JGW Update 8/24/26

Hello JGW Families,

I hope that you have all had a great summer! We are excited to meet all of our new students and their families and to see returning ones. It is going to be a great year! Over the next week I will share lots of information, but here are a few details to get everyone started.

SCHEDULING

First, all of our software applications updated over the weekend, which means that you all should be able to see your child’s schedule in the parent portal.  Please know that there is still some fine-tuning to be completed over the next few days, so there may be some changes as we make sure that class lists are properly assigned and balanced. Here are a few things that you might notice about your child’s schedule:

• NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHEDULE

  • All HPS middle schools are moving to a common 90-minute block schedule this year. This will allow all schools to all be on the same page regarding schedules and shared staff. 90 minutes of instructional time will also give students more ELA and Math instruction each day. These two subjects will meet for 90 minutes every day, while Science and Social Studies will meet for 90 minutes every other day.

• GRADE 5

  • Students in this grade are assigned to a two-teacher team. One teacher teaches Math & Science while the other teaches ELA & Social Studies. Students move between classes as a group or color group (Red, Green, etc.). We have three teacher teams in and six color groups Grade 5.

• GRADE 6

  • Students in Grade 6 also move as a color block, but they do so across the whole six-teacher team. Color groups are assigned to sections in the four core subjects across the six teachers. This is different from last year and will allow students to be in more classrooms and have access to more teachers. This will provide more flexibility in our schedule as well as giving students more variety.

• GRADES 7 & 8

  • Students in grades 7 & 8 will experience an exciting change this year. Students will be scheduled as a color group for Homeroom and their Specials classes. However, for their core subjects (ELA, Math, Science, & Social Studies) students will be assigned to sections numbered from 001 - 006 instead of a color group. Instead of seeing the same exact faces in every single class all day long, students will see some variety in every class. It isn’t as random as a high school schedule, but it is a step in that direction. We are hoping that giving students access to more classmates throughout the day will help to strengthen connections and friendships, as well as to give some breathing room between students who are in conflict. Finally, 7th graders will be in classes in two hallways in the main building. A little extra distance to walk between rooms should also give them a chance to get a little extra energy out of their system before the next class.

OPEN HOUSE

In response to suggestions from last year’s Grade 5 parents (this year’s Grade 6) we are trying something a little different with our Open House on Tuesday September 1st. We will start the night with a Grade 5-Only presentation. These new families often have the most questions and require more overview of our staff, their roles and general procedures. Once this presentation is over and students and families move on to their classroom visits, the presentation for Grades 6-8 will follow.

• 5:00PM - 5:40PM: Grade 5 Presentation in the Cafetorium

  • 5:45PM - 6:30PM: Grade 5 Classroom Visits

• 5:45PM - 6:05PM: Grade 6-8 Presentation in the Cafetorium

  • 6:05PM - 6:30PM: Grade 6-8 Classroom Visits

CLASSROOM SUPPLIES

We have received some phone calls about school supplies.  While each teacher will share information about specific items required for their classes during Open House, here is some more general information (by grade) to give you some direction:

• GRADE 5 (please note that we do NOT have lockers)

  • General Supplies: Pencils, Highlighters, Dry Erase Markers, Glue Sticks

  • Zippered 3-Hole Punch Pencil Pouch (fits in a binder)

  • Two 2-Pocket Folders

  • Two 1-inch Binders

  • Personal Water Bottle

  • Wired Headphones or Earbuds (no wireless/Bluetooth headphones)

• GRADE 6 (Students WILL have a locker)

• All classes

  • Pencil case or pouch

  • Pencils, Pencil sharpener, Highlighters, Erasers

  • Homework folder 

  • Wired Headphones or Earbuds (no wireless/Bluetooth headphones)

  • Personal water bottle

  • Lock for locker (combination or keyed)

• Social Studies: Colored pencils and/or markers, 1 durable folder with pockets, glue stick, 1-subject notebook, scissors

• ELA: 1-subject notebook, 1 folder

• Science: See “All classes” – All items for Science are listed there

• Math: Pencil sharpener, dry erase markers 

• GRADE 7 (Students WILL have a locker)

  • All classes

    • Pencils, Pencil Sharpener, Pens, Highlighters

    • Wired Headphones or Earbuds (no wireless/Bluetooth headphones)

    • Personal water bottle

    • Lock for locker (combination or keyed)

  • Math-  Three subject notebook 

  • ELA- 1-subject notebook,, folder with pockets,  coloring supplies are optional

  • Science- One Subject Notebook, Folder with pockets (match color with Notebook if possible), Glue Stick

• GRADE 8 (Students WILL have a locker)

  • All classes

    • Pencil case or pouch

    • Pencils, Pencil sharpener, Highlighters, Erasers

    • Homework folder 

    • Wired Headphones or Earbuds (no wireless/Bluetooth headphones)

    • Personal water bottle

    • Lock for locker (combination or keyed)

  • ELA:  Binder, 1 subject notebook 

  • Math, Science, & Social Studies: Information shared at Open House

This may be enough to digest for now. More information, including technology resources, will be coming later this week.  As each day passes, the excitement for seeing you all again and getting the school year started grows and grows!

Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you all very soon.

Kevin Higginbottom, Principal

JG Whittier Middle School