5th Grade Information Night

Incoming 6th graders for 2023-2024 School Year 

 

Hello 5th Grade Families:

 

On March 8th, we hosted a 5th Grade Information Night for students and families to learn more about our school and the RAMS program. If you were unable to join us, don’t worry! We have made the presentation available for you to view here:

 

5th Grade Information Night (slideshow presentation link)

 

Our counselor, Kaitlin Martin, will be visiting 5th grade classes at our feeder schools (Roosevelt, Madison and Boston Harbor) in April. Registration packets will be left with students at that time. Registration packets will also be delivered to Lincoln and ORLA by May 1st. If your student is out of our service area, but interested in attending Reeves, please join the OSD Transfer list that opens on April 10th. 

 

Here are some additional frequently asked questions (FAQs) that were asked on information night:

 

• When can I drop off my student, and is there after-school care? Students can enter the building 15 minutes prior to the start of school. We do not have after-school care, but we encourage students to sign up for after-school activities such as Track, Cross Country, Drama Club, and Tech Club. Office hours are from 9:05 am - 4:05 pm.

• What extracurricular activities are available? Track, Cross Country, Drama Club, and Tech Club are offered after school. Other after school sports (Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball) are only available to seventh and eighth graders due to WIAA rules. During school, sixth graders can participate in clubs and programs such as ORCA Club, Garden Club, Empower, Battle of the Books, and Book Club.

• If a student travels frequently, what are the options for completing school work without having to withdraw and re-enroll? Students cannot be absent for 20 consecutive days per state policy. If students travel regularly, they need to keep up with their work in Schoology. If they miss any paper assignments or assessments, they can use Opportunity Time to meet with their teachers and catch up on work.

• Can sixth graders take advanced math? Students whose fifth grade Fall MAP scores are above 240 may be considered for 7th grade math. 

• What will my student’s schedule look like? All sixth grade students take ELA, Math, Science, History, their choice of music (Band, Choir, Drama, Orchestra, or Percussion), and four quarter electives including one quarter of PE and one quarter of Health. Quarter options include Creative Writing, Building Basics, and Art.

• What are the required electives for each grade level? Sixth graders are required to take a year-long music class, one quarter of Health, one quarter of PE, and two other quarter electives (of which they may choose one; the other is randomly assigned). Seventh and eighth graders are also required to take one quarter of Health and one quarter of PE. They take either three semester-long electives to accompany PE/Health (Art, Robotics, and WoodTech), or one semester elective and one year elective (Band, Choir, Drama, Journalism & Broadcasting, Orchestra, Percussion, Yearbook & Leadership).

• Can I track assignments and grades online? Yes! Both students and families have access to Schoology and Skyward, which are regularly used to keep track of assignments in middle school. We recommend getting familiar with the Schoology Calendar within the first few weeks of school.

• If I play club sports do I still have to take PE? Also, can I play in club sports and school sports? Students may waive PE and Health if they participate in 5 hours of activity each week for one quarter of the school year. Practices for all school sports are weeknights from 4:00 - 5:30, except for Wednesdays when there is no practice. If our schedule works with your club team schedule, you can play both school and club sports.

• If your student has an IEP, when do they receive services? Can arrangements be made so they do not miss out on electives? If your sixth grader is selected for a year-long Learning Strategies class, it does take the place of their music class. Students who do not want to miss out on music must meet the requirements to waive PE/Health and be willing to take a seventh or eighth grade Special Education class. If your student only receives OT or speech services, they will be pulled during the school day, but will not be scheduled into a specific Special Education class.

• When do you schedule 504 meetings for incoming 6th graders? Will existing 504 plans carry over to the new school? Section 504 Accommodation Plans follow a yearly calendar and carry over between schools. If your fifth grade 504 meeting was held in February 2023, your sixth grade 504 meeting will be in February of 2024 unless you request an earlier meeting date. Kaitlin Martin is the 504 Coordinator.

 

 

General Reeves RAMS FAQs:

 

• What is different or exceptional about the RAMS program? Our new arts emphasis is based on data. We have over half of our students enrolled in music for the 22-23 school year, which is a higher percentage than any other middle school in our district. Because there are so many creative students in our school, we wanted to make even more opportunities for them to thrive. Our new RAMS electives (Percussion and Drama) will be available for sixth graders, and are mixed-level classes. This is unique to our school! Additionally, there are no other OSD middle schools that offer a drama class; they are all after school programs or embedded into ELA or Choir.

• Are RAMS students part of a small cohort within the school? No. Students who participate in RAMS electives will not be scheduled together throughout the day. The only period they will be guaranteed to have together is their RAMS elective. It is important to branch out in middle school!

• Is the RAMS program intertwined with day to day instruction? For the past few years, our Art teacher and eighth grade Math teacher have been helping students to connect art and math through projects and assignments. We hope to continue this work throughout our building.

• Are the art classes simply elective classes that any student can take? Our Art class is open to all students. However, it is split into a 6th grade class and a 7/8 class. The Drama and Percussion classes will be 6-8, and will have vetting processes.

Please use the contact information below if you have any additional questions!  Thank you!

 

Scheduling and 504 questions should be directed to Kaitlin Martin at [email protected].

General and Registration questions should be directed to Brandi Sorem at [email protected].

IEP questions should be directed to your case manager,  who will be assigned to you at your IEP move-up meeting. If your question is related to your student’s schedule, contact Kaitlin at [email protected].