Welcome to Riverwood Middle School!

To help students and parents adjust to the transition of Riverwood Middle School, we have created useful pages containing information. If you have any addiitonal questions, please feel free to contact a school administrator or sixth grade teacher.

TDAP and Medical Issues

TDAP

Effective July 1, 2015

NC Law now requires a TDap booster and a Meningitis vaccine for entry into the seventh grade grade.

These boosters are needed to protect against whooping cough, tetanus, diptheria. Over time the original vaccination wears off, so a booster is needed to stay fully protected.

Meningitis vaccine is needed to protect students from the bacteria that causes meningitis. This disease is rare, but severe, causing sepsis and meningitis, which can result in death or permanent disability.

What should you do?

• Contact your child's doctor to determine if your child needs the TDap booster or meningitis vaccine
• Make sure your child gets the booster during their sixth grade year, before the start of their seventh grade year.
• Get a copy of your child's shot record to take to school
• Check with your doctor to make sure your child is up-to-date with all other vaccinatio
• Where can my child get these vaccines?

Acceptable Proof of Vaccination:

• Copy of Updated Vaccination Record
• Doctor's Note stating that TDAP and meningitis vaccines were given - not simply that student was "seen in office." 

Health Issues

If your child has medical issues or health concerns - asthma, allergies, seizures, etc... - please contact the nurse and let her know your child's health issues. This is a good thing to do at the very beginning of the school year! All medications need to be brought into the office by the parent in an unopened container (if over the counter) or in the original pharmacy bottle. 

Necessary Materials for the School Year

How many notebooks does my child need? Do the teachers want loose-leaf paper or composition books? All of the materials your child needs to be prepared for the sixth grade are listed here.

Parent's Guide to Middle School

Are you a little apprehensive about your child trotting off to middle school? It's ok. It's normal to worry about it. 

This page is devoted to advice for parents. If anyone reading this has tips that are not on here, please let us know; we will be happy to add them!

TIP #1: Even though your child is in middle school now, they will still need help to figure everything out. They will need your help in setting up a study schedule and keeping to it, in checking behind them to make sure their work is complete, and in talking about the daily changes that can take place in middle school. Changes that are mental, physical, emotional, and social.

TIP #2: The teachers are there to help. Please contact your child's teacher with any questions or concerns that you may have. E-mail is the quickest way to reach them. We do try to respond to parents within twenty-four hours. Communication between parents and teachers is a must in the educational career of your child. Teachers communicate in many ways - e-mails, progress reports, written notes, newsletters, and phone calls.

TIP #3: You will be updated on your child's progress. Johnston County requires one progress report every quarter - we send you one every two weeks for a total of four in a quarter. Get to know the report schedule and ask your child for the report from all their core classes. If you have any concerns about the grade, do not hesitate to contact the teacher.

TIP #4: Set up a study place and schedule with your child. A good idea is for students to sit down at least one hour a day, Monday through Friday, to study. Visit the "Homework" and "Study Strategy" pages for more information on this subject.

TIP #5: Visit the teacher's webpages via Classrooms.

TIP #6: Due to end-of-grade testing and the possible need for waivers at the end of the year, teachers do not generally send work home. A student's work is collected in an academic portfolio that is kept in the classroom. You are more than welcome to schedule a conference to meet with your child's teachers and peruse this folder.

Basic Policies and Procedures

Agenda

Students are provided with agendas at the beginning of the school year. They are expected to write down all of their assignments for all of their classes.

Bathroom Policy

Students are taken to the restroom at designated times at least three times a day - morning, lunch, and afternoon. They are also given emergency passes each quarter that they can use.

Changing Classes

Students are normally given three minutes to change classes. It may seem short, but all of the team's classrooms are in very close proximity to each other. Teachers will walk students to their elective classes at the beginning of the year to show students where those classrooms are in the building. After students have become acclimated to the layout of the school, teachers will stand in the halls during elective class-change time instead of walking students to electives.

Grading Policy
Your child's team of teachers will determine the grading policy for the year. It should be clearly stated on newsletters sent out at the beginning of the school year. Generally, tests count more than quizzes and quizzes count more than classwork/homework.

Hall Passes

Students must have a hall pass from their teacher when they are in the halls during class time.

Library Passes

Students visit the library in their language arts classes once every two weeks. They will be allowed to check out books if they do not have any overdue books. Overdue books/fines do travel to the middle school from the elementary school, so it is a good idea to deal with those issues before leaving the elementary school. Students may also ask a teacher to visit the library with a pass. If a teacher allows, the student may choose a blue pass (to check out books), a red pass (for research), and a yellow pass (for leisure reading). The student must take the pass to the library and sign in.

Locker Breaks

Students will receive their lockers within the first week of school. They will be provided practice time with the locks; we don't expect them to be perfect the first time! Students will be able to visit their lockers before school starts, at least twice during the school day, and after their last class. Visit the "Locker" page for more details on this subject.

Lunch

Students will be walked to the cafeteria by their teachers. We expect them to walk in a straight line and to be quiet in the halls. They will sit in a designated area with their classmates. Students are not allowed to sit with other classes. It is a good idea to bring a bag lunch the first two weeks, as sixth graders usually take some time to learn the number system used in our cafeteria, and this can hold up the lunch line until students become proficient at it. Students will be given their lunch numbers by their homeroom teacher.

FAQs

1) How many classes does a student attend in one day?

The current schedule has students attending six classes a day - four core classes and two enhancement classes.

2) When do enhancement classes change?

Students are given two enhancement classes the first semester and they are changed to two others at the beginning of the second semester.

3) Are the core classes together? Will one class be at the top of the hall and the other at the bottom?

All of the sixth grade core classes are located on the sixth-grade hall. Your child may have two classes located at the top/middle/bottom of the hall, while his/her other two classes are located at the top/middle/bottom of the hall. No matter where on the hall the classes are located, the core classrooms are all located on one hall.

4) How much time are students given to change classes?

Students are given three minutes to change classes. This may seem like too little time but since a student's classrooms are close together, it is sufficient.

5) When will my child be able to go to his/her locker?

Locker breaks occur first thing in the morning upon arriving to school, generally after the first two classes, again after another two classes, and at the end of the day before students go home. Ask your child's teacher for specific times.

6) How does the school communicate with parents?

The short answer? In many ways! We have several Open Houses throughout the year and a Rising Sixth-Grader Night to introduce parents to teachers and vice versa. There are PTA meetings once a quarter, and newsletters are sent home with report cards. Your child's team of teachers also send out progress reports, newsletters, and informational letters. The principal, or a designee, may also contact parents through a telephone message, so make sure the school has all of your updated contact information! We also have the new Parent Portal! You may access your child's grade through any device with an internet connection. All you need is to obtain a user id and a password from your child's school, and you will be able to keep up with your child's grades every day!

7) How do teachers communicate with parents?

The teachers at Riverwood Middle School believe that parent-teacher communication is very important to a student's education. We communicate with parents through e-mails, progress reports, written notes, conferences, phone calls, and report cards. You should receive a progress report every two weeks from your child's core teachers.

Many teachers also use the Remind application. 

What is Remind?

To help keep you up-to-date about classroom news and assignments, students may sign up for Remind this year. Remind is a service that lets me send one-way messages, push notifications, or email to everyone involved with the class. Teachers can also send photos and documents directly to students' and parents' phones. Phone numbers are always kept private and messages are one-way only.

Why do Riverwood teachers use Remind?

Kids today are very busy and they communicate primarily by texting. The purpose is to provide students with timely reminders of assignments or upcoming quizzes and tests or other important class information. These messages travel one-way only, from the teacher to students and/or parents; you cannot respond to texts and there will not be an on-going conversation of any kind. It is a very safe application.

Does someone need a smartphone to use Remind?

No, a smartphone is not necessary to send or receive Remind messages. However, you must be able to receive texts. If you cannot receive texts you can sign up to receive Remind notifications by email.

Is Remind free?

The service is free, but standard messaging rates apply. So, if you do not have unlimited texting on your cell phone's data plan, you might be charged for each text message.

We also have the Parent Portal. You may access your child's grade through any device with an internet connection. All you need is to obtain a user id and a password from your child's school, and you will be able to keep up with your child's grades every day!

8) Do students choose their enhancement classes?

No, students do not choose their own enhancement classes.

9) What about lunch?

Students are on a lunch schedule. Lunch is scheduled within one of the child's classes, and that class is extended to include the twenty-five minutes for lunch. The teacher will walk students to the cafeteria - expecting them to be quiet and in a straight line - and show them where they are to sit. Students in a class sit together at a designated location in the lunchroom. Teachers stay in the cafeteria with the students, and the administrators also attend the lunch session.

11) How does my child pay for lunch?

Every student is issued a lunch number. Due to this being the first time students are expected to remember and use a number every day, the first two-three weeks of lunch can take longer than they will once students get used to using their lunch numbers. It is advised that students may want to pack their lunches for the first few days of school.

Students punch their lunch numbers in and then pay for their food. They may pay with cash or a parent may send a check to put into the student's lunch account.

12) I would like my child to be in band. What do I do?

Speak with Mr. Hingley, the band teacher at Riverwood Middle School, for more information.

13) What do I do if I want to visit the school?

Every visitor must sign in at the front office and get a sticker to wear.

14) I would like to schedule a conference with my child's teachers. What do I do?

Call 359-2769 and ask to speak to one of your child's teachers. They will schedule a conference with you!

15) Will the school provide agendas?

Yes, the school provides agendas on the first day.

16) Can students design their lockers?

Students may place magnetic mirrors or "pockets" (items to hold pencils and such) in their lockers. They may also place pictures if they are held up by magnets. Locker shelves are also acceptable. We do not recommend a lot of decoration as a student's backpack, books, and notebooks take up a lot of room.

Students will be designated lockers during the first week of school. In the event of large class sizes students may need to share lockers.

Homework

Homework has been a raging topic of conversation in the educational community the past several years. There are those who think it is a waste of time and those who think it really does help students. To try and help parents and students understand why we think homework is necessary, we have compiled a rather large list of links to show our point of view. They range from what the media is reporting about modern education to a description of what is life is like for students in China and Japan. Please take the time to read through them.

Here are some important things to keep in mind about homework at Riverwood Middle School:

JCS states that teachers in middle school may give up to thirty minutes a night per subject. Reading teachers may add another twenty minutes of reading assignments.

Homework in the sixth grade is given Monday through Thursday nights. While homework is not generally given on the weekend, there may be some occasions where it cannot be avoided.

Please do not accept "I don't have any" or "I finished it at school" at face value. Ask your child to see the completed assignments or the notes he/she was supposed to study. Ask questions about the content. If the child cannot answer questions on the content, then adequete studying did not take place.

Help your child set up a study time and place. Expect your child to study at least one hour a night. One hour of active studying, not one hour of looking around the room wishing the homework was already done.

Have a study box near the designated study area. Put materials in the box to help students keep from running around looking for a pencil. Some good items to keep in the box would be paper, construction/computer paper, pencils, pens, white-out, colored pencils/markers, erasers, and a pencil sharpener. A dictionary, thesaurus, and calculator would also be useful.

Homework can be written, such as math problems or essays, or studying. If a student does not have any written work to complete, a good habit would be to study recent notes from all classes.

Studying nightly is better than cramming for a test/quiz. You usually make better grades, too.

Looking at a piece of paper, the wall, or air is not studying. Studying needs to be an active process. See "Study Strategies" page for more information on this subject.

If your child says he/she studies but his/her grades don't show it, watch how your child studies. Is the tv on? Is music playing? Is the telephone glued to an ear? Is he/she looking blankly at a piece of paper? If any of these are seen, be aware that these could be signs that studying is not really happening. It takes action, such as rewriting notes, making flashcards, and other obvious signs of movement to really study.

Be aware that most sixth graders at some point say "I DO study" when they are really frittering time away. We, as teachers, did it when we were younger, and we have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of parents did when they were younger as well.

Math

CONCEPTS YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW

There are several math concepts that should already be well known before you get to sixth grade. If you have trouble with any of the following skills, it would be a good idea to practice them over the summer.

*Multiplication tables (without the use of a calculator)
*Adding & subtracting fractions
*Place values
*Measuring angles using a protractor
*Using formulas effectively; i.e. area and perimeter of figures
*Solving one-step algebraic equations following the proper steps
*Inequalities, i.e. comprehending less than, greater than, less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
*Long division (without the use of a calculator)
*Decimals: multiplying, dividing, adding, subtracting. (NOTE: Do not align decimals when multiplying!)
*Being fluent in basic mathematical computations WITHOUT the use of a calculator

CONCEPTS YOU WILL LEARN DURING SIXTH GRADE

Here is a preview of what you will learn during the sixth grade.

*Integers: multiplying, dividing, adding, subtracting
*Fractions: multiplying & dividing
*Algebra: solving one-step, two-step and inequality equations
*Probability: Compound events, independent/dependent events, combinations, and permutations
*Geometry: area, perimeter, circumference, three-dimensional figures, irregular figures
*Proportional reasoning
*Data analysis: various graphs and interpreting data

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS CLASS

Here are some things that you can expect to see in your math class.

*Limited use of calculators
*Daily homework
*Daily warm-up problems
*Independent and group work
*Weekly assessment (quiz or test)

STUDY STRATEGIES SPECIFIC TO THIS SUBJECT

Here are some strategies to help you get good grades in this subject!

*Practice, practice, practice!
*Flash cards for vocabulary
*Stay organized, notes will be used throughout the year
*Take good notes in class
*Ask questions when you don't understand
*Review your notes on a nightly basis; summarize in your own words

Science

CONCEPTS YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW

In six years of science education, you now know a lot about the world around you! Well, get ready, because you are going to learn even more in the sixth grade. The following concepts are those that you should already be familiar with from learning them in elementary school. It would be a good idea to review them over the summer.

*Scientific Inquiry Method

- Raising Questions

- Hypothesizing

- Predicting

- Observing

- Planning and Conducting Investigations

- Drawing Conclusions

- Communicating, Reporting, and Reflecting

*Reading and understanding graphs (bar, line, and circle) and charts

*Know how to plot the X and Y axis and coordinates

*Measure in metric

CONCEPTS YOU WILL LEARN DURING SIXTH GRADE

Here is a preview of what you will learn during your science class in sixth grade.

* Technology, Design, Process

* Rocks

* Minerals

* Soil

* Volcanoes

* Earthquakes

* Sun

* Space

* Ecology

 

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS CLASS

Here are some things that you can expect to see in your science class. The science classes' activities may vary according to year and teacher, but here are some things that went on during the 2008-2009 school year.

* Science Labs

- behavior dictates labs conducted in class

*Making an earthquake-proof house and seeing if it will stand or fall down during an "earthquake"

 

STUDY STRATEGIES SPECIFIC TO THIS SUBJECT

Here are some strategies to help you get good grades in this subject!

* Know how take notes from a textbook; we will use Cornell format in class

* Know how to read a nonfiction textbook and find the main idea of a paragraph

* THIEVES

* SQ3R

Social Studies

Supply List
Four One-Subject Spiral Notebooks (one for each nine week grading period)
Scissors
Pencils
Glue sticks
Ruler
Stapler
Colored pencils

Concepts You Should Already Know

The world is a big place and has been around for a long time. A lot of history has happened. It is essential to know what has happened in the past. Besides the fact that a lot of it is very interesting, most scholars also believe that you must understand the past in order to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

Concepts You Will Learn in Sixth Grade

You will study Ancient Civilizations from the beginning of human existence through the beginning of the Age of Exploration. You will relive history in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

• Art-related activities
• Olympic games
• Plays and performances
• Hands-on projects 
• Web Quests

 
Study Strategies for Sixth Grade Social Studies

• Review notes daily
• Use Cornell notes
• Complete assigned homework
• Be organized
• Come to class with ALL materials!