6th grade - when do they start middle school prep?

[Anonymous]

When will parents and kids start to learn more about the middle school and how to choose courses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When will parents and kids start to learn more about the middle school and how to choose courses?

January

[Anonymous]

Checks calendar hmmm October seems like a good time to be worrying about next September

[Anonymous]

Your child should start to have visits from MS Counselors soon, I don’t remember the exact time period. They will choose electives in January and you will have opportunities to adjust them up to the summer. One friend of DS has changed his first semester elective twice so there is some wiggle room in the schedule once school starts.

I will warn that Band and Orchestra at some schools are very time intensive after school if you want to attend the field trip at the end of the school year. Orchestra had somewhere around 10 after school commitments and band had 25. There was a contract sent home to parents that they needed to sign that the student would not miss anything unless sick. I know a bunch of kids who swapped out of band as soon as that went home. I do think the extra only influenced the ability to attend the field trip but it seemed very intense for MS Band and Orchestra.

[Anonymous]

In January you visit the middle school. Then in February you choose the electives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your child should start to have visits from MS Counselors soon, I don’t remember the exact time period. They will choose electives in January and you will have opportunities to adjust them up to the summer. One friend of DS has changed his first semester elective twice so there is some wiggle room in the schedule once school starts.

I will warn that Band and Orchestra at some schools are very time intensive after school if you want to attend the field trip at the end of the school year. Orchestra had somewhere around 10 after school commitments and band had 25. There was a contract sent home to parents that they needed to sign that the student would not miss anything unless sick. I know a bunch of kids who swapped out of band as soon as that went home. I do think the extra only influenced the ability to attend the field trip but it seemed very intense for MS Band and Orchestra.

thank you for clarifying that they have time to adjust. January seems so early to make a decision for the following fall!

[Anonymous]

If I recall correctly, the middle school had an information session and electives fair in January. Then they selected their core classes and electives (and alternates). I promise, they will walk you through the whole process with ease! The same for high school. 😊

[Anonymous]

I recall around January also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your child should start to have visits from MS Counselors soon, I don’t remember the exact time period. They will choose electives in January and you will have opportunities to adjust them up to the summer. One friend of DS has changed his first semester elective twice so there is some wiggle room in the schedule once school starts.

I will warn that Band and Orchestra at some schools are very time intensive after school if you want to attend the field trip at the end of the school year. Orchestra had somewhere around 10 after school commitments and band had 25. There was a contract sent home to parents that they needed to sign that the student would not miss anything unless sick. I know a bunch of kids who swapped out of band as soon as that went home. I do think the extra only influenced the ability to attend the field trip but it seemed very intense for MS Band and Orchestra.

Must be school dependent. Our MS orchestras went to Hershey Park and there were no after school rehearsals because they didn’t perform, just had a fun day at the park.

[Anonymous]

Kids can feel very anxious about this upcoming transition. Try not to talk too much about it at home, unless they bring it up and want to. They need to just be in the moment and experience the sixth grade. For those that are worried about middle school, remind them that they will be a year older, almost, and that their teachers know how to be sure they will be ready and that middle school teachers know how to help kids succeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your child should start to have visits from MS Counselors soon, I don’t remember the exact time period. They will choose electives in January and you will have opportunities to adjust them up to the summer. One friend of DS has changed his first semester elective twice so there is some wiggle room in the schedule once school starts.

I will warn that Band and Orchestra at some schools are very time intensive after school if you want to attend the field trip at the end of the school year. Orchestra had somewhere around 10 after school commitments and band had 25. There was a contract sent home to parents that they needed to sign that the student would not miss anything unless sick. I know a bunch of kids who swapped out of band as soon as that went home. I do think the extra only influenced the ability to attend the field trip but it seemed very intense for MS Band and Orchestra.

Must be school dependent. Our MS orchestras went to Hershey Park and there were no after school rehearsals because they didn’t perform, just had a fun day at the park.

It probably is, we are at Carson. The after school sheet that I saw for band was jaw dropping. But my kid has friends in Band who love it and are very happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids can feel very anxious about this upcoming transition. Try not to talk too much about it at home, unless they bring it up and want to. They need to just be in the moment and experience the sixth grade. For those that are worried about middle school, remind them that they will be a year older, almost, and that their teachers know how to be sure they will be ready and that middle school teachers know how to help kids succeed.

Perhaps this is school specific, but our ES (together with the MS they'll attend) does a fantastic job getting the 6th graders pumped up for MS.

[Anonymous]

Any experience with middle school honors vs. regular classes? What is the "honors" difference? Who can take honors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your child should start to have visits from MS Counselors soon, I don’t remember the exact time period. They will choose electives in January and you will have opportunities to adjust them up to the summer. One friend of DS has changed his first semester elective twice so there is some wiggle room in the schedule once school starts.

I will warn that Band and Orchestra at some schools are very time intensive after school if you want to attend the field trip at the end of the school year. Orchestra had somewhere around 10 after school commitments and band had 25. There was a contract sent home to parents that they needed to sign that the student would not miss anything unless sick. I know a bunch of kids who swapped out of band as soon as that went home. I do think the extra only influenced the ability to attend the field trip but it seemed very intense for MS Band and Orchestra.

Must be school dependent. Our MS orchestras went to Hershey Park and there were no after school rehearsals because they didn’t perform, just had a fun day at the park.

To clarify, I am the Carson poster, the after school events are not associated with the trip but are required to participate in if you want to go to the park. The kids don’t perform on the field trip but there are concerts and competitions and whole band/orchestra practices to prepare for the concerts and competitions. It is a lot. But I know a kid who is in Orchestra at SLHS and said that the Carson Orchestra is a lot better then the SLHS Orchestra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any experience with middle school honors vs. regular classes? What is the "honors" difference? Who can take honors?

At least for Frost they went over all of this in excruciating detail multiple times starting around January. There were in-person presentations to parents, emails, PowerPoints emailed of the presentations after the presentations, discussions with kids, everything you could want to help you figure it all out.

But the quick answer is that everyone can take honors (though kids in AAP who are automatically enrolled in AA instead, which is nearly identical to honors but not quite, unless the parent requests differently) and the MS typically encourages all kids to have at least 1 honors course, more if they have multiple areas of academic strength.