HOLY CROSS SCHOOL

Middle school pARENT Transition WORKSHOP (2014-2015)

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Administrative staff Mr. Charles DiGange – Headmaster Dr. Joseph Murry, Jr. – High School Principal Mrs. Teresa Billings – Middle School Principal/Director of Studies Mrs. Patricia Hrapmann – Director of Curriculum and Instruction Mr. Eric DesOrmeaux – Dean of Men/High School Mr. Ronnie Kornick - Dean of Boys/Middle School Mr. Brian Kitchen – Admissions Director PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS Ms. Karen duPlantier – Director of Guidance and Counseling/ 8 th Grade Counselor Ms. Gaye Trombatore-9 th and 12 th Grade Counselor Mr. Matt Wegmann– 10 th and 11 th Grade Counselor Mrs. Stephanie Strain– Middle School Counselor ( Grade 5, 6, & 7 ) Professional staff Mrs. Tricia Bristow– Registrar Mrs. Dixie Crayton– Administrative Assistant

Who am I?

• Stephanie Strain, M.Ed., NCC, CI • Education – BA, Communication Studies- Louisiana State University – M.Ed., Counselor Education- University of New Orleans • Experience – Middle School counselor- 2013- present – 8 th , 9 th and 10 th 2010-2013 Grade Counselor- Holy Cross – Lower, Middle, and High School Counselor Intern- Academy of Sacred Heart, 2008-2010

Middle School Transition

• Administrative Procedures • Technology • Supplies and Organization • Extracurricular Activities • First Days of School (And beyond!) • Standardized Testing • Wrap-Up and Questions

Administrative Procedures

(Early Events)

• Meet and Greets

– Back to School Night • Tuesday, August 19 th 6:00pm • Follow your son’s schedule • Meet all his teachers • *Meet other parents and exchange contact information* – Grade Level Coffees • Week of August 25th • Chance to meet/chat with other parents and school administration • Grade Level Rep will have this info

Administrative Procedures

(

Day-to-Day Life, a prelude)

• Middle School is run like High School

– Rotating schedule, behavior, grading scale, homework, projects, tests, exams, etc.

– RESPONSIBILITY

• Mistakes WILL happen, failure (at times) is a certainty

– Learn to cope with and work through mistakes. Apply what you learn from them.

– No one is perfect – Fall down seven times, get up eight

Administrative Procedures

• Arrival and Dismissal – Always on Paris Ave • NEVER in parking lot, Prentiss Ave., or Cabrini Ct.!

• Students may arrive as early as 7:00 am (Students arriving early for zero period or meetings in the Student Center may be dropped off on Crescent Avenue in front of the Student Center.) • Dismissal: 2:30pm; Tuesdays: 2:10pm • Faculty meetings Tuesday – The Bus (contact: [email protected]

) • Bus Schedule and routes available on school website • Shuttle Bus– leaves at 4:30pm every day, even on Tuesdays. Shuttle bus will not run on Varsity Football game nights.

Administrative Procedures (

Day-to-Day Life)

• Daily Schedule – Rotating Block Schedule • 7 class, 4 per day • First today is last tomorrow • Ex: ABCD, EFGA, BCDE, FGAB,… – Copies available on Plus Portal (grid schedule is best) • Keep them everywhere: agenda, binder, LOCKER, backpack (especially in the beginning), car, home, bedroom, etc.).

– Boys may learn this faster than you will – Implications for homework • Requires more organization (especially with tests) • Best to do it the night assigned rather than night before, although this will not be their “natural” tendency • Mixed method works best • Daily Announcements available on website each day

Administrative Procedures (

Discipline)

• Dean of Boys (Disciplinarian)

– Ronnie Kornick

• Levels (Low to High)

– Teacher’s Detention • Varies by Teacher – Administrative Detention • Fridays after school • 2:40pm-4:40pm (subject to change) – Saturday School • 8:00am-10:00am (subject to change) – Suspension • Internal/External – Removal • Hearing

Administrative Procedures (

Discipline for Harassment)

• Handled based on the presenting situation

– Each student has the right to a safe, harassment-free environment – Discipline and Counseling involved appropriately • Promoting Positive Student Relationships - Thursday, August 14 th , 6:00 pm

• HC Definition of Harassment-R*I*P

• R: Repetitive • I: Intentional • P: Power-based

Administrative Procedures

(

Nuts and Bolts)

• Academics – Best way to contact teachers: EMAIL !

• Fast, efficient, direct • How we all communicate with each other – Tutors : • Teachers tutoring hours • Peer-tutoring • Professional tutoring • Lists available on Counseling page on website as soon as they’re ready • Contact counselor for other options – AR (Accelerated Reader) Tests • Page and book level requirements very by grade • Contact the Language Arts teacher or Librarian, Michelle Billings • Start early, can use summer reading and assigned reading – Report Cards v/s Progress Reports • Report Cards: Official, twice a year, stays on record • Progress Reports: UNOFFICIAL, “snapshot”, mostly for internal use, two per semester

Technology at HC

(web access) • Internet use viewed as a privilege – Progressive restriction at home • 5 th -7 th grade: highly restricted • More freedom as grades progress • Reasoning: use computer more for homework in older grade and thus need access to more sites – School machine for school work • NOT a personal computer – If a specific, needed site is blocked, email Jerry Arnone (Technology Director) • Tech discipline – Taken very seriously • Both in school and out of school – Social Networking • Same as being on news, in paper, etc.

• Nothing is private • Cyberbullying/Harassment- strictly forbidden – Please be upfront if a problem arises

Technology at HC (Communication) • School Reach Telephone System

– Email/Telephone/Text Msg alerts – Emergency Contact/Information – School closures, hurricane procedures, etc.

– Watch your email for where to send your info

Technology at HC

(

Plus Portal)

• Grades – Updated daily on teacher’s class page _ Grades constantly changing based on when teachers update • General Issues – Different logins for parents v/s student • Different info available (don’t use each others logins) _ Class information available: • Course expectations • Homework/Assignments • Calendar • Handouts • Class Announcements – Use as a BACKUP, NOT assignments your son’s first resource for • Students need a physical assignment pad (AGENDA) to get both • Get in the habit of writing down assignments NOW, will serve huge benefits later on (MS, HS, and college).

Supplies and organization (

School Life

) • Supplies list varies from teacher to teacher – Available on their class’ Plus Portal page.

– Have ready on the first day of class (Aug 11 th ) • Some parents buy backup sets of books, amazon.com and half.com are good for this – Some books available in audio format, check with individual publisher (READING ALONG!) • AGENDA-hall pass and assignment pad - Must have at all times • Keep an extra PE uniform in your locker – Plays a significant role determining PE grade – Stick deodorant ONLY, spray is not allowed • ID Cards – Must have to enter cafeteria and purchase lunch – May want to keep an extra in locker

Supplies and organization (

Home Life)

• Calendar Display Board – Helps keep track of homework, quizzes, tests, assignments, projects, etc… • Especially helpful with getting used to lag-over days – Gets student in the habit of keeping up with everything from the beginning • Big picture conceptualization • Study Space – Place where only school-work is done – Limited distraction – Place to keep old assignments, quizzes, tests, etc.

• Color Coding – Lots of stuff to keep track of • Three-hole puncher – Different color for each subject • Textbook cover, notebook, binder, folder

Extracurricular Activities

• Sports: Three Types – TCAC: Intramural sports played between homerooms – Metro: Competition with other middle schools • Mostly team sports – HC Teams: practicing, sometimes competing with upper level sports (ex: cross country, wrestling, swimming, etc.) • Mostly individual sports – Information for these sports will be both posted to the website and given on the daily announcements (keep your eyes/hears open, especially your son’s)

Extracurricular Activities (continued)

• Clubs – HUGE variety available for every kind of interest – Service oriented, interest based, and academic – Meeting dates/times vary depending on faculty moderators – A comprehensive list will be available once meetings and signups have been finalized (usually by second or third week of school) • Watch the announcements!

• School activities Dances, Pep rallies, etc.

– Great fun for all ages, especially the younger grades – Whole school comes together – Promotes school connectedness and sense of belonging – Posted on school website and through announcements • Family Day – October 18 th – HUGE event…our version of a school fair – For over 50 years – Games, rides, performances, raffles, food, family, fun

First days of school

(and beyond!)

• We hit the ground running; there is A LOT to take in – You WILL get overwhelmed at some point: this is NORMAL.

– “Trust the process” – The Boys will adjust much more quickly than you will • Transition period for the kids AND you – Be mindful of both – Mistakes WILL happen…it’s ok, we learn through them.

– Goal is acquisition of skills and independence, NOT perfect grades/performance/etc.

– Takes longer than you think • Clicks for different kids/parents/families at different times

First days of school

(nuts and bolts)

• Prior to first day of school: – Check each class’s Plus Portal page and print out course requirements sheet.

• Like a syllabus: expectations, grading procedures, behavioral standards, TEACHER CONTACT INFO • Will need to be signed and returned for a grade (usually the first HW assignment) • Keep this once you get the grade back – Have an organization/color coding/binder system in place from the beginning • Modify it as needed, as experience grows • Work WITH your son to set this up – Ownership • Everything has a place • Be prepared for weekend homework • Find out each teachers’ tutoring hours

First days of school

(nuts and bolts continued)

• Carpool line is very slow at first – Picks up after the first few weeks • Official school calendar is located on the main website under Calendar, across the top • If your son is sick – Call the main switch board: 504-942-3100 in the AM – Must have a note upon return to school • Must be from a doctor if out more than 3 consecutive days • Lost and Found – High school Office and Middle School Office – Stuff gets lost, expect it • Won’t always be found – Good first place to start • We DO NOT deliver messages to your son while at school.

– Needs to be told in advance – Avoid emailing him – Exceptions for emergencies

Standardized Testing

• 5 th - 10 th Grades- ACT Aspire – Longitudinal data – Consistency and comfort with testing • Prep for future – Needs to be taken seriously • Skills carry over to HS • Instills good habits/mindset for HS tests • Used for: – Tracking growth • Of individual • Of school – Curriculum planning; where should we (HC) focus our efforts

Counseling Department

• Wide variety of services

– Academic: study skills, scheduling, peer tutoring, etc.

– Social: communication skills, conflict resolution, respecting boundaries, etc.

– Personal: goal setting, decision-making skills, stress management, etc.

* Campus ministry for spiritual guidance

• Communication

– We need your help – Unified front – Setting up meetings

• Confidentiality

– You and I determine others’ involvement

Wrap-up

(final thoughts)

• Mistakes ARE going to happen

– Acquisition of skills are more important than grades. You’ve got to let him fail sometimes in order for him to learn on his own.

– What are the goals?

• Grades v/s Independence

• Communication

– We do our best to keep you informed – Never hesitate to contact when in doubt – Must all be on the same page

Wrap-up

(final thoughts)

• BREATHE!

• SLOW………………DOWN

• “Keep in mind – it is a new routine. Just as when your son started Kindergarten…it takes a few days/weeks/months to adjust to the new routine. Take heart – you will adjust and it will become routine. Good luck!”

Any Changes?

- Address

-

Phone Number Email Address

YOU MUST KEEP US INFORMED ! ! !

E-mail the HC Registrar Mrs. Tricia Bristow with any updates @ [email protected]

Faith. Devoted to his soul's welfare, he reflects often on God. His daily actions are sanctified by prayer, the practice of virtue and manly piety. Since sanctity is his goal, he has a deep devotion to Our Lord, to Our Lady and to St. Joseph, patron of his school.

The Holy Cross Man is studious. He regards learning as a duty; intellectual perfection as an honor. He knows that his school is his training ground where he must mold himself into a useful man.

The Holy Cross Man is loyal to God and Country. Devotion to his school and his teachers is demonstrated by his cooperation, zeal, and spirit. He is a friend of all because he is a member of the Mystical Body of Christ.

In a word, he is a man of faith and honesty, of strength of character through self-mastery, of respect for