Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Middle School Movers and Shakers


Today the students crafted a list of questions to send over to QMS.  The guidance department will be coming over to visit and discuss life at QMS. I wanted to share their questions with you so you could see what our agents are thinking.



How many periods do you have?

What does the homework situation look like?

How many students are in each class?

Are certain math classes eligible for sixth graders?

How do you get picked for teams? 

How many projects do we get in month? 

How do you handle bullying?

How much time do we have in between classes?

Will we have most of the same kids on our team that are in our 5th grade class?

What do we do if we get lost?

Can you still get honors or high honors?

Will we be able to do work on our Mansfield Google Drive account next year? (They know they will not be using the ones we used this year). 

How long is each period?

What field trips do we go on?

Are there class presidents?

Can we take our phones out?

What is academic support block?

What is detention and how do you get it?

Are all of the clubs after school? 

What kind of clubs are there?

How many special events do we have?

What kinds of specials do we have? 

What do we do during ASB?

What do you look for in student of the month?

How do the standing desks work?

Do you have desks for lefties?

How do we know who are teachers are?

How long is lunch?

Does the cost of lunch change?



After looking at the list I told the agents I see students who want to be leaders. I see agents who want to be high achievers. Students are motivated to learn and take risks. I listened to students who have diverse interests. Students enjoy using technology as a tool to enhance their learning. Students want to better manage their time and organize themselves so they are prepared for their role as a middle school student.  Part of my role is building relationships with my students to lay the foundation for them to be successful in the transition. I hope each agent is leaving here different then when they walked through the door in September. They are bright eyed and ready to head across the street! 


1 comment:

  1. Hello 5th Graders! I am glad to see that you reached out to us over here using your blog! My name is Mr. McGovern and I am one of the Assistant Principals at QMS. Most of the students call me Mr. McG (Mick Jee). We can't wait to meet you and I know you will have a great time here at QMS. Some of the great questions asked are best answered by your soon to be teachers; however, I would love to help out where I can.

    There are six 57 minute periods a day plus a twenty minute lunch. One of the great things about middle school is that you will change classrooms every period. One of those periods will be something called ASB (academic support block). There really is not "one thing" that goes on this time. If you play an instrument, you may be in orchestra or band. It may serve as a time for some extra help, to read a good book, or to catch up on current events through the CNN Student News. Your teachers will make sure that it is used in the manner that best suits your needs as a student.

    We get the cell phone question a lot. Our policy is that once you enter the door to the building you turn it off and put it away. Don't worry - if your parents need to get a hold of you during the day they can call the main office and we will make sure you know what you need to know. Additionally - we are rapidly adding new technology every day. Chrome books and in class computer pods are used on almost a daily basis throughout the sixth grade. You all are going to have some very tech savvy teachers!

    One of my projects this summer is to build the schedule for the school. This means that I will work to create individual student schedules for over 1000 students! Don't worry - I have some help. We consider many things when placing students with their teachers and it can vary by student - we will make sure you are in a great place to learn! Rest assured though. All of our teachers are awesome and I am sure you will have a great experience regardless of what team you are on.

    I am sure that the rest of your questions will be answered shortly. I know that your teachers are excited to head over to JJ and meet you. I hope that you all enjoy the rest of 5th grade and don't hesitate to ask any other questions you may have!

    - Mr. McG
    AP House 2
    Qualters Middle School

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