This document provides 10 tips for students starting middle school. It advises students to stay organized with lockers and agendas, focus on grades by completing all assignments, follow the dress code, and plan ahead for major projects. Students are also told to embrace team seating in the cafeteria and collaborative work in classes, which are important parts of middle school.

1. T O P 1 0 T H I N G S Y O U N E E D T O K N O W B E F O R E
Y O U S T A R T M I D D L E S C H O O L
Starting Over

2. #1 GET READY, GAME ON
 Middle School moves fast! You will have multiple
classes, 6 different teachers, and many things to
juggle everyday…..be prepared and stay on top of
your grades and work each day.
 “We didn’t have any homework today..” while this
could be true, there is always something that you can
do to prepare for the next day of instruction.
 Organize, Review/Study, Projects…..

3. #2 GET ORGANIZED EARLY
 Cubbies are gone! Now you have lockers.
 Get your supplies and organize yourself as directed
by your Team Teachers ASAP!
 Keep it neat, Keep it clean, Keep it organized…..when
you don’t have anything else to do, you can always
clean your binders and review completed work.
 Have a quiet space at home to do homework and
study.
 Supplies at home can help….hole puncher, pencil
sharpener, paper…

4. #3 GRADES
 Next big change….letter grades!
 Test and quizzes are VERY important, they count
more than anything else.
 Do the math, a failing grade is very powerful….it is
better to turn something in than to turn in nothing at
all.
 SPAN: Use it to keep track of grades.
 If you complete the work then you deserve to receive
credit for your time and efforts. TURN IT IN!!!

5. # 4 LOCKERS
 We will give you a lock for your locker. You must use
a school issued lock. You will need to buy a lock for
your PE locker.
 If you buy a shelf for your locker, make it the tall one.
If it is too short, your books will not fit under it.
 If you love it, lock it up!!

6. #5 AGENDAS
 Use your agenda daily. It is your lifeline to staying on top
of your assignments, planning what you need to do, pass
to classes/bathroom, and it is a communication tool for
Teachers and Parents.
 Write in your agenda everyday….write none if you don’t
have any homework to stay in the habit of writing your
assignments.
 With 6 classes……you can’t remember everything! Don’t
Try It! Many have come before you and failed at
this….trust us, we know!
 ONLY THE FIRST ONE IS FREE…IF YOU LOSE
IT, IT WILL COST $ TO GET A REPLACEMENT!

7. #6 DRESS CODE
 Know it, love it, follow it…..WE DO!
 We give students a week to learn and then we
enforce.
 Girls….get a 4/6 index card or a dollar bill
and take it shopping.
 Boys….get a belt. No sagging pants allowed!
 Students who have inappropriate clothing are
offered a chance to change, call someone to bring
more clothes, or can spend the day in ALC.

8. #7 PLAN AHEAD
 Plan ahead…..don’t wait until the last minute or the
end of the quarter to complete assignments. -
 Teachers will usually inform students at least a week
out of a major assignment (test or project).
 Students must make a "plan of attack" for that
work. Leaving it to the last minute is just not good
enough.
 This is where using available lunch time to work is
crucial too.

9. CAFETERIA
 Cafeteria seating – teams are assigned seats early on
to monitor behaviors and maintain an orderly
environment.
 You may not always get to sit with your friends.
 Take this time to get to know your teammates and
build new relationships.
 We keep our cafeteria clean!!!!

10. COLLABORATION
 Students will have to work in collaborative teams
(small groups) in all classes.
 Seats are organized in each classroom with usually 4-
6 students.
 Being able to work collaboratively with others is part
of the instructional environment in middle school.
 EVERYONE works, communicates…..and shares the
responsibility of getting the assigned task completed!

11. DRMS PRIDE
 Embrace the DRMS spirit!
 We take great pride in our school and we like to have
fun too.
 Take advantage of participating in as many activities
as you can manage….