Grade 8 Advisory – Year End Reflection – 2 June 2015

STEP ONE - (5 minutes) Read the below bullet point summary, re: the May 14th “9th Grader for a Day” program, as a reminder to help students prepare for today’s activity.

·  Students were welcomed by Ms. Koenig (HS Vice Principal) and Mrs. Gotuaco (HS Counselor) in the HS Library. The discussion focused on academic credits and how a student’s academic performance becomes part of a PERMANENT RECORD.

·  Mr. Reimer joined the discussion and provided a brief overview of the many opportunities to get involved and how sports change in high school (tryouts exist).

·  Students spent the remainder of the afternoon rotating through 20-minute discussions with four high school core teachers: Mrs. Dunbar (Math), Mr. Heim (Science), Mr. Lamb (English) and Ms. Plakmeyer (Social Studies).

·  During these sessions, students gained course information and tips for success.

o  Informal feedback suggests that students grew tired of hearing reminders about “no retakes,” consistent study habits, honesty (e.g.: the use of turn-it-in.com to combat plagiarism), and other academic strategies. Today’s activity will help us reflect on this experience, their preparedness for high school and gather feedback to inform future transition programs.

STEP TWO - (10 minutes) Divide students into small groups of 3 or pairs. Distribute the Activity One Handout. Have each group designate a note taker. During this exercise, students will reflect on what the “9th Grader for a Day” will compare/contrast MS and HS by responding to 8 questions (see the below matrix for questions on the handout).

STEP THREE – Activity One (10 minutes) Lead your full advisory in a discussion regarding each of the 8 questions in Activity One. See the Advisor notes corresponding to each question (right column) to help you facilitate this discussion.

/ Small Group Activity
Questions / Advisor Prompts and
Discussion Ideas /
1 / Your grades become part of your permanent record. What does this mean? / Being accepted by colleges/universities, obtaining internships/scholarships and/or seeking employment…
2 / What do you understand about changing academic requirements in high school? / Homework increases in frequency and content, regular review required for cumulative exams, no retakes, emphasis on research/analysis, more complex writing assignments/lab reports/novel studies, integrated math program, relating social studies to current events, etc…
3 / HS students have increased freedom, or independence. What are the pros/cons? / Assumption of personal responsibility, less reminders, less acceptance of excuses, more choice regarding how you use your time, possibilities for growth and consequences as they adjust.
4 / Identify the most helpful information you received from each of the following segments of the “9th Grader for a Day” program:
·  Introductory discussion with the HS Vice Principal and HS Counselor
·  Mrs. Dunbar (Math)
·  Mr. Heim (Science)
·  Mr. Lamb (English)
·  Ms. Plakmeyer (Social Studies) / The introductory session focused on credits and the permanent record primarily. Mrs. Dunbar demonstrated the calculator they will use and provided an overview of the math program. Mr. Heim mentioned that 9th grade science focuses on biology, environmental science and physics. He emphasized personal responsibility, attitude and introduced turn-it-in.com (all teachers use this program to collect student work - it checks for similarities/plagiarism with other students and online materials). Mr. Lamb provided an overview of the English program, the type of novel/film studies they will cover and discussed the higher level of analytical thought required. Ms. Plakmeyer introduced ManageBac, a program all students use which tracks homework and emphasized the importance of not getting behind. She highlighted the components of essay writing and discussed the linkage current events to coursework.
5 / Why do you think there was so much discussion about “no retakes”? What does this say about the difference between HS and MS? / Increasing emphasis on personal accountability, academic results over effort, preparation for life after high school, expectations of behavioral and emotional management, etc…
6 / How prepared do you feel for HS? / Students will be invited to rank their level of preparedness from a 0 (low) to 10 (prepared) In the final activity, students will reflect on their growth this year and steps to improve their preparation for HS.
7 / What type of extra-curricular activities would you like to get involved with in HS? / Student input.
8 / What suggestions do you have to help SCIS support future 8th graders in transitioning to high school? / Student input.

STEP FOUR – Activity Two (10 minutes, or remaining time) Set out the large posters (see attached file for reference) on tables, or post them. Number students off, 1 to 3, to form 3 NEW groups. Read this prompt to start Activity Two. Rotate students every 3 minutes until all have provided input for each poster.

As a student, you have changed in zillion ways without even realizing it! Think of how you have matured and all that you have learned this year, then reflect on the most important things that you STARTED, STOPPED and WILL CONTINUE to do because they have helped you and will help you become an even more successful person/student.

Walk around to help students reflect (possible group wrap up discussion) on their personal/academic growth this year. If students have their original August 20th activity (or remember what they chose at the start of the year) you could reference this. Time permitting lead a wrap-up group discussion re: their learning approach for next year.

PLEASE COLLECT AND RETURN TO MRS. GK ALL COMPLETED MATERIALS – Thanks!