Oregon Area School District: Student/Parent Handbook http://www.oregonsd.org/schools/student_parent_handbook.

cfm

Student/Parent Handbook

Citzenship Attitude Responsibility Excellence

OMS Appreciates your Help, Please Volunteer
This is the District Wide Volunteer form, please consider filling it out to help out at OMS

Wisconsin Covenant
A Path to Higher Education for Wisconsin Students In January of 2006, Governor Jim Doyle introduced the Wisconsin Covenant, a program created to inspire
young people to plan early for a successful high-school career that will lead to higher education. Eighth graders in Wisconsin are invited to sign the Wisconsin
Covenant Pledge, a promise that they will: * Earn a high-school diploma. * Maintain at least a ?B? average in high school. * Complete the classes they need to
prepare them for higher education. * Demonstrate good citizenship and participate in their community. * Apply for state and federal financial aid in a timely
manner. * Take the necessary steps to gain admission to a University of Wisconsin System institution, a Wisconsin Technical College, and/or a Wisconsin
private college or university. In return for meeting these goals and keeping the pledge, a Wisconsin Covenant Student will be recognized as a Wisconsin
Covenant Scholar, earn a place within our partnered systems of higher education, and receive a financial aid package, based on their family?s financial need, to
help make college affordable. The unique partnership represents the support of the State, our K-12 schools, public and private university and technical college
systems, and the community all working together to help students do their best.

OMS 2009-2010 Student Parent Handbook

OMS Student Guest Form

If a current OMS student wishes to bring another student guest for a day, this form must be filled out. This form allows us to receive verification from the guest
student's district that the student is in good standing. We do reserve the right to deny guest requests if we believe the visit would be disruptive to the learning
environment or interfere with end of quarter/semester activities or testing/quiz days for the host student.

Connected Math Program CMP Tutor Parent Help

Here is a resource for Tutors and Parents to help you when you are working with your son /daughter/student on their OMS CMP Math

Spring 2010 Parent Orientation

for Incoming 7th Grade Parents
General Materials for reference

OMS Transition Brochure

http://www.scribd.com/full/30694729?access_key=key-1z8kjn41q94nh6rewz64

Agenda/Overview
http://www.scribd.com/full/31145374?access_key=key-1q1tjvug73mwd3z50ayk

MAP OMS
http://www.scribd.com/full/30703307?access_key=key-iq513otmaqxmddcm0rh

Back of Map - Tour Guide

http://www.scribd.com/full/30703309?access_key=key-nfiqwt9xje8u19l0m9g

Hand-Out on Academic Preparedness - Amy Miller

http://www.scribd.com/full/31145824?access_key=key-8lz49u6ez1gjv6z8rp2

Hand-Outs regarding scheduling at OMS - Chris Telfer

Terms and Definitions

http://www.scribd.com/full/31145410?access_key=key-1cd6070yd8ybupe0nkhr

PowerPoint Scheduling
http://www.scribd.com/full/31145288?access_key=key-m2e22nhqi53crjwf7gz

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Sample Schedules
http://www.scribd.com/full/31145334?access_key=key-16dvec934l4krkyvvc6l

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING AT OMS?

OMS Main website at http://www.oregonsd.org/schools/middleschoolhome.cfm

Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/oregonmidschool

OMS E-Newsletter too at http://omspanthersenewsletter.blogspot.com/

Middle School Events Calendar at http://www.oregonsd.org/schools/OMS_Events.cfm

Connected Math
Overview of Connected Math (source: Rockford Public Schools)
Connected Math is a program for middle school and covers grades 6-8. There are eight books in each grade level covering all of the five
state math goals. The program focuses on discovery-based learning and uses higher level critical thinking problems in real life scenarios
to cover the topics. Definitions are student created and the students, with teacher guidance, develop algorithms. The homework problems
tend to be very difficult for students for two reasons. First they are often in story problem format and secondly, there is a large amount of
reading involved.

Connected Math pushes for an understanding of the concepts through a discovery approach. Students are often asked to form conjectures
and justify their answers. Most parents were not taught with this methodology. Parents tend to resort to showing the student how they
were taught math when they went to school. This is usually a procedural process where the student is told to follow a series of steps to
get an answer. This can be detrimental to the discovery approach. The discovery approach focuses on students seeing patterns in math
and developing their own processes for how to reach solutions. It is important for parents to assist their children with more than
procedural assistance. Deeper understanding can be reached with coaching and guiding students.

Michigan State CMP Site

CMP is based on research, and was field-tested in diverse sites across the country with approximately 45,000 students and 390 teachers.
Each unit, in both 1991-1996 and 2000-2006 development periods, went through at least 3 cycles of field testing. A growing body of
research and evaluation reports (2006 Evaluation Booklet, New Studies, CMP Literature Review 2008) indicates that CMP outperforms
non-CMP curricula on tests of problem-solving ability, equals or outperforms non-CMP curricula on skills tests, and promotes long term
retention.

FOODSERVICE QUESTIONS
Call Carol or the Inquiry Line (835-4031) for questions on:
E-Funds
deposits
purchases
account histories
automatic payments
email notices on amounts in account
blocks on accounts

Call Robyn (835-4036) for questions on:

free/reduced program and applications
breakfast and lunch meal programs
menu questions

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diet management
field trips
ala carte questions
blocks on accounts
other questions not related to Carol's list

DRESS CODE
Per previous years, if you doubt it is appropriate, you are probably right. As in the past clothing must cover a students body
appropriately. Clothing may not depict or represent gang, drug or other behaviors inappropriate for the school environment.

Clarification of the length of shorts/skirts. They must have a minimum 5 inch inseam.

Cell Phones/MP3 Players/PDAs

Students are strongly encouraged to leave MP3 players PDAs and iPods at home. Cell phone use is prohibited during the instructional
day. They can use it before that time or after school. Students using their cell phone during the instructional day may be asked to give
their cell phone to a staff member until the end of the school day.

MP3 Players can be used before and after school and during lunch only. Some teachers make exceptions based on classroom activities.
This is an ongoing issue as we learn to balance educational uses of Ipod Touch like devices and the distraction factor of these devices.

Cell/Mp3/PDA use is not a right, but a privilege. The administration may confiscate and hold these devices indefinitely if a students has
shown a repeated disregard for our CARE criteria.

PARENT TEAM / PARENT TEACHER REQUESTS

We do not accept parent requests for 'teams' or specific teachers. Our teams are set up to meet the needs of all students. Teams
are given collaboration time to discuss the learning styles and needs of their students to help them be successful at Oregon
Middle School.

Can Kids Stay In The Building After School...

Can kids stay in the building between the time school is done and a later sports practice starts (ie. school is done at 3:15 and
practice starts 4:30)?
No students are not allowed to stay in the building until practice, unless they are in an organized school activity or with a staff member)

Lockers
What are the locker dimensions?
The bottom part of the locker is usually where people place shelving, locker hanging systems, etc. The dimensions of the bottom portion
of the lockers at OMS are 30cm(11.8 inches) width, 27cm (10.5 inches) deep and 122cm (48 inches) height
We also strongly encourage students to keep their lockers locked (with school provided locks) at all times they are not standing directly
by their lockers. Students should not share their combinations with anyone and we also recommend that they keep mp3 players, iPods,
PDAs at home.

Refocus Room
When a student behaves in a manner that disrupts the learning environment (or school activity) and is not accepting redirection from
school personnel he/she will be sent to the refocus room. This room allows the student (with a supervising adult) to reflect on his/her
choices and how he/she is going to make better choices in the future. A phone call is made home to notify the parents. The Refocus
"Work It Out Sheet" is mailed home as well for the parents to see. This is an opportunity to discuss how well their child did or didn't
reflect on their removal from the learning environment and time in the Refocus Room. When a student appears two (2) times in the room

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in a given day one of the school administrators speak with the child to make sure everything is alright and that there is nothing more
serious that we need to be concerned about. When a student appears in the Refocus Room three (3) times in a given day the student
speaks with a guidance counselor. When a student appears in the Refocus Room three (3) times during a week the team of teachers that
the student is with schedules a meeting to speak with the student.

HOMEWORK CLUB
Homework club is an intervention for students who choose (or teachers choose) for them to go to get tutoring and help with any
coursework they are working on. Some student go just to have a quiet place to read and work on homework others go for the
tutoring by our teachers. Homework Lunch is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:15pm to 4:15pm.

SCHEDULING QUESTIONS
Why do we start scheduling so early (elective sheets are sent out in December)?

It takes a long time to go through schedules and make sure all students are scheduled. Then they must be put in to the computer system.
It also is important to determine how many sections we need of some electives.

Why 7th grade foreign lang. was confusing this year. May need to know history (world lang. introduced to elem. schools, then
implemented in RCI, and now changes how foreign lang. is set up for the middle school). May also ask about placement of their child in
foreign lang. in high school (assessment will be given at end of 8th grade).

We were hoping to be able to offer Conversation and Culture Language class everyday. However, with the FTE allocations it wasn't
feasable at this time. However, World Language Classes are now called Spanish (or German) Conversatino and Culture or German (or
Spanish) Language Study. .

? 7th grade required to take a foreign lang. Cannot drop foreign lang
? 8th grade optional for a foreign lang. Can drop foreign lang.

Concerns over turnaround time on elective sheets and confusion of wording on sheets

this is being addressed for next year).

Who to call this summer with scheduling question or change.

There are multiple contacts depending on the time of the summer.

E-mail would be the best choice:

Jim Pliner - OMS Principal (Starting July 1) jrp@oregonsd.net

Kerri Modjeski - OMS Associate Principal krm@oregonsd.net

Roxie Butterfield - OMS Head Secretary rwb@oregonsd.net

Not possible for 8th graders to take band and chorus during 2010-2011 school year.

How do students change schedule after school starts? (schedule change form - this is for electives only).
Math Lab - how do students get in?

Based on MAP assessments and teacher recommendations

Lunches - when are they?

As of May 2010 they should stay the same as this year (on normal schedule days)

7th Grade lunch 12:17-12:47

8th Grade Lunch 11:28-11:58

Amount of passing time.

3 minutes

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7th grade: FACE is 1 semester; Tech. Educ. 1 quarter, Art 1 quarter; Phy Ed. is opposite study hall or foreign lang.
8th grade: Health is 1 semester, Tech. Educ. 1 quarter, Art 1 quarter; Phy Ed. is opposite Careers and Tech. Tools.

PARENTS - ARE YOU NOT RECEIVING EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS OR OTHER DISTRICT NEWS VIA
EMAIL?
Take this link to find out more on how to be sure to get our e-mail information. CLICK HERE

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