:

Algebra I

Students will be placed in this course as THE grade level standard course with successful completion of their 6th grade math coursework.

85% average on tests and quizzes OR 80% test/quiz average AND Advanced on the 6th Grade PSSA to move on to Pre-Algebra.

Students who scored Advanced on the 5th grade PSSA testing and earned a 90% or better on tests and quizzes in their 6th grade math course are eligible to take the placement test.

*Placement letters will be coming out May 15th. Please contact your child’s current math teacher first.

Math Sequence7th Grade 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

7th Grade Math

Intro to Algebra *Students may move to Algebra when meeting criteria

Algebra Geometry Algebra II Alg. III, Pre-Calc, Statistics,Business Math

Pre-Algebra Algebra Geometry *Alg.II and Geometry may be taken at the same time if desired

Algebra II Alg. III or, Pre-Calc or, Statistics

Calculus (Honors), AP Calculus AB

Algebra Geometry Algebra II Alg. III, Pre-Calc, Statistics

Calculus or,Calc AB

Calculus BC

AB and BC Calculus are two distinct advanced placement tests that are offered by the college board. The AB and BC courses prepare students for these AP tests.

● At this time ALL you need to do is the following:○ Confirm for yourself that you see Band, Chorus, or Orchestra if you

desire your child to continue in the program. *For those that want to pick up these courses please email me at muench.david@bphawks.org .

○ Select your child’s World Language choice by following the directions sent to you.

○ Be advised of your child’s subsequent math course at this time. *Students taking the Algebra Placement Test will have their placements changed pending the results.

Scheduling Process

Standardized Testing at IMS• PSSA testing is a requirement for all 7th and 8th Grade students

• 7th Grade students are tested in ELA and Math• 8th Grade Students are tested in ELA, Math and

Science• Keystone Assessment in Algebra for those

taking that course

1:1 Chromebook ProgramAll students at Independence Middle School will be outfitted with a chromebook during the two years that they are with us.

Chromebook Protection Program is $30.00 dollars.● Covers accidental

breakage such as a drop or broken screen

● Does not cover repeated breakage/negligence/spills

● Please visit the BPSD website for more detailed information on the Chromebook Protection Program.

● We cover around 100 screen breaks and 6 units beyond repair through the year. It is worth the $30.00 dollars!

1:1 How has it been working at IMS?

Your child will have file folders in their drive that were created by our Student Information System. Your children SHOULD NOT delete those folders. They will have the same course titles that are on their schedules.

What are some ways staff will use the Chromebook?

● Students, while in the district, are always subject to the filter service that runs at all times.

● The Chromebooks themselves have Safe Search enforced on them, which is a Google service.○ Safe search helps filter images that are explicit/inappropriate

● The district does block certain sites via the admin console. Youtube is an example of a site that is blocked.

● The district has a filtering service that works on the chromebooks 24/7. This filter blocks certain content and flags other content if it is not sure it is questionable.

District Safeguards

You may see an alert like this get forwarded to you. We tell the students up front that we will include you on these if warranted.

Hapara, an application for teachers and students.

● Students are allowed to use their phones and iPods before school, at lunch, and after school. All other time is at the direction of staff.

● Phones should be off and in lockers at all times other than directed.● We have to be very aware of current culture and uses of devices. What

are the things you need to be on the lookout for:○ Sexting○ Snapchat, Askfm, Musical.ly

SOTD’s at IMS

World Languages at IMS

LATIN FRENCH

GERMAN SPANISH

EXPERIENCE AT NEIL ARMSTRONG

FLEX PROGRAM9 WEEKS

CURRICULUM“TASTE” OF EACH

LANGUAGECULTURE STUDY

LIMITED VOCABULARY

NO FUNCTIONAL SPEAKING

EXPERIENCE AT INDEPENDENCECHOOSE ONE LANGUAGETWO YEAR COMMITMENTLANGUAGE A AND B = HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL 1PROFICENCY ORIENTED

BUILDING FUNCTIONAL ABILITY IN

LISTENING,SPEAKING,READING,WRITING

HANDS ON, KINESTETIC,DEVELOPMENTALLY

RESPONSIVE TO LEARNERS’ NEEDS

Why Learn French? 5 Reasons It’s an Even Better Idea Than You Thought

1. French has secured its status as a top international language.

2. Learning French gives you access to the world.

3. French is on the rise.

Francophone Africa is a popular place to do business.

4. French is a favorite among language learners.

5. For an English speaker, French has a great difficulty-to-benefit ratio.

The Case for Learning German1. German is easy to acquire

2. German is the language of inventors and innovators

3. German is an important language in academia

4. German is the gateway to a world-class higher education

5. Germany is an economic powerhouse

Reasons To Take Latin1. LATIN generates a more expansive and descriptive vocabulary as well as precisely understanding the definitions of words in the English language.

2. Latin enriches with an in-depth understanding of grammar and syntax, which assists in the development of an active reader and writer.

3. Knowledge of Latin vocabulary assists in better learning and applying terminology in other subjects, particularly the sciences.

4. Latin is highly useful for the preparation and mastery of standardized examinations.

COMPELLING REASONS TO LEARN SPANISH1. Spanish Gives You the Opportunity to Live, Volunteer and Travel

Abroad

2. Spanish Bolsters Your Appeal to Employers

3. Learning Spanish is great for keeping your mind sharp,

and learning Spanish will also make it easier for you to learn additional languages in the future. An article in TIME

magazine cited that multilingual brains are “nimbler, quicker, better able to deal with ambiguities,”

4. You’ll Learn to Better Appreciate People and Cultures

THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

Health Services

Nurses:Lori Kelley, RN, MSN, CSN

Renee McEwen, RN, BS, HSN

Forms to be Completed:

•Can be found at•http://www.bpsd.org/MedicalForms.aspx

Important Forms for Your Child•Emergency Form•Medication Form

•Asthma/Allergy Health Plan

Required for all 7th Graders• Growth Screening• Near and Far Vision Screening• Hearing Screening• Scoliosis Screening• Dental Screening

• (Any incomplete 6th grade physical)

Required Immunizations • 4 Diphtheria/Tetanus Vaccine, • 4 Polio Vaccine• 3 Hepatitis B Vaccine• 2 doses of the Mumps & Measles Vaccines, • 1 dose of Rubella, usually given as MMR• 2 doses of the Varicella Vaccine (Chicken Pox) For Entry to 7th Grade:• Tdap• MCV

DO NOT SEND Your Child to School if Within the Last 24 Hours:

• Vomiting or diarrhea• Temperature over 100 degrees or greater• Continuous coughing and/or sneezing• Unexplained and/or contagious rash• Thick dark yellow or yellow-greenish drainage from the

nose• Yellowish drainage from eye (contagious conjunctivitis –

Pink Eye)• Evidence of lice

Extra-Curricular Activities

Football (7th-8th)Basketball (7th and 8th)

Soccer (7th-8th)Swimming (7th-8th)

Wrestling (Jr. High 7th-9th) Softball (7th-8th)

Cheerleading (7th-8th)Volleyball (7th and 8th)

Baseball (8th-9th)Cross Country (7th-8th)

Track (7th-8th)

Extra-Curricular Activities• Band, Chorus, Orchestra, Stage

Band• Drama Club• Science Club• Family Consumer Science (FCS) Club• Innovators Club• Newspaper Club• Yearbook Club• Newcomers Club• Adolescent Mentoring Program• World Savers• Art Club• Morning Announcements

Officer Popp

Keeping our school safe!

DRESS CODEPlease Help Us to Maintain a Safe and

Distraction Free Environment•No short skirts or short-shorts (fingertip rule)

•No holes in jeans above fingertip length

•No midriffs showing, no low cut tops

•No tanktops---Shoulders must be covered

•No flip-flop shoes

•No shoes with heels larger than two (2) inches

•No drug, alcohol, tobacco or sexual references on clothing or jewelry

Parent Handbook(online at IMS homepage)

LOCKERS

School starts at 7:25AMSchool ends at 2:25PMBuses roll at 2:38PM