August 15, 2011
Dear Middle School Parents,
The dreams of summer are slowly coming to an end and the start of a new school year is fast approaching. We welcome all new parents to the middle school and our new 6th grade class to our annual summer mailing. The information shared in this packet contains everything we think you and your son will need for the start of school. If for any reason we forgot something or left a question unanswered, please feel free to contact us. Our vacations are complete and we are available to answer all inquiries. During the coming year, there are many new initiatives we are adding in order to continue to deliver the best that an all-boys education can offer at The Haverford School.
Communication is vital for us to succeed in teaching, and vital for the boys in learning everything there is to learn at Haverford. We are very proud of the efforts the middle school teachers and advisors make in sharing their insights into the boys’ learning and guiding them in making good decisions. Last year alone, we sent more than 3,000 emails to our middle school parents specific about their sons’ progress in middle school. We try to send weekly updates via email of events and current areas of interest with regards to middle school boys. We also have a Twitter site and blog that will be linked on the new middle school web page.
A majority of our communication is sent by email as it remains the fastest and most cost effective method for delivering up-to-the-minute information about your son and the school. We ask that you please make sure your email address is up to date and that you check it regularly using the My Backpack tool (found on the Parents page). Grades, comments, and reports are all accessible through our website and we send email reminders throughout the year when material is available for you to view. We are also planning to add mid-trimester grades for all students with final trimester grades and comments at the end of each marking period.
Another value-added program for this year is our delivery of the Fine Arts curriculum. In previous years, middle school boys took art, music, and drama from September to June meeting only twice every seven days. This presented two problems. The first was trying to juggle all three fine arts classes at the same time; having to manage three different project-based learning experiences was a challenge for our boys and our teachers. The second issue was the continuity between classes; it was difficult to start and finish a project in a meaningful way when the length of time between classes did not allow for the building of any momentum.
This year, we will teach our Fine Arts curriculum by trimester so each student will have only one fine arts class – art, music or drama – per trimester and therefore two fewer classes added to his load. Also, there will be greater continuity between classes since they are meeting nearly every day. Below is a list of the fine arts progression through middle school so you can see when your son is scheduled for each discipline.
Fine Arts Curriculum
| Grade/Trimester
| Fall
| Winter
| Spring
|
| Grade 6 |
Drama |
Music |
Art |
| Form I |
Art |
Drama |
Music |
Form II
|
Music |
Art
|
Drama
|
The Form II electives will move to the final trimester, and all Form II boys will be expected to choose an elective course. New electives, as well as Robotics, Leadership, and Drama, will be offered once we return from winter break.
Finally, the middle school continues to put a strong emphasis on reading for pleasure. We will continue to encourage the boys to find something to read when they have some free time and to read for pleasure during their silent sustained reading (SSR) period. For some of our boys, reading is painful. Unfortunately for them, reading is vital in the learning process and we need them all to be good readers. To encourage reading at school, we are strategically placing bookshelves in our hallways with appropriate used books and periodicals. If you have any books or magazines you would like to donate to our new bookshelves, please send them to the office and we will put them to good use.
Our Faculty
This year, we are pleased to welcome our new drama teacher to our middle school faculty. Ms. Jennifer Hallman has a love of the theater arts and a passion for education with middle school students. That passion is what we observed during her interview and what led her to the position. She will teach 6th Grade, Form I, and Form II as well as direct both our fall and spring plays. We will continue to support and participate in the Playwrights for Progress program during the Form I year. Ms. Hallman is a graduate of West Chester University and a co-founder of HOPE Players in Elkins Park. We are delighted to welcome her to our middle school.
Here is a full list of the faculty advisers, teachers, and administrators who will be working with your son(s) this year.
Sixth Grade
Dr. Turner (Sixth Grade English), Mr. Suter (Sixth Grade History), Mrs. Suter (Sixth Grade Reading), Mr. Del Duca (Sixth Grade Science), Mrs. Kettering-Goens (Prima Lingua), Mr. Romero (Sixth Grade Math), Mr. Skelly (Sixth Grade English), Mr. Pankratz (MS Art), Mrs. Agati (MS Art), Mr. Stroud (MS Music), Ms. Hallman (MS Drama) and Ms. Nelson (Sixth Grade Math).
Form I
Mr. McConnon (Form I English), Mr. Strong (Form I History), Mr. Franz (Math), Mr. Schaaf (Math), Mr. Romero (Math), Mrs. Quinn (Latin), Dr. Reich (Spanish), Mrs. Kettering-Goens (Spanish), Mr. Stroud (MS Music), Mr. Pankratz (MS Art), Mrs. Agati (MS Art), Mr. Wright (Physical Education), Mrs. Krieg (MS Librarian), Mr. Grossman (Form I Earth Science), and Ms. Hallman (MS Drama).
Form II
Ms. Primus (Form II English), Mr. Avery (Form II History), Mr. Kim (Form II Biology), Ms. Pankratz (MS Art), Ms. Agati (MS Art), Mr. Schaaf (Math), Mr. Franz (Math), Ms. Hallman (MS Drama), Mr. Stroud (MS Music), Mr. Skelly (Form II History), Mrs. Quinn (Latin), and Dr. Reich (Spanish).
Specialty Teachers
Ms. Agati (Art), Mr. Pankratz (Art), Mr. Stroud (Music), Mrs. Bullock (Nurse), Ms. Pulaski (Orchestra/Conservatory), Mr. Wright (Physical Education), Ms. Hallman (Drama), Mrs. Suter (Reading), Mrs. Quinn (Latin), Dr. Reich (Spanish), Mrs. Krieg (Librarian), Mrs. Kettering-Goens (Spanish).
Administrators
Mr. Grossman, Middle School Athletic Director
Mrs. Cates, Assistant to the Middle School Head
Ms. Nelson, Middle School Dean of Students
Forms to Complete
Parents must fill out the following two forms by September 7:
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
The AUP is for you and your son to fill out together. Please read it carefully, as it has changed over the years. It explains our expectations for the use of the technology we provide at Haverford. We continue to improve the computers, software, and peripherals, and we want the boys to act responsibly when using them.
Adviser Contact Sheet
Our Adviser/Parent Contact Sheet will provide your son’s adviser with important information they can share. We have adviser time every morning during homeroom, and at least once a week outside of class. We encourage you to get to know your son’s adviser, as he or she will get to know your child well.
Books
We provide books for all our students in Middle School. It will be their responsibility to take care of the books they receive this year and to return them at the end of the year in good condition. Because of the expense of providing books to everyone, we will charge families to replace lost or damaged books. We will still ask for the boys to be responsible with their books and the weight of their backpacks. Once in school, boys are not permitted to carry backpacks.
Even though we will collect most books at the end of the year, there will be specific locations for names and ID numbers to be placed in each book. Any book that is given to the boys to keep should have their last name in bold print on the inside and outside of that book.
Opening Day*
The school year begins on Wednesday, September 7, at 8:15 a.m. Please be sure to drop your son off in the Centennial Hall parking lot at the appropriate time. Just like last year, please do not stop in the circle to drop off or pick up. It is not safe and causes problems with traffic flow. All boys arriving before 8:00 a.m. will proceed directly to the middle and upper school side of the dining hall. The dining hall opens at 7:30 a.m. every day.
Your son will need to bring all his summer reading books, journals, assignments, and supplies to school on the first day, especially a pen, paper, and notebook. Supply lists are available on the school website and are enclosed with this mailing. Assignment books are provided for all middle school students.
*Special Note: All boys must wear long pants on the first day of school for the class picture.
Homeroom/Advisers
A sheet with your son’s homeroom and adviser are mailed to you directly. Individual class schedules for your son are not included in this mailing; they will be distributed the first day of school. Your son should report to his homeroom in Crosman Hall between 8:00 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. to meet with his adviser and pick up his individual class schedule.
Daily Schedule
Below is the the 2010–11 daily schedule. Our schedule rotates each week, so be sure to reference the Daily Rotation Calendar in addition to the standard minute-by-minute daily schedule below. Please note that the Daily Rotation Calendar can be found using the link below and is also enclosed with your summer mailing packet. Again, the boys receive their daily
schedules on the first day of school.
Link to 2011-12 Daily Rotation Calendar (Coming Soon)
MS Daily Schedule
| Time
| Details
|
| 8:00-8:25 |
Chorus (when applicable) |
| 8:15-8:25 |
Homeroom (for students not in Chorus) |
8:30-9:10
|
1st Period Class
|
9:15-9:55
|
2nd Period Class
|
9:55-10:10
|
Break
|
10:10-11:20
|
3rd Period Class
|
11:20-11:45
|
Lunch
|
11:45-12:05
|
Break
|
12:05-12:45
|
4th Period Class
|
12:50-1:30
|
5th Period Class
|
1:35-2:15
|
6th Period Class
|
2:15-3:30
|
Athletics (Monday – Friday)
|
The Adviser System
The Middle School Advisery Program has eight advisers per grade and about nine advisees per adviser. This low ratio allows for greater communication with home and a better opportunity for the advisers to know each boy. Adviser groups will meet every morning in homeroom and at least once every 2-3 weeks outside of class.
The function of an adviser is to serve as an adult mentor and advocate. The adviser is also to provide a formal, though not exclusive, link between school and home. It will also allow for open dialog between the student and adviser about peer friendships, organization, decision-making, self-reflection, team-building, and community service. Advisers also serve to supervise the “House” system within the middle school.
House System
All middle school boys gather in their “House” about once every 2-3 weeks before sports. Each House will consist of one homeroom from each grade as well as their advisers. The advisers and members of the Form II House Council run activities designed to build community spirit, friendship, and personal growth. The goal is to create better relationships among the students and adults as boys and teachers from all three grades work together to complete activities that change during each House period.
Activities
Activities meet about once every 2-3 weeks after lunch. On the first day of school, the boys will select a faculty-sponsored activity. Last year, we were able to offer 16 different choices and every boy received either their first or second choice of an activity. We look to mix grades and keep the size of each activity manageable. Like Houses, Activities help to make connections between our faculty and students who have similar interests and helps to foster the community aspect of our school.
Student ID Cards
ID cards are issued to every student. These cards are a very important part of the boys’ school life. They are the “key” for the boys to be able to enter campus buildings. Students MUST use their ID card to enter buildings instead of using the doorbell.
All ID cards must have a photo on them. Students who attended Haverford last year as 5th graders will receive new cards on the first day of school. Most of these have lower school pictures on them. Some may not have any photo and these cards expire September 30. New students to Haverford will also receive their cards on the first day of school. New student cards will not have photos on them and these cards will also expire on September 30. Students who need a picture put on their ID or those who want a new photo to replace their lower school picture will be informed of “Photo Make-up Days” that will be scheduled in the dining hall during September.
Lost ID Cards
Students who lose their cards must pay a $15.00 replacement fee. Broken cards are replaced at no charge. The students must bring the broken card to Mrs. Cates and fill out a request for replacement form. A new card will be issued.
Controlled Access
Our new controlled access system will provide greater safety for all our boys at Haverford. It will also create a new check-in process for visiting parents. All parents visiting Middle School will be required to enter through the main Crosman Hall doors that face Lancaster Avenue.
Once inside our building, you will be required to sign in and receive a visitor’s pass. If you are unfamiliar with how to find Crosman Hall, please enter the lower school through the main entrance, where you will receive a visitor’s pass and directions to Crosman Hall. Before you leave campus, you will need to check out and return your pass.
Breakfast and Lunch
Students may bring a lunch or they may purchase a full meal of a la carte items from our dining hall. Students may pay cash for breakfast or lunch, but this is highly discouraged. Using cash slows down the lunch line and is not the safest method for payment. We strongly encourage the boys to use the debit system or the meal plan that is provided by Haverford Dining Services.
All information regarding our dining services can be found on the school website. Look for the Meal Plan Election Form download and send the form in by mid-August. Boys who wish to renew their account or add money to their account should bring a check to the School's business office made out to The Haverford School, or follow the instructions on the website.
A typical breakfast costs about three dollars and a typical lunch costs about five dollars. We highly encourage our families to consider the Meal Plan that the school offers. While it has some very minor restrictions, it saves valuable time in the lunch line while providing a significant savings for our families. Every year, more and more families are choosing to use the meal plan.
Daily Communication & Message Board
Please be sure to communicate any concerns you have to me as soon as possible when they occur, and encourage your son to do the same with his teachers. If you need to communicate with your son during the school day, please use our message board. Call Mrs. Cates at ext. 1228 as early as possible. She will place your son’s name on our message board. When your son sees his name on the board, he will know he has a message to pick up from Mrs. Cates. It is his responsibility to check the message board between classes. Please remind him of this.
Because of sports, we cannot guarantee any messages will reach your son after 2:15 p.m. unless, of course, it is an emergency. Finally, if you call Mrs. Cates and you get her voicemail, please leave a detailed message and your telephone number if she needs to call you back.
The School Phone
Boys are permitted to use the school phone in case of an emergency, but they must ask for permission to do so. The school phone should not be used for problems such as forgetting a lunch, homework, or sports equipment, or where to be picked up after school. These problems do not qualify as an emergency.
Student Cell Phones**
Because we have phones in every classroom, there is little need for boys to have cell phones on campus. If a boy is caught using his cell phone for any reason during the school day (8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.) it will be taken from him. It will be returned after he has spoken to either Mr. Greytok or Ms. Nelson. If it is his second offense, we will ask the parents to come and collect his phone.
**Boys are not permitted to call home for forgotten homework. Please remind your son(s) of this as we try to teach them responsibility and organization.
MS Weekly Newsletter
We will continue to post the Middle School “Weekly” Newsletter on the middle school website once school begins. The “Weekly” provides up-to-date information about middle school events and the rare changes that occur with our calendar. Please refer to our “Important Dates for Middle School Families” handout included in the summer mailing to see the full list of events already scheduled for this year. In addition, the Events Calendar on our website is updated often and the Communications department sends out the monthly “FORDScast” enewsletter to make sure you are always informed of all school events.
Attendance: Absences, Lateness, and Homework
We expect all middle school boys to be in their homeroom no later than 8:15 a.m. Any boy arriving to homeroom after 8:15 a.m. is marked late. If your son is absent, late, or will be leaving early from school, please call Mrs. Cates as soon as possible. The Middle School Attendance number is ext. 1968. All homework assignments and handouts are available on the school website. The boys will be taught how to access this information and we will send home a specific sheet for the parents in one of our early emails.
Transportation
By Bus: If your son is new to Haverford and you would like him to be transported by your school district’s bus service, please contact the Lower School Assistant, Mrs. Teresa Touey, at ext. 1232. Boys who used the school district busing to and from Haverford last year will automatically be enrolled on the same busing lists this year.
By Car: Middle school students may be dropped off in the morning in front of the lower school. In the afternoon, you may pick your son up in front of the lower school. Middle school boys are not to be picked up before 3:30 p.m. Please do not arrive to pick up your son before 3:30 p.m., as he will not be ready. This also puts great stress on the lower school pickup process. By 3:30 p.m., most of the lower school boys are gathered and the pickup area is free and clear. If you don’t like waiting in traffic, please don’t pick up before 3:30 p.m.
Siblings in Lower/Middle School: If you are picking up both a lower and middle school boy, please make sure the lower school staff knows your son will be waiting for his older brother. We will take all middle school boys who are on campus after 4:00 p.m. to Crosman Hall unless we have written permission from his parents or guardian that he can stay late. Please do not drop your son off in any of the School’s parking lots in the morning, especially the lot by Wilson Hall.
PLEASE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING PICK UP SYSTEM IF YOU ARRIVE TO COLLECT YOUR SON BEFORE 3:30 p.m., MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY:
If you arrive from Railroad Avenue before 3:30 p.m., please make your first left into the Blue Lot. You may park in the lower school lot and wait for your son. If you proceed through the pickup line, a faculty member will send you to park and wait until 3:30 p.m. so you do not interfere with lower school pickup. Someone will be stopping traffic as you exit the Blue Lot so you can safely make your way back to the carpool line. This will save you time waiting in the lower school line, reduce the traffic congestion in the main pickup lane, and create a safer situation for everyone. If you have to pick up your lower school son, please wait until 3:30 p.m. to collect both boys at the same time.
FOR THE RESPECT OF OUR BUSES AND FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR BOYS, PLEASE NEVER STOP IN THE CIRCLE TO PICK UP OR DROP OFF YOUR SON.
Supplies
The first day of school can be a very nervous time. Please make sure your son has a pen, pencil, and notebook for the first day of school. A supply list for your son’s specific grade can be found on the School’s website and is also enclosed in your summer mailing. All of the items on the supply list can be purchased at almost any office supply store or online. We will provide the boys with an assignment book the first day of school.
Dress Code
The Middle School Dress Code requires a jacket (sports coat, blazer), an oxford-style dress shirt (plain or striped), a necktie, “creasable” pants (please, no cargo pants or painter's pants), and dress shoes. No sneakers or boots please. The boys are permitted to wear dress shorts from Sept. 8 – Oct. 29 and again after Spring Break. Please put your son’s name on the inside label of his clothes and please put your son in long pants for the first day of school.
Gym Clothes
All middle school students are assigned a locker for Physical Education class and for after-school sports. The lockers must be kept clean throughout the year and vacated at the end of the school year. Physical Education classes require a uniform which may be purchased in the school store or through the School website; the uniform consists of gold mesh shorts and a reversible maroon & gold shirt.
Depending on what sport(s) your son plays, he may be given a uniform for the team. All uniforms must be returned immediately at the end of each season. Students will be charged the cost of replacement if their uniforms are lost or stolen.
Lockers and Locks
Each student must purchase a lock for his locker in school. Lockers in the gym have built-in locks and the boys will not need a gym lock. Please purchase a new lock or use last year’s lock. Your son’s teacher will write down his school lock combination and will have it available if he should forget it. Please remind your sons that their lockers should stay locked at all times.
Athletic Information
On the first day of school, boys will make their choice for their fall team. Team organizational meetings will take place the first week of school, and practice will begin the second week. Coaches will provide information about equipment.
Middle School Events
Almost all of our Middle School events are listed on an updated version of the Middle School Calendar. Please mark these dates down for your son and remember that next year the events will fall at similar times, so schedule activities accordingly. We update these calendars regularly with mailings and on our website. Please note the date on each calendar and keep the most current one, as it will be the most accurate.
Online Directory and Grades
Parent directories and student grades are available online through the My Backpack section of the School website. Instructions that include login information and passwords is emailed to parents prior to the start of school. This year, the My Backpack database is being updated along with our new website, so we appreciate your patience through this process. If you have any questions, please contact our help desk here at school by email at helpdesk@haverford.org.
Parents’ Night
It is important that parents attend this event, as you will meet all of your son’s teachers and hear about our curriculum. Please mark Wednesday, September 21, on your calendars for Parents’ Night. We start at 7:00 p.m. sharp in Centennial Hall. Note that Parent Directories will be given out at that time.
A Final Note
The new school year brings with it much hope and excitement. Middle School is a wonderful and challenging place. We believe the boys grow and change more from Grade 6 to Form II than at any other point in their lives. Our goal is to help them navigate through the potentially rough road ahead and arrive in Upper School prepared to take that next step in their young lives.
Please feel free to call us with any concerns. We would be more than happy to help you.
Sincerely,
Jay Greytok '83
Head of Middle School