7th Grade Orientation

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7th Grade Orientation
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Guidance Website

• www.tigerwires.com
• Select junior high school
• Site shortcut-Guidance

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7th Grade Teaming

• What is teaming?
• a way of grouping students that creates a small
  school atmosphere within a large school. 

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How is teaming done? 

• Seventh grade students come to the junior high
  from 4 elementary schools, other districts, and
  private schools. 
• They are equally distributed into three teams of
  students--Teams 1, 2, and 3
• Students are also equally distributed on the
  teams by ability
• NO TEAM IS BETTER OR SMARTER!

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Advantages to Teaming
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Advantages to Teaming

• Physically
• students are kept in one area most of the time
• same core teachers with classes in one area of
  the building
• keep them from "getting lost" or being mixed with
  older students. 

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Advantages to Teaming

• Academically
• Teachers can monitor student progress as a team
  of teachers and provide interdisciplinary
  lessons. 
• It is easier for parents to conference with
  teachers since the team teachers have common
  planning time.

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Advantages to Teaming

• Socially
• Students are part of a group instead of just a
  number in a large school.

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3 Levels of Learning

• Pre-Honors
• College Bound
• Basic

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7th Grade Courses

• English
• World History
• Scientific Inquiry/Environmental Studies
• Reading (2 levels-Academic and Seven)
• Mathematics Algebra 1, Pre-Algebra, Academic
  Math, Intermediate, Math 7
• Physical Education
• Art/Contemporary Living Skills

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Level Placement into 7th Grade

• Math
• - determined by a series of standardized math
  tests and teacher recommendations
• English, Reading, History
• teacher recommendation
• Science
• students are heterogeneously grouped

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• Looking Ahead to 8th Grade

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8th Grade Curriculum

• No teams
• Classes are leveled Pre-Honors, College-bound,
  Basic
• Courses
• In addition to English, History, Math, Science,
  Physical Education/health
• Reading, Music, Technology (marking period
  courses), Word-processing (semester) and Geography

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How is level placement determined for English,
History, and Reading?

• Staying at the same level
• requires successful completion of the class
• Moving up a level
• must achieve a 95 cumulative average at the
  end of the third marking period
• teacher recommendation

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How is level placement determined for Science?

• Placement into 8th grade Pre-Honors (necessary
  for Honors Biology in ninth grade), College
  Bound, or the Basic Level Science
• placement test
• 95 Cumulative GPA through the 3rd
  marking period to be placed in Pre-honors
• Teacher recommendation

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Math Placement

• 8th and 9th Grade
• specific cumulative grade point averages must be
  achieved at the end of the 3rd marking period for
  placement into one of five math levels

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A Look Into the Future..

• 9th Grade
• Levels Honors, College-bound, Basic
• Each core subject and foreign language has
  criteria for placement into one of the three
  levels.
• Elective choices
• Units- 27 to graduate

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Course Descriptions

• To view course descriptions, log on to the
  tigerwires website and select the junior high
  building.
• www.tigerwires.com

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CAREER PATHWAYS
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Career Pathways

• Beginning 2006-2007 school year
• Broad groupings of careers that share similar
  characteristics and whose employment requirements
  call for many common interests, strengths and
  competencies
• Give flexible identity and structure to the
  student career choice process

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Career Pathways

• Students will be given information about the
  following Career Pathways and asked to complete
  classroom lessons to learn more about the
  pathways
• Business
• Science
• Communications
• Human Services
• Engineering and Industrial

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7th Grade Career Pathways

• Career Interest Inventories

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8th Grade Career Pathways

• In-depth introduction to the Pathways in English
  class
• Lessons in Word-Processing class
• Career Fair
• Career Conference with parents
• Curriculum Night

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9th Grade Career Pathways

• Career Interest Inventories
• Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center
  Speaker
• Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center Tour

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Helpful Hints for Success

• Check Lettergrade frequently
• Use assignment sheets to keep organized
• Information on study skills
• internet
• Guidance office
• Good attendance Miss School, Miss Out
• Communication with teachers

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Guidance Office

• Thank you.
• Please contact us if you have any additional
  questions.
• Have a great year!!