• ❓ Ask questions: if you don’t know the answer or what you should do… ASK! We ALL have questions, so don’t be shy about yours! Your teachers are here to help! 

• 👍 Self-advocate: that’s a big word for taking the initiative to communicate your needs… you are the best person who knows yourself best! 

• ✅ Get into a routine: it’s hard to juggle all the new things at once, so be prepared… develop good habits early and then stick to them! 

• 🧠 Be organized: it's’ easy to fall behind when you have 7 different teachers… it’s super important to have a way to keep track of all your STUFF in a way that works for you… set a reminder on your phone 📱 (with teacher permission), check your Canvas calendar 🗓, use Google Keep, or get a fancy planner from the store and write your homework in it at the end of each class. ✏️

• 🕒 Don’t procrastinate: Know your due dates 📆 … and plan accordingly! Whatever you do… Do. Not. Wait. Until. The. Last. Minute.

Well, not exactly... BUT... check out these opportunities:

• 🗺 Explore NJH - (Spring of 6th-grade year) This is a “Come and Go Open House Style Event” in which incoming 7th-grade students and their families can walk around the school to get a general feel of the building. Lockers are available in various locations around the building for students to practice opening at their own pace. Information tables in commons with paperwork about PowerSchool, Canvas, and athletics are available. Administrators, counselors, and support staff are available to answer questions. Teachers will not be accessible.
• ✅ 7th Grade Orientation - (week prior to the beginning of school) Students receive their schedules and spend the afternoon with their advisory class completing orientation-style activities; including building tours, lockers, following their schedules, meeting their teachers, learning about lunch procedures, and building rules/expectations, what to bring on the first day of school, arrival and dismissal procedures, and more.
• 🎥 Videos - coming soon! Check out the Counselor’s Office webpage and look for the video “tour” of the building as well as videos demonstrating the drop-off & pick-up procedures.

Upon arrival, you go to the gym or Commons.  You will not go to your locker or to classrooms until later.

• You will follow a 7-period schedule each day. Each subject is taught by a different teacher and meets at the same time daily. All students are enrolled in four core classes (math, English, science, and social studies) as well as PE/health. Additionally, students select two elective classes (band, theater, FACS, digital learning skills, intro to agriculture construction intro to agriculture science, etc.)

Your classes meet EVERY. DAY. Yes, this means you will have PE daily… don’t forget your tennis shoes! 👟

🔴 There are four "teams" for 7th grade and four "teams" for 8th grade. 🔴

7th, Red    7th, Grey     7th, White     7th, Silver

8th, Red     8th, Grey     8th, White     8th, Silver

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• Each team has about 120-130 students on it and four core teachers.
• Those teachers (math, English, science, and social studies) will have the same 120-130 students all year so they can really get to know the students!
• And, no… you don’t get to pick your own team… the computers do that!
• Want to see what teams look like in action?  Check out this video! 🎥

PS… what if my Bestie isn’t on my team? I’ll cry. I will. 😭

The world won’t actually end, because you can see your BFF before and after school, between classes… and maybe at lunch!

Advisory is the last 30 minutes of the day, and each student will have the same advisory teacher all year. 

• The first 10 minutes of each advisory period is spent reading silently. 📖
  • That’s right… you heard that correctly… EVERY student… AND teacher… AND principal read… at the same time… together… every day!
• Then, the rest of the time is used to get yourself re-organized from the day and begin your homework or figure out what you need to do that evening. 

Yes… but here’s the good news! You can use it if you want to… or DON’T use it if you prefer not to.

• 🎒 Students can carry backpacks, drawstring bags, lunch boxes, etc. with them…SO… if you’d rather carry all your stuff, then do it!

• If you’d rather only keep the stuff with you that you need, then you can keep the other stuff in your locker until the hour you need it!

• And… deep breaths… you WILL be able to figure out how to use the combination… it just takes a little practice… and we got you! 💪

Four minutes… that doesn’t sound like much time, but it is!

• You may use the restroom, stop at lockers, or socialize with friends during passing periods.

• But… if you are not seated when the bell rings, you will be counted “tardy”. Those who accumulate multiple tardies will serve a lunch detention.

This is a not-so-fun time that is used as a consequence. In JH, we don’t have recess, so students really, really REALLY enjoy sitting with their friends at lunch. 

• When a student makes a poor choice that results in the need for a consequence, often a lunch detention is assigned.

• In those cases, students have to eat their lunch silently in a classroom instead of socializing with friends. Ew…. So gross. 👎

Guess what?! You get to sit with your friends AND sit wherever you want to sit! 

• Your fifth-hour class determines the time you eat lunch. There are three lunch shifts and 7th and 8th graders at each lunch.

• There are a bunch of choices for students who choose to eat school lunch… here are some examples of lunch options:

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School Lunch Options:  

• Pizza 🍕
• Hamburger/Cheeseburgers 🍔
• Bosco Sticks
• Spicy Chicken sandwich 
• Boneless wings 
• Asian bar
• Sub sandwiches 
• Chicken Patty Day
• Nachos 
• Fresh fruit & vegetables 🍓🥕
• And many more!

 A La Carte Items:

• Yogurt parfaits (a la carte pricing) 
• Chips (a la carte pricing) 
• Dip n Dots (a la carte pricing) 
• Rice Krispie Treats (a la carte pricing)
• Fruit Roll Ups (a la carte pricing)
• Izzy Drinks (a la carte pricing)
• Juice (a la carte pricing) 🧃

💰Vending machines are also available, but those are cash only and you must have exact change! 💰

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Also… what does “a la carte” even mean?

That’s just a fancy way of saying you have to pay for each item separately, and that it’s not included in the price of a lunch.

First… ALL students get nervous, have issues, and feel anxious at school… So, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your teachers will be your first point of contact. They can point you in the right direction to help with whatever your need may be. 💗

Others who can help? 

• Nurses 🩺
• Counselors 
• Assistant Principals 
• And… yes… it is definitely possible to call home. You just need to check with your teacher or someone in the front office and we’ll make sure you can find time to contact home. 📞

SOOO many people… The junior high may seem huge and overwhelming, but we have the BEST teachers and staff. And, you want to know what else is weird? Parents get worried too...  

Look at all the people who are ready, willing, and able to come to your rescue!! 🦅

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Parental Support: 

• Advisory teacher
• Classroom teachers 🧑‍🏫
• Counselors 
• Nurses 🩺
• Front office staff
• School Resource Officer 👮
• Instructional Specialists
• Behavior Interventionist
• Social Workers
• Administrators

Student Support:

• Advisory teacher
• Classroom teachers 🧑‍🏫
• Counselors
• Therapy dogs 🦮
• Nurses 🩺
• Librarians 📚
• Leadership Council students
• Coaches 
• Club Sponsors
• Front office staff
• School SPO
• Instructional Specialists
• Behavior Interventionist
• Social Workers
• Administrators

In junior high, students earn “letter grades” as opposed to Standards-Based Grading.

• Credits and grades are based upon semesters…. [Semester is a fancy word for a period of time in school.] 

• The first semester begins on the first day of school and ends on the last day before Christmas Break. The second semester begins the first week of January and ends the last day of school in May.

• Teachers update their grades weekly and you/your family can access your grades ANY time using PowerSchool.  

• NOTE: Paper grade cards/Progress Reports are NOT sent home or sent via email.

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Letter Grades will be earned based on the following percentages: 

A : 95%-100%  /  A- : 90%-94%

B+ : 87%-89%  /  B : 84%-86%  /  B- : 80%-83%

C+ : 77%-79%  /  C : 74%-76%  /  C- : 70%-73%

D+ : 67%-70%  /  D : 64%-66%  /  D - : 60-63%

F : Below 60%

Your teachers have worked hard to plan lessons that will fit into each hour… including time to get started on your homework. Not too much, not too little… just right! But… if you don’t finish your assignment during class, then you will take it with you to complete it as homework.

The school does not provide a specific planner/calendar, BUT it’s a great idea to find… AND USE… something that helps keep you organized! Try one of these:

• • Canvas calendar

  • Google Keep

  • Google Calendar

  • Email yourself your weekly calendar

  • Advisory teachers have a daily slide of HW for your team

Ummmm….. Nope… sorry.  

• School is for L-E-A-R-N-I-N-G… not catching up on social media… :)

• Read that again. 👆

• Well, you won’t make friends with ALL the new people, because that’s A LOT.   BUT… you WILL make new friends!  Get involved!   We have nearly 1000 students in our building, ALL of whom represent a different personality or interest… which means, there will always be someone who enjoys the same stuff you do! 

Did we already say GET INVOLVED? Yes, I believe we did! Try these things:

• Band 🥁
• Choir 🎶
• Sports 🏀
• Speech and Debate 🎤
• Theater/Drama Club 🎭
• Game Club 🎮
• Math Club 🧮
• Anime Club 🖥
• Gardening Club 🪴
• And so much more!

There is a TON of information available on the Nixa Athletic Website and the district app, so check there for information specific to the sport/activity in question.

• Nixa Public Schools is a member of MSHSAA (Missouri State HS Activities Association). Therefore, all athletes must follow their rules/guidelines. 

• In order to participate in a school-sponsored sport, each athlete must have a current physical on file with the athletic office. Paperwork is available in the main office at the junior high or on the Nixa Athletic website. Additionally, each intermediate school has a limited number of copies available in the main office. 

There are a variety of camps and off-season workout sessions that will occur over the summer. Look for information on the website, app, and social media.

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🍂 Fall Sports:

• 🏈 Football (7th-grade A/B team; 8th-grade A/B team - no cuts) 
• 🏃 Cross Country (7th-grade A/B team; 8th-grade A/B team - no cuts) 
• 🏐 Volleyball (7th-grade A/B team; 8th-grade A/B team - Girls only; athletes must try out for one of 16-20 slots)
•  📣 Cheerleading (tryouts are held in the Spring for the upcoming year; cheerleaders are year-long and cheer for the football and basketball seasons; as well as the possibility of competing over the summer) 

❄️ Winter Sports:

• 🤼 Wrestling (7th-grade A/B team; 8th-grade A/B team - no cuts)
• ⛹️‍♀️ Girls basketball (7th-grade A/B team; 8th-grade A/B team - Girls only; athletes must try out for one of 16-18 slots)
• ⛹️‍♂️ Boys basketball (7th-grade A/B team; 8th-grade A/B team - Boys only; athletes must try out for one of 16-18 slots)

🌸 Spring Sports:

• 👟 Track (7th-grade A/B team; 8th-grade A/B team - no cuts)
• 🥎 Softball (7th-grade A/B team; 8th-grade A/B team - Girls only; athletes must try out for one of 18-20 slots)
• 🎣 Bass Fishing (7^th-8^th combined team; NOTE: athletes fish in teams of two and one athletes must provide a boater)

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You keep saying, “no cuts”... what does that mean?

In JH, there are sports you can play in which everyone makes the team and there are sports that you have to try out to make the team. Tryouts last several days and then the coaches select the athletes that have performed the best during tryouts to make the team. Those that are not selected are “cut” from the team.