February 8, 2016

Irmo Middle School

6051 Wescott Road
Columbia, SC 29212
(803) 476-3600
www.lexrich5.org/ims
School Hours:
8:20 a.m.3:35 p.m.

Inside this issue:

February Job Shadow
2
DreamBox
2
Student Led Conferences
3
Middle Years
4-5
Individual Graduation Plans 6

The Buzz at Irmo Middle School

Creating successful students for the challenges of tomorrow
rsjackso@lexrich5.org

Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Principal

https://twitter.com/IMS_Principal

Boys Advance
PAC Championship
Monday 6:45
Irmo High School
See You There!!!
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Valentine's Dance
Dates to Remember:
Mon 2/8
C Team Boys
Basketball vs. DFMS @
Irmo High Gym 6:45
Tues 2/9
G40 Mtg. 7:45-8:10
Media Center
NYC Expedition Mtg.
@ 6:30 IMS Caf
Thurs 2/11
Fine Arts field trip to
Elementary Schools
Valentines Dance 3:305:30
Fri 2/12
FCA Mtg. 7:40-8:10
AM Room 904

Thurs Feb 11, 3:30 - 5:30,

$5 / Student
Professional DJ, lots of food and fun!
Vote During Lunch

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Do you judge a book by its cover? Try a Blind Date with a Book in the Media Center

We are excited to announce that our Young Scholars Program application is open.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is looking for high-achieving seventh grade students
with financial need to apply for our unique pre-college scholarship and advising program. Young Scholars receive high school and college counseling, funding for summer
and extracurricular academic programs, access to internships and study abroad opportunities, and other educational resources including books and technology.
If you have news for the
Buzz, email Allison Redick
at aredick@lexrich5.org.

We invite all interested to attend our upcoming webinar to learn more about the
Young Scholars Program benefits, eligibility, selection criteria, & key dates: Feb. 16, 67:00pm EST - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5452305910201815553 or
contact the organizer for more information: jkcfwebinar@jkcf.org.

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Job Shadowing Month

Job Shadowing is a great time for your student to explore the world of work.
October 23, 2015 April 22, 2016 - Each year, Irmo Middle School students have the opportunity to participate
in Job Shadowing.
Job Shadowing gives students an opportunity to see that the skills they learn in school are related to the skills
they will need in the workplace. Job Shadowing is considered a short-term experience to introduce a student to
a particular job by a one-on-one pairing of a student with an employee in a work environment. The student
shadows the worker up to one day to better understand the requirements of a particular career. All students
are encouraged to participate in this activity.
Important Information about Job Shadowing:

Students and their parents/guardians will make arrangements for the student to shadow a parent/guardian,
friend, relative or another person in a career of interest at the work site to include transportation.

Students are only eligible to have ONE day per school year for this activity.

Job Shadowing can be completed in a couple of hours, an entire day, weekends and/or holidays.

Students provide their own lunch during shadowing, if applicable.

Students should demonstrate punctuality, honesty, good grooming habits, appropriate dress and willingness
to learn.

Students serve as an observer, not a worker.

Students are not permitted to shadow teachers at Irmo Middle school

Any school work missed as a result of being absent for shadowing is the responsibility of the student.

If interested, please have your student contact Allison Redick, Career Specialist to pick
up a packet or go to our IMS Website under the Guidance Department/Career Specialist
to print a packet. Also, if you need assistance for a particular career to job shadow
please contact Allison @ 476-3668 or email:
aredick@lexrich5.org
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Project Dream Box

#DreamBox Project for the

Jefferson Awards Foundation and the LEAD 360 organization

Please help us to collect 36 shoe boxes in 20 days filled with new and gently used school supplies, journals and
letters of encouragement
Please send all items to Mrs. Hilton Room 900

Thanks for your support!

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We are pleased to announce that this year we will be facilitating student-led conferences
(SLC's). For those of you who may be new to this procedure, the student-led conference process empowers the student to direct and report on his/her progress at school that specifically
addresses certain learning targets and our school-wide Habits of Scholarship. SLC's are research-based and used in many exemplary middle schools. Our Crew leaders have been
trained to assist, direct, and support our students throughout the preparation process. They
have coached, critiqued, and evaluated their students in order to have them ready to present
to their parents and guardians. In short, the students will be leading the conference while reflecting on their progress and setting goals for advancement.
During the conference process students will report on academic progress, articulate goals,
report on assessment data when appropriate, and share examples of their course work. They will present samples of schoolwork from all of their classes.
The student-led conference process is much different from the traditional parent teacher conference in which the teacher
does most of the talking and the parent does the listening. Often in such conferences, the student is not even present. The
role of the Crew leader in a student-led conference is one of coach, mentor, and advocate. It is likely that there will be several conferences will be taking place at one time within the same room. The Crew leader will circulate and be present for specific questions related to the process and support students as they reflect on their work. If a parent wants a parent teacher
conference with any particular teacher, they may request one at any time.
We believe that the student-led conference process allows students to take ownership of their learning and possess the responsibility for creating goals and identifying support structures needed to achieve their desired level of success. We are
pleased with the learning that is happening at Irmo Middle School's International Academic Magnet and know that our students are eager to present their progress to their parents.
We thank you for working with them in this journey. Below we have included some frequently asked questions and answers.
Why are we doing them at Irmo Middle School? How does it impact student achievement? When students are a vital
component of student-led conferences, they have more ownership in the learning process with opportunities for increased
student success. Students have an opportunity to present their work, reflect on learning, revise goals, and determine specific
strategies for continued growth.
When: Student-led Conferences will take place in March 2016 for all IMS students.
6th Grade March 7-11, 7th Grade March 21-24, 8th Grade March 14-18
Where: Crew leaders classroom, or another location decided upon by the Crew leader.
*Parent/guardian(s) will be given different times (20 minute time slots) during that week that they can sign up to attend.
What Should Parents Expect: Parents will be welcomed, and then invited to sit with their student as their child communicates their progress towards academic learning targets and Habits of Scholarship.
How can parents assist: Please support your child by signing up for a 20 minute time slot the week of their student-led
conference. Your attendance at their student-led conference will mean so much to them! Our goal is for 100% of parents to
attend. Sign up information will be sent home the first week in February.
For a sample of how these work, take a moment to watch the video at the following URL: https://vimeo.com/45140230

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What are Individual

Graduation Plans (IGP)?
The Economic Development Act (EEDA) was passed in 2005. The implementation of this law was designed to
better prepare yourself for what you want to do after high school and to help you and your parents/guardians
make informed decisions about your education and future. The core of this law is the idea of planning. You,
along with your parent, will begin to create an IGP in the 8th grade as you prepare to enter the high school. During this time, you will select a cluster of study as you map out courses to take in high school. A career cluster is a
way of organizing classes around an occupational group. Each year in high school, you will review your IGP with a
guidance counselor and changes can be made based on your interest.
The Guidance Department will be scheduling the IGP meetings for 8th graders. You will receive a letter in the
mail over the next few of months which will have a scheduled appointment time. This meeting will allow your
student to choose a cluster of study. This plan can be changed and will be re-visited each year during registration. If you have a conflict or unable to attend the assigned appointment time, please contact Allison Redick at
803-476-3668 or email at aredick@lexrich5.org.

Tips for Parents

In helping your child
chose a Career path:
Start young. Develop career awareness by discussing career opportunities when reading books and
newspapers, watching television and observing
worksites.
Support you childs efforts to assess his or her own
interests, aptitudes, values and work styles.
Share your job experiences. A child delights in hearing about his or her parents jobs.
Encourage participation in job shadowing and internship opportunities.
Help your child understand the value and importance of his or her academic courses for success in a future
career.
6. Advise your child that there is more than one education pathway to a good job. More than 50% of the fastest growing jobs require an associates degree. There are a variety of routes to success: on the job training,
technical college, four year college, apprenticeships or the military.