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North Bethesda Middle School

Incoming 6th Grade

Parent/Student Information Meeting

January 9, 2025

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

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Si necesita ayuda en español con la información de esta presentación, comuníquese con nuestra Oficina de Consejería al (240) 740-2100

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Tonight’s Outcomes:

To provide information about North Bethesda Middle School;

To review the instructional program at North Bethesda Middle School;

To share department specific information regarding course offerings and recommendations;

To present information about the transition to middle school and what to expect in 6th grade; and

To review the registration process.

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Mission and Vision

Our school provides an environment where all students thrive emotionally, academically, and socially.

We envision a learning environment where individual differences are valued and every student achieves personal growth and academic success. Strong positive relationships between staff and students are nurtured so that every student has room to take intellectual risks, think broadly, self-advocate, and support their community.

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Welcome and Introductions:

Dr. AnneMarie Kestner Smith, Principal

Mr. Daniel Werbeck, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Katherine Rudd, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Tirza Carmichael Collins, Assistant School Administrator (Incoming 6th grade)

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North Bethesda Middle School

NBMS-PTSA.org

http://www.nbms-ptsa.org/Volunteer

President: Eva de Francisco

Email: president@nbmsptsa.org

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Middle School Department Leads

Content Specialists

Mr. Eric Kling, Social Studies

Mrs. Amy Watkins, Mathematics

Mr. Matthew Ghaman, English/ELD (formerly ESOL)

Mrs. Mia Lutchenkov, Science/Technology

Ms. Emily Valonis, Arts/PE/Health

Mrs. Kristy Myers, World Language

Mr. Christopher Schauer, Special Education

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Welcome and Introductions:

Counselors

Ms. Jennifer Sadara, Resource Counselor, Incoming 6th Grade Counselor

Mrs. Leslie Mandell, Incoming 6th Grade Counselor

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North Bethesda Middle School

1230 Students

3rd largest MCPS middle school

Dedicated staff
Award winning Music programs
Extra-Curricular Activity Programs
Enrichment Academies
Active PTSA

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Middle School Team Structure

6th Grade Team Leaders

Mrs. Monica Hepburn, 6th Grade Team Leader & Director of Instrumental Music

Ms. Andrea Weisenthal, 6th Grade Team Leader & English Teacher

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Welcome to the

North Bethesda Middle School Family!

In 6th grade:

7 periods during the day
Phoenix Time (Study/HW Time)
Lockers
Advocate for their own learning
More freedom AND responsibility
After School Activities
Attend Outdoor Education (ODE)

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NBMS Bell Schedule

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Sample Student Schedule

—

7 periods

(Including 2 Electives

& Health)

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Sixth Grade Communication

Student Handbook
NBMS Website
Dr. Smith’s NBMS News and Notes
Sunday Message
Parent and Student communication through Synergy

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Sample Extracurricular Activities

Student Government Association
Homework Help
Environment Club
Yearbook
Drama-Musical
Math Team
Science Olympiad (Parent Organized)

Phoenix Phorce
Dungeons & Dragons
SAFE Club
Knitting
Board Games
Intramurals

Indoor Soccer
Volleyball
Basketball
Running Club

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Outdoor Education

Outdoor Ed is a three day, two night outdoor learning experience filled with fun, adventure, nature, & friends for 6th graders in Montgomery County.

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What to Expect as a Parent of a Middle Schooler

Major changes in your child (physically, socially and emotionally)
A learning curve in getting to know 7+ teachers
ORGANIZATION to play a big role in success

(Encourage use of AGENDA BOOK right away!!!!)

General answers from your child unless you ask “specific questions”
Work load will increase

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Course Offerings for

6th Grade Students

Advanced English 6 or ELD
Grade 6 Math, Accelerated Math 6 Plus or Accelerated Math 7 Plus
Historical Inquiry into World Studies 6
Investigations in Earth Science
Physical Education/Health 6
Elective Courses
The North Bethesda MS Course Registration Site is available on the school website.

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6th Grade Electives

Unified Arts 6 Rotation*

(Subject to change - 4 quarter courses)

This will include a combination of the following courses:

Studio Art

Robotic Design 6

Greek Mythology

Engineering Design & Modeling

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6th Grade

Full Year Elective Options:

MS Band I

Orchestra I

MS Chorus I

Full Year Spanish 1A or French 1A

Digital Literacy/Creative Writing

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English and Language Arts

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English

NBMS English courses are instructed at the advanced level with student tailored scaffolds unique to each child’s literacy profile.

Studysync:

An ELA curriculum designed to meet the rigorous academic needs of today’s classroom.
StudySync is designed to engage every student, because every student deserves the same opportunity and access in the classroom, regardless of his or her native language, learning level or physical, social and emotional ability.

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Advanced English with StudySync

StudySync features an integrated reading and writing platform that balances extended writing projects, novel studies, and paired text analysis.
StudySync offers a variety of interactive elements including unit trailers, student polling, intuitive annotation software, and text supported “academic tweets” known as StudySync BLASTS!

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English Language Development (ELD) for Emerging Multilinguals

(formerly known as ESOL)

English Language Proficiency (ELP) level four students will be receiving their primary language service hours within the mainstream English course by a dual certified English and ESOL teacher.

This is a shift from years prior as language acquisition experts acknowledge the need for multilinguals to immerse themselves in both advanced conversational and scholastic language opportunities before fluency can be mastered.

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Single Period Reading Classes

Taken in addition to Advanced English

Academic Literacy

Digital Literacy and Creative Writing

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Social Studies

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6th Grade - Ancient Civilizations to year 1000 CE

-Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China

7th Grade - Middle Ages Civilizations around the world (1000-1500 CE)

8th Grade - US History Part A - (Colonial Period to 1890)

(in 9th grade they get 1890-Present)

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Historical Inquiry in World Studies 6:

WHAT will my student learn?

Students learn history from the earliest human settlements to 1000 CE Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China

Lays a foundation for students to understand key principles both in the past and today for:

CULTURE
POLITICAL SYSTEMS / GOVERNMENT
ECONOMICS
GEOGRAPHY

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Historical Thinking skills:

HOW will they learn?

Students analyze archeological evidence, primary and secondary sources, and understand history as an ongoing investigation using Historical Thinking Skills:

SOURCING

CLOSE READING
CORROBORATION
RESEARCH

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Historical Inquiry in World Studies 6

Unit 1 Patterns of Settlement	How do complex societies develop over time? From hunter-gatherers, established farming communities to the rise of towns and cities, each society throughout time has exhibited different levels of complexity in its political, social, and economic systems. Each society has strived to meet the wants and needs of its citizens and their successes and failures have become the building blocks for future societies to learn from to create more complex and sustaining civilizations such as in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Unit 2 The Impact of Economics	How do economic growth and decline impact society? Building on the idea that societies are complex due to various factors students explore which factors make a civilization categorized as an empire. From there, students explore the first dynasties of China to modern-day China examining the relationship between the economic and political system and the impact the growth and decline of the economic system have on the structure and effectiveness of China's political system.
Unit 3 Citizenship and Governance	How does a government meet the common good of its citizens? A political system, such as a democracy strives to meet the common good of its citizens through shared accountability. Political systems influence how people in power make decisions that then impact the social and economic system of civilization, including how they operate and who benefits from the choices. This examines Ancient Greece and Rome.
Unit 4 Cultural Systems	How does culture influence the development of a civilization? Culture is made up of beliefs, values, religion, and traditions. Individuals and groups in societies use their cultural identity to influence structures and processes in their political, economic, and social systems. Culture is ever-changing due to the interactions between groups of people from different societies. It is through these interactions facilitated many times both past and present by trade that people either accepted or resisted changes in their beliefs, ideas, or traditions.

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Mathematics

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Guidelines for MS Math Articulation

Students enrolled in Math 5 will be recommended for Math 6 or Accelerated Math 6 Plus

Students enrolled in Compacted Math ⅚ will be recommended for Accelerated Math 6 Plus or Accelerated Math 7 Plus

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MATHEMATICS COURSES / TRAJECTORY

2024-2025 (5th Grade)	2025-2026 (6th Grade)	2026-2027 (7th Grade)	2027-2028 (8th Grade)	2028-2029 (9th Grade)
Grade 5 Math	Math 6	Math 7	Math 8	Algebra 1
Grade 5 Math or Compacted 5/6	Accelerated Math 6 Plus (All 6th & Half 7th)	Accelerated Math 7 Plus (Half 7th & All 8th)	Algebra 1	Honors Geometry
Compacted 5/6	Pre-Algebra 6 (7th & 8th)	Algebra 1	Honors Geometry	Honors Algebra 2

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Parent Vue - Course Request

Math Course Recommendations

Your 5th grade math teacher will be entering their recommendation in Synergy by January 31, 2025.
Please review this recommendation and contact your teacher if you have any questions.
Please contact me if you have any questions or inquiries.

Amy_Watkins@mcpsmd.org

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Math 180 Intervention

This intervention is for students performing at least two years below grade level or below the 10th percentile on MAP-M.

Use multiple measures:

*Grades

*District Assessments

*Fall MAP-M Score of 193 or lower (5th grade) and/or

Fall MAP-M Score of 184 or lower (4th grade)

Course is for General Education and Special Education students.

*If student has formal assessments for special education services, you can also consider data from those tests. Such as the WJ-IV.

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Mathematics Program for K-12

For more information, please visit:

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Science

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Investigations in Earth Science

Unit 1: Watershed Science
Unit 2: Atmospheric Phenomena
Unit 3: Dynamic Earth
Unit 4: Earth’s Geologic Past
Unit 5: Earth’s Energy Resources and Human Impacts

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MCPS Middle School Science

MCPS Middle School Science engages all students through phenomenon-based, 3-Dimensional learning: combining content, engineering and science skills, and critical thinking. Our emphasis is on connecting science to real world problems.
Our instructional goal is to prepare students for lifelong learning by developing skills necessary for success in college and career as outlined by the Next Generation Science Standards.

“what students know”

“how students think”

“what students do”

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Investigations in Earth Science

The NGSS aligned Investigations in Earth Science curriculum is phenomena-based; instruction is woven around a relevant problem/project that drives student learning.
Instruction provides opportunities for hands-on explorations, productive discourse, and purposeful reading and writing.
Students complete a service learning project during quarter 1 through which they are awarded 10 SSL hours for participating in activities built into the course.

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Physical Education

Health

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Health & Physical Education

Physical Education

Everyday for 3 quarters
Change into athletic clothes (optional), but appropriate shoes required
PE locker, separate from hall locker

Health Education

Everyday for 1 quarter

Emily:

Hello! Thanks for joining us! My name is Emily Valonis and I’m a physical education teacher as well as the arts and PE content specialist. I’d like to tell you more about my department and the differences between PE in elementary school and middle school.

PE

All students will take Physical education every day for 3 quarters. When students transition from elementary to middle school PE they can expect to

change clothes wear sneakers, bring deodorant, and

They will have a PE locker, separate from their hall locker to keep their gym clothes in

run the mile or half mile weekly.

The North Bethesda physical education program focuses on health-related fitness, movement skills and concepts, and personal and social responsibility. We expose our students to a variety of activities in the hope that they will fall in love with fitness and continue to be active throughout adulthood. Can get anything from archery, to basketball, to yoga, table tennis, weight training,, to pickleball

Health

All students will take Health education for 1 quarter.

In 6^th grade health students will learn about 4 key concepts.

-Mental and emotional health - personal well-being; analyzing influences; accessing information; interpersonal communication; decision making; goal setting; managing emotions; stress-management; advocacy.

-Substance use and misuse prevention

-Healthy Eating

-Safety and violence prevention - media, technology, and harassment; cyberbullying and bullying; personal safety; first aid and emergency response.

No HW- unless something isnt finished in class. For PE: to get some activity time outside of school/PE.

Intramurals: Weight training, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, flag football.

Thanks!

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Physical Education

The goal of physical education is to help students become responsible citizens who are both physically educated and health literate.

We expose students to a variety of physical activities in hopes that they will fall in love with fitness and become lifelong movers.

Emily:

My name is Emily Valonis and I’m a physical education teacher as well as the arts and PE content specialist. I’d like to take this time to tell you more about my department and the differences between PE in elementary school and middle school.

PE

All students will take Physical education every day for 3 quarters. The North Bethesda physical education program focuses on health-related fitness, movement skills and concepts, and personal and social responsibility. We expose our students to a variety of activities in the hope that they will fall in love with fitness and continue to be active into and throughout adulthood.

When students transition from elementary to middle school PE they can expect to

change clothes and wear deodorant

have a PE locker, separate from their hall locker to keep their gym clothes in

run the mile or half mile weekly

Health

All students will take Health education for 1 quarter.

In 6^th grade health students will learn about 4 key concepts.

-Mental and emotional health - personal well-being; analyzing influences; accessing information; interpersonal communication; decision making; goal setting; managing emotions; stress-management; advocacy.

-Substance use and misuse prevention

-Healthy Eating

-Safety and violence prevention - media, technology, and harassment; cyberbullying and bullying; personal safety; first aid and emergency response.

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Health

Comprehensive health education is taught for a term of 9-weeks during Grade 6.

Knowledge, concepts, skills, and strategies essential to making healthful decisions are presented promoting lifelong health and well-being.

Certified Health Education teachers implement a variety of learning activities to promote and practice wellness skills and health literacy. The development of lifelong positive health-related attitudes and behaviors are emphasized to promote self-reliance and self-regulation.

Emily:

My name is Emily Valonis and I’m a physical education teacher as well as the arts and PE content specialist. I’d like to take this time to tell you more about my department and the differences between PE in elementary school and middle school.

PE

All students will take Physical education every day for 3 quarters. The North Bethesda physical education program focuses on health-related fitness, movement skills and concepts, and personal and social responsibility. We expose our students to a variety of activities in the hope that they will fall in love with fitness and continue to be active into and throughout adulthood.

When students transition from elementary to middle school PE they can expect to

change clothes and wear deodorant

have a PE locker, separate from their hall locker to keep their gym clothes in

run the mile or half mile weekly

Health

All students will take Health education for 1 quarter.

In 6^th grade health students will learn about 4 key concepts.

-Mental and emotional health - personal well-being; analyzing influences; accessing information; interpersonal communication; decision making; goal setting; managing emotions; stress-management; advocacy.

-Substance use and misuse prevention

-Healthy Eating

-Safety and violence prevention - media, technology, and harassment; cyberbullying and bullying; personal safety; first aid and emergency response.

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Health

Key Concepts for 6th grade:

Mental and emotional health - personal well-being; analyzing influences; accessing information; interpersonal communication; decision making; goal setting; managing emotions; stress-management; advocacy.
Substance use and misuse prevention

Healthy Eating

Safety and violence prevention - media, technology, and harassment; cyberbullying and bullying; personal safety; first aid and emergency response.

Emily:

My name is Emily Valonis and I’m a physical education teacher as well as the arts and PE content specialist. I’d like to take this time to tell you more about my department and the differences between PE in elementary school and middle school.

PE

All students will take Physical education every day for 3 quarters. The North Bethesda physical education program focuses on health-related fitness, movement skills and concepts, and personal and social responsibility. We expose our students to a variety of activities in the hope that they will fall in love with fitness and continue to be active into and throughout adulthood.

When students transition from elementary to middle school PE they can expect to:

change clothes, have sneakers, and wear deodorant

have a PE locker, separate from their hall locker to keep their gym clothes in

run the mile or half mile weekly

Health

All students will take Health education for 1 quarter.

In 6^th grade health students will learn about 4 key concepts.

-Mental and emotional health - personal well-being; analyzing influences; accessing information; interpersonal communication; decision making; goal setting; managing emotions; stress-management; advocacy.

-Substance use and misuse prevention

-Healthy Eating

-Safety and violence prevention - media, technology, and harassment; cyberbullying and bullying; personal safety; first aid and emergency response.

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World Language

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World Language for 6^th Grade

Full Year 1A French or Spanish

In World Language courses, students will begin to learn to communicate orally and in writing in a culturally appropriate manner about topics related to daily life. They interpret basic information when listening and reading. Vocabulary and basic grammatical structures are taught within the context of these familiar topics. Culture is also embedded throughout the course.

Kristy

Good evening. My name is Kristy Myers and I am the World Language Content Specialist.

Incoming 6th graders will have the option of taking a World language next year. They will be able to choose between French or Spanish 1A.

In World Language courses, students will begin to learn to communicate orally and in writing in a culturally appropriate manner about topics related to daily life. They interpret basic information when listening and reading. Vocabulary and basic grammatical structures are taught within the context of these familiar topics. Culture is also embedded throughout the course.

6th graders are offered the Full Year 1A class, which is the first half of French or Spanish 1. The students will learn 4 units throughout the school year. The full year 1A class moves at a slower pace and will give students the opportunity to build a strong foundation in the language. This will give students more time to practice vocabulary and grammatical concepts.

In 7th grade, your child will move on to the full year 1B class. This class will also be at a slower pace which will give more time to review vocabulary and grammatical concepts, giving your child more time to build a stronger foundation of level 1.

In 8th grade, your child will be ready to start French or Spanish 2AB. Level 2 is a more challenging, faster-paced class and students will complete this level in one school year.

This pathway provides a strong foundation and allows a student to get to AP level by senior year.

Additionally, world language classes are high school credit courses. The grade will be reported on the student’s high school transcript, but will not be calculated into the cumulative GPA, unless the grade earned improves the student’s cumulative GPA.

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World Language for 6^th Grade

Full Year 1A French or Spanish

1st half of French/Spanish 1
The class is taught at a slower pace.
There are four units of study throughout the school year.
FY1A course will give students the opportunity to build a strong foundation in the language, by having more time to practice vocabulary and grammatical concepts.
French/Spanish 1B in 7th grade
French/Spanish 2AB in 8th grade

Please note that world language classes are high school credit courses. The grade will be reported on the students high school transcript, but will not be calculated into the cumulative GPA, unless the grade earned improves the student’s cumulative GPA.