7 th Advanced Courses Get the Facts Fairhope

7 th Advanced Courses: Get the Facts Fairhope Middle School

FMS Guidance Counselors 7 th Grade: Margaret Gambino mgambino@bcbe. org 8 th Grade: Kathryn Doyle kdoyle@bcbe. org

7 th Grade Advanced Course Teachers Math: Gina Flowers, Ashley Lathan, Mykel Williams English: Katie Perry, Mary Kinggard, Tracy Thornton Science: Janice Kinard, Melody Early, Rachel Cassagne

From Mrs. Gambino 7 th Grade Counselor • The advanced classes are an exciting opportunity to prepare students for higher level high school courses. • All advanced class students must have signed parent permission letters. There will be no summer assignments. A suggested summer reading list will be posted on the school website. • The commitment for Advanced classes is for the full school year. There will be no schedule changes. • A’s, B’s, and C’s are acceptable grades at Fairhope Middle School. Please do not ask for conferences with teachers if your student is making these grades. If your student is not meeting your expectations with these grades, please work with your student to determine how he/she may improve to your standards. • Please encourage your students to use their planners, and check them on a regular basis to see that they are writing down their assignments. • To stay updated on events, activities, and what’s going on at FMS, please check the school website at least weekly.

Attendance and Advanced Classes Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation. Students with chronic absences, defined as 18 or more unexcused or excused absences per year, are at serious risk of falling behind in school.

TOO SICK FOR SCHOOL? Not feeling 100% is not on the list! Neither is “I just don’t feel good!” • Temperature over 101 • Vomiting two or more times in the previous 24 hours • Diarrhea or stools that contain blood or mucus • Blister-like lesions, especially if they develop crusted sores with irregular outlines • Swelling of glands in front and below ears and/or tenderness of the glands in the mouth • Coughing that is repeated and violent, that lasts for weeks and is often accompanied by thick mucus and vomiting after coughing • Skin rash with fluid filled bumps or that spreads from the face area to the trunk and limbs • White spots inside the mouth or back of the throat • Pink-eye • Runny nose and congestion if nasal drainage is not clear in color

Absences: School attendance is indicative of a student’s work ethic. • It is the student’s responsibility to ask for makeup assignments when absent. They may want to develop a “buddy” contact for missed notes. • Teachers are not responsible for teaching students the information that they missed due to an absence. • The pace of advanced classes is accelerated, so missing school days for any reason presents an academic challenge that may overwhelm the student. Please consider your student’s attendance record when considering any advanced class. • Missed work/tests must be made up/turned in no later than 3 days after returning to school • Missed work/tests not made up in the required time will be counted as a ‘ 0’. • Please note that no make-up work is allowed for unexcused absences.

How Many Advanced Classes At A Time? One, Two, Three, or None? Just because a student qualifies for all 3 advanced classes (English, Math, and Science) does not necessarily mean that he/she needs to take all three. Every student is different. The decision to take any Advanced class should not depend on whether the student qualifies. How willing is your student to put forth the required effort? How self-motivated is your student? Will your student have the time to enjoy and benefit from extracurricular activities while taking one, two, or three Advanced classes? How has your student done in the past? Have you had to spend excessive time monitoring his/her academic performance? How organized is your student? Talk to your student about what is best, and carefully consider this together.

Minimum Criteria for Identification. NOT RECOMMENDATION Meet 2 of 3 Criteria Accelerated Mathematics 7 Advanced English Language Arts 7 1. Class Grade (6 th grade, first semester average, A minimum grade of "75" or higher is required regardless of standardized test scores. ) 80% or higher in 6 th grade 80% or higher in 6 th grade English mathematics course Language Arts course 2854 or higher in reading 2609 or higher in mathematics 2. 6 th Grade Fall Scantron Performance Series Score 3. 6 th Grade Winter Scantron Performance Series Score 2667 or higher in mathematics 2883 or higher in reading

What is the Advanced Curriculum? • All Advanced courses address the Alabama Course of Study as well as College and Career Readiness Standards. Each course curriculum is enriched through the use of A+ College Ready / Laying the Foundation practices.

How are the Advanced Courses Different? • Students will be learning the same material, but in greater depth and at a faster, more challenging pace. • Students will have extended academic responsibilities and expectations. Students will have outside independent work expectations. Is your student able to work independently? • A student’s work ethic and motivation should be deciding factors when considering advanced classes. Being “smart” or “capable” are not enough!

How are Advanced Courses Beneficial? • Participating in Advanced Courses in middle school will better prepare students for the content and expectations of Pre-AP/AP/IB courses when they transition to high school. • Students will have the opportunity to develop self-discipline and time management skills necessary for academic success.

Can My Student Get Additional Help? • Students should talk with their teachers if they need additional help. Many teachers offer help during break. • Encourage your child to advocate for themselves if they need help. • There is no remediation available for students who take advanced classes. Peer tutoring is available if needed.

Things to think about… • Grades may be lower than they were in regular classes, but it is better to adjust now. • Students will have increased independent/ outside of class assignments. • Students should take ownership of their learning and advocate for themselves. • Students involved in multiple extracurricular activities will need to purposefully schedule time to complete their assignments and to study.

Where are Assignments/Due Dates posted? • Each teacher posts Assignments/Due Dates in the classroom and students are responsible for copying them into their agenda. • Google Classroom • Remind (Text app)

Important Reminders • Grade Categories in INow: • Assessments/Projects/Quizzes are worth a greater % of the total grade(60%) • Classwork/Homework- (40%) • Teachers are communicating and working as a team to try to be sure that major tests and project due dates do not occur on the same day.

More…. Important Reminders • Assignments will not be accepted after the due date. • No partial credit for late work. • No extra credit assignments. • Plagiarism is cheating and will result in a ‘ 0’ and disciplinary action. • Homeroom time is more structured this year. Students should not plan on using this time to complete work that is due that day.

How can you help at home? 1. Homework Time: (Remember Counts 40%) • Provide a designated, quiet space that allows your student to focus • Limit cell phone, TV, and other distractions 2. Encourage self-advocacy skills 3. Support independent thinking 4. Emphasize the importance of time management & planning.

NJHS Requirements • The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) GPA requirement is a 3. 75 effective 2020/2021. • Advanced course grades in middle school are not weighted.

7 th Grade Accelerated Math • Students will be required to show work • Grade 7 Accelerated Math is a compacted course, which means that all of the content of Grade 7 Mathematics, half of Grade 8 Mathematics, and some standards from Algebra I with Probability are compressed into this single course. It is very fast paced and rigorous. • Grade 7 Accelerated Math is a pre-requisite for Grade 8 Accelerated Math which will be offered the 2021/2022 school year. The Grade 8 Accelerated Math will not count as a high school credit.

Advanced English • The curriculum moves at an accelerated pace with a more concentrated focus on independent reading, writing, analysis, and problem solving. • Opportunities are provided for students to develop questioning and research strategies that assist them in organizing and presenting information in oral, visual, and written formats. • Advanced English classes will have a dual focus; an indepth approach to reading and interpreting literature in various genres and an emphasis on reading strategies to help master required skills, as well as a scaffold approach to the usage of grammar and mechanics through writing practices. • Students will have at home reading assignments.

th 7 Advanced Science • Students will study an overview of life science including scientific methodology, human body, cells, DNA, genetics, disease, classification, organisms, ecology and more. • Class activities will include participating in class demonstrations and investigations, lectures with note-taking, watching science video clips, lab activities, and more. • The science curriculum consists of LTF (Laying the Foundation) infused lessons.