“You need STRUCTURE.” -Ms. Rosser By: Alyssa Brauchler

To be successful in 6 th grade, there is one thing I learned that you need to be: ORGANIZED. Organization is so important. You need to have folders for every subject, and inside those subject folders, tabs to cover categories inside like graded papers, different lessons, vocabulary, etc. If you are not organized, you will be lost because every class you go to, the teachers expect you to have every paper you have collected since the first day of school. You will never know when a teacher will randomly ask you to take out a sheet of paper from the last 9 weeks. This year there is lunch detention to make up missing work, are you up to it?

5 th Grade 6 th Grade One Class- when you were learning, you were with the same people for the whole day. Playground- some part of the day you got a break from working and get to play on the school playground. One Special- every day, you have a different special than the day before that. Cubbied Desks- to hold all of your learning materials and supplies, you have a desk with a compartment to hold everything for you. Fun Days- every year in elementary schools, your grade gets fun days like the Fun Run, Field Day, and Fall Festival. Six Classes- in 6 th grade, you have different classes with different people. No Playground- in 6 th grade, the school does not have a playground, but you do occasionally get breaks to walk the track and sometimes there is an event called ‘Snack & Chat’ after lunch. Two Connections- every morning your first two classes are called connections, where you go to classes like art, band, P.E., etc. Lockers- in 6 th grade, you have a locker to hold your extra supplies and learning materials for you. Lockers have locks, but don’t worry, they are very easy to open! No Fun Days- 6 th grade does not have fun days. Even though this sounds bad, you still have fun in 6 th grade because there are other events the school hosts.

Many 5 th graders have questions or worries about 6 th grade. Here you can find some common questions that 5 th graders have about 6 th grade with answers. Q- Are the teachers going to be witches? A- The teachers in middle school are going to be like any of your regular elementary teachers… Some will be mean, and some will be nice. Q- What are the lockers like? A- Lockers are really cool and helpful! No one should worry about forgetting the combination or if they are going to get locked up in the lockers. The teachers have all lockers with the combination and owner’s name written down for you. Q- Are there sports in 6 th grade? A- There are no sports allowed to be played in 6 th grade, unfortunately. The school does not allow this because you are transitioning into a new atmosphere with new work and the school wants you to focus more on academics.

Q- Is there recess? A- No, there is no recess in middle school. Even though this does not sound fun, you do not notice that recess is missing because you are too busy working and you grow out of having to have a break and play around. Q- Is 6th grade hard? A- Well, if you are in a lower grade than 6th grade, it might seem difficult. Although, as you progress through grades the work is leveled for your age. When you get to 6th grade, the work should be adjusted to your abilities.

You might lose or forget your locker combination, so right it down somewhere safe so you will always have it with you or tell a trustworthy friend your locker combination. Even though you can do this, your homeroom teacher has a log with the locker number, combination, and your name. the teacher keeps the log safe so it is always going to be there when you need it. You might forget to do the homework assigned to you because almost everyday, you have homework for each subject. It is very hard to remember everything given so you should write everything down in the given agenda at the beginning of the year. My agenda has helped me so much this year because it is so easy to think you remember something but then you forget about it. Agendas help you in other ways to help keep track of your schedule, dates, and reminders. You might lose things in your binder if you just stuff papers in it, so you should get a big enough binder and enough tabs to be organized. Having tabs for each subject and graded papers have saved my life. To have tabs, you can flip right to the exact category a paper is in and not have to stress about finding it. Also getting a big enough binder has helped to fit everything in it. Being organized and prepared is key.

You might lose focus in class and be all cluttered, so keep track of the time. Being on time to class is very important, because if you are late, the class might be already working by the time you get there and you will be behind. Your teacher will dismiss you, but you should always be ready because your work might not be ready to go and it will slow you down picking everything up. If you carry your phone around in your pocket, it might ring or make a noise during class and you will get in trouble. Turn your phone off to avoid this. The school has a policy to always have electronics turned off during the instructional day. If a phone goes off, there are consequences. If you have a phone, just turn it off when you get to school and put it safely in your bookbag to keep in your locker. None of your peers can get into your locker so your phone will be safe there.

Entering 6 th grade, there were many problems I had to face. I wish there was a power point like this so I was prepared, but I really had to adjust to a different atmosphere. I am in gifted, so there is more advanced work on you. There was a science fair for gifted and I was required to participate. I was definitely not ready. I thought everything was easy peasy, and I had it in the bag. No, I was far from right... I realized this two weeks before the project was due and I just wanted to break down and quit school because I thought I would have an embarrassing unfinished project in the end. I started working 24/7 and had to cancel the things I love like tennis and soccer. I waited until the last minute to do my project, causing a lot of stress to build up on me. This was very unhealthy and it was decreasing my self confidence. I hope you understand to never wait until the last minute because I would never want someone to go through what I did, so always do your work ahead of time!

“ What happens if I can never finish my homework? ” Many 5 th graders coming up to 6 th grade think that they will get truckloads of homework. Many kids think that they will never be able to finish the assigned homework for that day. Well, to be able to finish your homework, it is a good habit to start doing it right when you walk through the door to your house. When you start working, you will get ahead on your homework and finish early. With the extra time you have after you finish, that can be for things that you love and you wont have to stress because you know everything is ready for tomorrow. “ Will I be able to finish all of my work? ” Many 5 th graders coming up to 6 th grade think the teachers will not give them enough time to finish all of their work. If you are very talkative, ask to sit away from your friends so you don ’ t get distractive and always talk to them. Focus on your work and try to annoy sounds. Eat a healthy breakfast or lunch because the food can give you nutrients to help you think harder and relax.

“ Will I forget my locker combination? ” Always tell a trustworthy friend your combination. You can also write down your combination and place it somewhere that you will always remember where it is and locate it easily. That way, you already have two places to find your combination. You should never worry anyways because your homeroom teacher keeps a locker log with the locker ’ s number, the owner ’ s name, and the locker ’ s combination. So if you ever need your combination, you can easily ask your homeroom teacher for it. “ What if there are no clubs for me? ” Do not worry, Madras Middle School has many clubs! I almost promise you that you will find a club right for you. If not, you can always ask teachers for outside of school activities that interest you. Some clubs at madras are; Art Club, Pet Lovers ’ Club, Chess Club, Golf Club, Young Astronauts ’ Club, Running Club, Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Beta Club, and more! Is there a club that fits you?

“ What if I get on a different team than all of my friends? ” Do not worry, whatever team you get on, madras groups the classes in a cool way. I have many friends on my team, but I don ’ t really have any classes with them. I have made so many new friends because everyone in my classes are just like me. We all get along! Madras also has connections where you can get a chance to be with your friends from different teams and classes.

To be a successful Madras Middle School Eagle, you will definitely have to be prepared, organized, on task, on time, and focused. You might be groaning, but if you think about it, it’s not that hard! You should always just relax and believe in yourself. To be prepared, just be ready for each class. Make sure you have everything you need so there is no problem. Organization is very important. Always try to keep everything you have collected in the right category somewhere in your binder so when you need it, you can find it in no time! On task is very easy… just try not to be distracted. If you are on task, more than likely you will get all of your work done. On time is like being prepared. Be prepared to go to each class so you are on time and still not cleaning and rustling up your area when the bell rings. Being focused is like being on task. Focus on what is important in school work and your life. Stay out of distractions that might inconvenience you and have you worry on other things than what you are supposed to.

I play travel soccer, so I have practice literally everyday of the week. I travel to every city in Georgia, and I have played in Tennessee and on Disney’s World Wide of Sport’s ESPN soccer fields. I play for SSA Chelsea Elite and my team is ranked 4 th in the state. I never like to brag, but we are a pretty good team and I love everyone on it. I started playing soccer when I was 7, and I joined travel soccer when I was 10. Since I was 7, I’ve played with the same girl my whole life. She is still on the top team with me today! Many of my practices are in Douglasville, so I have to leave early. I normally have to do my written homework on the car ride there! My position in soccer is either attacking mid-field, right-wing, or right defense. I love all of my positions because I get to support all of my teammates while doing it because I am by them in the positions I play.