Cool Idea for Middle Schoolers

[StartingOver]

Just got a newsletter for my DS13 who will be a 7th grader this year, and they have a day (before school even starts) from 9:00 am-8:00 pm you go to the middle school and in the gym there are different stations set up.

Station 1: Pick up class schedule
Station 2: Get Locker Combo
Station 3: Deposit money into lunch account
Station 4: Get pictures taken
Station 5: Get bus schedule

We experienced this last year for the first time...and I tell ya....this is slick...I think this is a great way of doing things, very organized. You don't have to send any money to school that first day.

Have any of you experienced this with your middle schoolers?

[babymakes5]

At my school (I teach at a Jr High) we do everything the morning of day 1 and it sucks...it is confusing, and chaotic, and never is well planned. I like this idea and will be passing it on to my principal.

[Neeley]

The schools(all of them k-12) here mail out class schedules/class assignments six weeks before school starts to all students who had been in the school system the prior year. Newly registered students get their schedules the day they register. All of the schools stay open all summer for registration of new students.

Locker combinations are not needed since the students provide their own locks.

Lunch money is handled at lunchtime by the students. They give it to the line workers as they pass though. Lunch numbers remain the same and stay with the student from the time they are in kindergarten to 12th grade regardless of which of the 58 schools in the system the child attends. Lunch numbers are assigned to the student upon registration.

Pictures are taken mid school year so that all enrolled students can be included in the process.

Bus numbers are mailed out six weeks before school starts as well. There are not a great number of busses in use since they are all neighborhood schools and most are within a few miles of their school. The busses are mainly for the students who go to magnet schools or the high schoolers.

On the first day of school the teachers have certain papers they send home for the parents, pass out classroom rules, and begin the process of learning who everyone is. The second day is actually more hectic since that is when all of the Federal cards, textbook forms, discipline policy forms, internet access permission slips etc... are all being turned in.

We no longer attend the public schools, but friends who do say this school system is pretty organized. The hiring of a new superintendent has been a plus to them.

[Spark]

My son did a day camp for his intermediate and will for junior high school for new incoming students. They spend the day learning the ropes for the school, where everything is, meeting each other, etc. I paid a few bucks for lunch and more optionally for a shirt. It definitely helps him get his bearings straight before the first day of school.

[sunshine]

We have a similar day as well. . ..

Registration, pay fees, get schedule, pay lunch money.

Locker numbers and combinations are assigned in 7th grade and stay with the student through 12th grade (we only have elementary school and high school here). New students are assigned as they register.

It works well for the most part.

[YankeeMom]

We have orientation here. They give you a practice locker to practice opening, locking, and re-opening. They also give you a practice schedule so you can find your way around the rooms you'll be going.

The nice thing about this middle school (grades 7 & 8) is they keep the two grades separated, then they divide each grade into "teams". Each team is about 100 kids so you kind of get the same group of kids in each class. It's kind of nice for them, they don't have to remember 30 different kids in 8 different classes.

[Mom23boys]

At our school district, all of the schools have a back to school night. This allows you to pick up your schedule, your shcool supplies list if you haven't already gotten one, meet your teacher, find your locker, put money into your lunch account, join any clubs, fill out forms for the nurse for any meds your child may need at school, etc. Anything that can be handled before school starts the better. The children are also allowed to walk around the campus and find their rooms, the library, lunchroom, gym, office, nurse's office, etc. I am glad they do this. It takes stress off the first day.

[Domestic Gal]

Are middle schools are just like yankeemom where they have teams. Each team has a wing in the school for all of the core classes so no running around for every class. Just music, band, P.E. are on different wings of the school.

As far as the high school I have to take my son to pick up his schedule and that is when you can pay for your lunches and such.
Also the first day of school is Aug. 13 but this is only for freshmen and new students. This way they get to know the school and were there classes are and not have 1200 other kids at the school. The upper classmen that are new get another student as a mentor so they at least know one person the next day when there are 1200 student in school. This works outt really well as this is a military town and we always have a lot of new students.

[Libby]

I remember our high school being open for the first week after the long wknd holiday. Since Monday was a day off the school would be open from Tues - Thurs 8.30am - 4pm and you were supposed to walk to school, drive, get used to the public transit etc and get yourself there on time so there were no surprises. Then you were allowed to sign in/register yourself - though you were pre-registered. Get your schedule and were expected to walk around the school and learn where everything is and where your classes were. This was the time you could try to switch your schedule around if need be, any special things that needed to be taken care of were done during this time and on Friday - the first real day started out of our 8 day rotation. Friday was just a short day anyhow of orientation - classes were 30 mins each vs the full hour and we were all done by 1pm.

I kinda miss those days - I actually drove past my old high school and thought WOW thats where I used to go and think it was a big deal?! I know better, after high school I went to university!

[Michelle68]

Middle school here is 6-8 grades and they do the same here. DS is looking forward to his "6th grade camp" day.


--Michelle