August 2020

Movin' on to Middle School
Welcome to middle school at Edina Public Schools! Moving from elementary school to middle school is a big transition in the life of a student and we are here to help ensure it goes smoothly for them and you! This newsletter and the related webpage offer tips, resources, and information specific to middle school transition. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns that you would like to see addressed, please contact us with Movin' on to Middle School in the subject line.
Principal's Corner
Shawn Dudley, Principal of Valley View Middle School

Dear parents and guardians of incoming 6th graders,

Welcome to Valley View Middle School! We are thrilled that you will be joining our school community. We are very proud of the many ways we support all students, personalize the learning experience and ensure our students are successful.

At Valley View, students are at the center of learning as we work together to provide multiple pathways and challenges. We know and believe that middle level students thrive when they have voice and choice in their learning experiences and have teachers, support staff and administration that know and understand their academic, social and emotional needs.

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Timothy Anderson, Principal of South View Middle School

Greetings and welcome to the South View Middle School Community!

It is an honor and a privilege to be the principal of South View Middle School. We are proud of our hard-working, positive, and engaged community of learners, staff, and families.

Over 1000 students in grades 6-8 and over 100 staff members make up the South View family. We feature a highly-qualified, dedicated staff and work diligently to meet the unique academic, social, and emotional needs of the middle level child. We work in partnership with our parents and families, who are highly engaged in their student’s academic endeavors and in South View’s programs and activities as a whole. There are many opportunities for you to be involved in our school community.

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Ask a Middle School Counselor
by Counselors Gretchen Brandt and Kent Downing, Valley View;
and Carmine LeVoir and Janet Schmiel, South View
Q: How can I help my child achieve a positive balance between school, social and home life?
A:  Balance, time management and organizational skills, as well as advocacy and independent learner skills, are all topics parents and teachers will want to coach throughout the middle school years. There is no magic to this process. It can happen easily and naturally for some students and slowly with a great deal of patience in others. Some of it can ebb and flow as they mature.

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Advice and Resources
Making the transition to middle school
by SVMS parent Julianna Otremba
When our daughter entered middle school, our primary concerns were understanding how SWMS would meet her academic and social goals, and if she would be able to transition from a smaller elementary school environment at Cornelia to a school with a larger footprint, greater number of students, and more complexity.

There was a great partnership between the elementary staff and the middle school staff. This started in the spring and meetings were held to understand what classes and supports would meet our daughter’s needs. The elementary school staff was able to provide insight to the middle school staff to help them begin to learn about our student’s strengths and areas of need.

Peer Insights is one of the programs my daughter is involved in. She was introduced to it through her participation in the Aspire program. Peer Insights provides opportunities for special education students and general education students to have fun together. We all know that middle school can be a fun, exciting time, but it can also be challenging with new social pressures and increased academic expectations.

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On the Book Shelf
Media Specialists Heather Palmer, VVMS, and Robert Diehl, SVMS, recommend these books for fifth graders. They are stories about kids making new friends and navigating their middle school years.
Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly illustrated by Betsy Peterschmidt
 
The Tornado: A Novel by Jake Burt
Technology Update
Incoming sixth grade parents should have received a letter from District Media and Technology Services regarding receiving a new learning device. Students with a current checkout are required to return it before receiving their device for sixth grade.
District Update
There is a lot of information to share about the coming school year and you will find it on the Family Dashboard. We have opened some buttons already and there are more to come. We will continuously update the Dashboard pages as guidelines change and new information is released.
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