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What to Expect at WAMS 

 

Disclaimer: Please note that this information is being provided by WAMS PTO as a courtesy for general informational purposes only, and is not official school policy.  Information is subject to change, and families should consult the current WAMS Student/Parent handbook as well as communications from WAMS administration and staff for official policies and procedures. 

 

What to Expect in 6th Grade at WAMS

 

Spring of 5th grade - In the spring, each of the District’s four elementary schools attends an information session at WAMS to help them understand what to expect in 6th grade.

 

Summer prior to 6th grade

  • Over the summer, student schedules, team assignments and bus assignments will be posted to Genesis. In order to view them, BOTH Parents/Guardians AND students must log in to Genesis and complete the required forms.  Parents/Guardians should use their email/login, and students must use their own student email/login to complete all forms.  
  • Toward the end of summer, WAMS typically hosts (i) an Open House for all families, which is a chance for parents and students to visit the school together and locate the student’s classrooms for the coming year (note: teachers are not present for Open House); and (ii) an orientation for “new to District” families of students who are transitioning to WAMS from a non-BTSD school.

 

First day of 6th grade

  • 6th graders typically report to the auditorium first and then will go to their homerooms together.  This information is typically provided by the school to parents in advance of the first day.  

 

Lockers

  • Students will each get a unique locker number and combination on the first day of school.  The 6th grade team of teachers works with them to get used to using their lockers. 
  • Students also typically get a separate locker for PE sometime during the first 2 weeks of school.

 

“Teams” - Students are assigned to 1 of 3 teams (Gold, Green, Blue) consisting of different groups of teachers, for organizational purposes. All teams have the same courses, etc. and there is no significance to the colors. WAMS runs various community-building activities among teams throughout the year, culminating in a school-wide Field Day in early June where students from all 3 grades participate in various indoor and outdoor games and activities. 

 

PE/Health

  • WAMS students have PE every day for 3 marking periods.  The other marking period, they have Health instead of PE.   
  • Students are required to change clothing for PE.  Most students keep a pair of athletic sneakers and change of clothing in their lockers, as well as deodorant.

 

Cycles - 6th graders all have 6 cycles throughout the year: Art 1, Art 2, Study Strategies, Design & Problem Solving, Music, and Controls & Mechanisms.  Each cycle lasts six weeks.

 

Band/Chorus/Orchestra 

  • Students participating in band, chorus and orchestra are pulled out of an elective, foreign language, or PE once a week.  They also have rehearsal once a week after school (or programs run as a pull-out program during school hours as well as after school as follows:
  •  [ABOVE INFO IS ACCURATE FOR CHORUS BUT NEEDS TO BE VERIFIED FOR BAND AND ORCHESTRA.]
  • WAMS also has various try-out based ensembles that meet after school.

 

6th Grade Field Trip

  • Every Fall, the entire 6th grade goes on a field trip to Camp Bernie, where students are divided into small groups for team building activities.  Permission slips for the trip are sent out in the Fall. 

 

Athletics

  • All WAMS after-school athletic programs are run through the WAMS Athletic Organization (“WAMS AO”).  A parent-run non-profit organization, WAMS AO works with school administration and the Bernards Township Board of Education to provide athletic opportunities for WAMS Students.  http://www.wamsao.com
  • All WAMS athletic programs are “pay-to-play” and require advance registration and appropriate student health documentation that must be completed by parents with physicians. Typically, registration for Fall athletics opens in June, and Winter and Spring athletics a few months prior to each. It's especially important to watch these deadlines, since spots are limited and athletic programs tend to fill up quickly. Although teams are generally by try-out for 7th and 8th graders, several clinics are offered to 6th graders as well. 
  • Fall sports offerings include: Field Hockey, Volleyball, Soccer, Cross-Country Teams, and Basketball and Volleyball Clinics. 
  • Winter: Basketball and Boys’ Volleyball. 
  •  Spring: [ ??? NOT CURRENTLY LISTED ON SITE ]

 

Clubs and After-School Activities

  • In the early Fall, a catalog of clubs and after school activities is distributed in the WAMS Friday Folder.  The offerings change year to year depending on advisor availability, space, demand, etc.
  • There are two categories of after school activities at WAMS - Free and Pay-to-Play
  • Some examples are: student council, yearbook, speech and debate, arts & crafts, gaming, etc. 

 

Spring Musical

  • There is one audition-based school musical that typically runs in the Spring. Try-outs typically take place in late Fall and are open to all grade levels. In addition to performing roles, opportunities are also available for stage crew, set design, etc.

 

Math

Each Spring, Math Teachers make recommendations for students’ math placement the following year. 

 

Summer Assignments

  • Prior to the conclusion of 6th grade, any summer assignments for 7th grade are shared.  Except for certain math classes, summer assignments are typically optional.

 

What to Expect in 7th Grade at WAMS

 

Summer prior to 7th grade

  • Over the summer, student schedules, team assignments and bus assignments will be posted to Genesis. In order to view them, BOTH Parents/Guardians AND students must log in to Genesis and complete the required forms.  Parents/Guardians should use their email/login, and students must use their own student email/login to complete all forms.  
  • Toward the end of summer, WAMS typically hosts (i) an Open House for all families, which is a chance for parents and students to visit the school together and locate the student’s classrooms for the coming year (note: teachers are not present for Open House); and (ii) an orientation for “new to District” families of students who are transitioning to WAMS from a non-BTSD school.

 

Teams: 7th graders may get a new team color (Green, Blue, Gold) for 7th grade 

 

PE/Health

  • WAMS students have PE every day for 3 marking periods.  The other marking period, they have Health instead of PE.   
  • Typically, students are required to change for PE.  Most students keep a pair of athletic sneakers and change of clothing in their lockers, as well as deodorant.

 

Cycles

  • 7th graders all have 6 cycles throughout the year: Art, Computers, Creative Engineering, Dance 7, Applied Engineering, and Foods.  Each cycle lasts six weeks.
  • In the spring of 7th grade, students get to select 2 electives that they would like to take in 8th grade. The school tries to provide students with their preferred electives, but this is not guaranteed.

 

Band/Chorus/Orchestra 

  • Students participating in band, chorus and orchestra are pulled out of an elective, foreign language, or PE one time per week.  They also have rehearsal one time per week after school.  [CAN ANYONE WITH A BAND/ORCHESTRA KID CONFIRM? I ONLY KNOW CHORUS]
  • WAMS also has various try-out based ensembles that meet after school.

 

7th Grade Field Trip

  • Each Fall, the entire 7th grade has a field trip, usually to Medieval Times. Permission slips for the trip are sent out in the Fall. 

 

Athletics

  • All WAMS after-school athletic programs are run through the WAMS Athletic Organization (“WAMS AO”).  A parent run non-profit organization, WAMS AO works with school administration and the Bernards Township Board of Education to provide athletic opportunities for WAMS Students.  http://www.wamsao.com
  • All WAMS athletic programs are pay to play and require advance registration.  Typically, registration for Fall athletics opens in June.

 

Clubs and After-School Activities

  • In the early Fall, a catalog of clubs and after school activities is distributed in the WAMS Friday Folder.  The offerings change year to year depending on advisor availability, space, demand, etc.
  • There are two categories of after school activities at WAMS - Free and Pay to Play
  • Some examples are: student council, yearbook, speech and debate, arts & crafts, gaming, etc. 

 

Spring Musical

  • There is one try-out based school musical that typically runs in the spring.  Try-outs typically take place in the late Fall and are open to all grade levels.

 

Math

Teacher recommendations for 8th grade math placement occur in the spring.

 

Summer Assignments

  • Prior to the conclusion of 7th grade, any summer assignments for 8th grade are shared.  Except for certain math classes, summer assignments are typically optional.

 

What to Expect in 8th Grade at WAMS

 

Summer prior to 8th grade

  • Over the summer, student schedules, team assignments and bus assignments will be posted to Genesis. In order to view them, BOTH Parents/Guardians AND students must log in to Genesis and complete the required forms.  Parents/Guardians should use their email/login, and students must use their own student email/login to complete all forms.  
  • Toward the end of summer, WAMS typically hosts (i) an Open House for all families, which is a chance for parents and students to visit the school together and locate the student’s classrooms for the coming year (note: teachers are not present for Open House); and (ii) an orientation for “new to District” families of students who are transitioning to WAMS from a non-BTSD school.

 

Teams: 8th graders may get a new team color (green, blue, gold) for 7th grade 

 

PE/Health

  • WAMS students have PE every day for 3 marking periods.  The other marking period, they have Health instead of PE.   
  • Typically, students are required to change for PE.  Most students keep a pair of athletic sneakers and change of clothing in their lockers, as well as deodorant.

 

Cycles

  • 8th graders all have 2 cycles, based on the preferences indicated during the spring of 7th grade (although students are not guaranteed to get their preferred cycles).  Each cycle lasts two marking periods.

 

Band/Chorus/Orchestra 

  • Students participating in band, chorus and orchestra are pulled out of an elective, foreign language, or PE one time per week.  They also have rehearsal one time per week after school.  [CAN ANYONE WITH A BAND/ORCHESTRA KID CONFIRM? I ONLY KNOW CHORUS]
  • WAMS also has various try-out based ensembles that meet after school.

 

Athletics

  • All WAMS after-school athletic programs are run through the WAMS Athletic Organization (“WAMS AO”).  A parent run non-profit organization, WAMS AO works with school administration and the Bernards Township Board of Education to provide athletic opportunities for WAMS Students.  http://www.wamsao.com
  • All WAMS athletic programs are pay to play and require advance registration.  Typically, registration for Fall athletics opens in June.

 

Clubs and After-School Activities

  • In the early Fall, a catalog of clubs and after school activities is distributed in the WAMS Friday Folder.  The offerings change year to year depending on advisor availability, space, demand, etc.
  • There are two categories of after school activities at WAMS - Free and Pay to Play
  • Some examples are: student council, yearbook, speech and debate, arts & crafts, gaming, etc. 

 

Spring Musical

  • There is one try-out based school musical that typically runs in the spring.  Try-outs typically take place in the late Fall and are open to all grade levels.

 

8th Grade Year-End Activities

  • 8th Grade Field Trip: In June, the entire 8th grade has a field trip, usually to Hershey Park. 
  • 8th Grade Celebration: This PTO-sponsored end of year celebration takes place during school hours one afternoon in June.  8th graders have an opportunity to enjoy lunch and music, play games and sign yearbooks.   
  • 8th Grade Dance: This is a tradition sponsored by WAMS PTO, and takes place at the Ridge High School gym one evening in June.
  • 8th Grade Graduation ceremony: The 8th grade graduation ceremony takes place on a late afternoon/evening during the last week of school.  Typically, there is a staggered graduation time for each color team, with 3 separate consecutive ceremonies, usually starting at 4:00, 5:30 and 7:00pm.  Graduation is held indoors at the Ridge High School Performing Arts Center (PAC) if available or outdoors at the WAMS Oval, weather permitting.
  • More detailed end of year info can be found at https://wamspto.membershiptoolkit.com/story/410088 

 

Preparation for Ridge

  • January of 8th grade year - Ridge staff lead an informational presentation during school hours to share transition information with 8th graders.  
  • January/February - Parents and students are invited to attend a Ridge Open House Night where teachers share additional information about courses and electives in a presentation in Ridge PAC, and at student/teacher-run tables in the Ridge Old Gym where 8th graders and their parents can meet them and ask questions.  
  • February and March - Ridge guidance counselors come to WAMS to meet with students and parents (optional) to initiate 9th grade course scheduling requests. 
  • April - Ridge usually holds an Activities Fair in the Ridge New Gym, with tables set up representing Ridge clubs, sports, and activities to give 8th graders an opportunity to learn more about those offerings.