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1. My child wishes to sign up for honors courses. What steps need to be taken to assure appropriate placement?
During December, all 5 th grade general education students participated in an
Honors Ability Screener to identify students who should take the full battery of tests for possible placement in Honors Humanities 6 (an integrated honors
English language arts and 6 th grade social studies course) and/or Honors Math 6
(8 th grade pre-algebra). The purpose of both the short and full forms of the test is to assess students’ reasoning abilities developed through in-school and out-ofschool experiences. Results on the Screener will be mailed to parents by the end of January, and if your child’s scores indicate he/she should take the full battery of honors tests, we will seek your permission to test at that time.
Students currently participating in Challenge student will automatically continue in high ability classes, including Honors Humanities 6 (an integrated honors English language arts and 6 th grade social studies course) and Advanced Math 6 (7 th grade math), pending adequate progress for the remainder of this school year. If your child is a highly exceptional math student with a strong interest in mathematics, he/she will have an opportunity to test for placement in Honors Math 6 (8 th grade pre-algebra). Information for online registration will be sent home in March, and testing will take place in April for this very rigorous course.
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When will math course selections be confirmed? How are math placements determined?
Fifth grade students already enrolled in Advanced Math 5 during this school year will automatically be placed in Advanced Math 6 (7 th grade math), pending adequate progress for the remainder of this school year. Fifth grade students enrolled in Math 5 during this school year may be placed in Advanced Math 6 (7 th grade math) based on exceptional end-of-year assessment grades and 2014
ISTEP+ scores.
Can students take performing arts (band, orchestra, or choir) as well as an additional elective class such as study hall, journalism or technology education?
Because our performing arts classes are year-long courses, the schedule does not allow time for sixth grade students to take these additional elective courses.

4. If my child takes a performing arts course, will he/she have the opportunity to take additional elective courses during 7 th and/or 8 th grade?
One art selection including drawing & painting, mixed media, newspaper or digital video productions will be available to performing arts students during grade 7. In the area of technology, the majority of students will take Digital
Learning II as a 7 th grade student so no additional selections will be available.
During 8 th grade, elective options are expanded. For art, students may choose one of the following courses including drawing & painting, ceramics, yearbook or digital video productions. 8 th grade technology options include technology education, computer design, or computer design plus.
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What athletic programs are available for 6 th grade students?
Sixth grade students can participate in the following: tennis, cross-country, wrestling and track & field. Please visit Creekside Middle School’s athletics link for more information regarding each sport.
How can I ensure a smooth transition from elementary to middle school?
Students should get involved and be organized! Participation in extracurricular activities including sports and clubs will help students to get to know peers. We advise students to keep a clean locker, organize folders, and remember to write assignments down in the Wildcat Planner notebook. Parents can get involved as well! Opportunities include volunteering at school, joining the PTO, and attending your child's academic, athletic or extracurricular events. Most importantly, ask questions and talk with your child!
Can I make changes to the courses I have chosen?
. At this point, parents may send an email to Cary Schwartz (students with last names A-L) or Susan
Schad (students with last names M-Z) at requesting a change in course requests. Changes will be accepted until May 29, 2014.
Cary Schwartz (last name A-L)
Susan Schad (last name M-Z)
8. Where can I find more information about Creekside Middle School?
We encourage parents and students to visit Creekside Middle School’s main webpage. You will find links to club and athletic information as well as updates on current events. Peruse teacher web pages to see examples of homework listings. Additionally, our counseling webpage lists information pertaining to orientation to middle school, study skill tips, and more. You can also find resources to assist parents and students with the transition to middle school, study skills, and tips to handle anxiety/stress at our Parent Resource Library &
Resources page.