504 Meeting Prep--Middle School Transition

[maeve]

Our annual 504 meeting is scheduled for Thursday morning.  DD will be moving from elementary school to middle school.  She'll be riding the bus next year for the first time.  For those who have gone before us into middle school, what sorts of accommodations/issues should we consider?  Thanks.

[yelloww]

We had ours for MS in early May. There's a culture day that involves food for the entire school. Home Ec class is required here so that was another issue. Science experiments can be as well. I get 48hrs notice on anything involving food.

[maeve]

Thanks.  I checked the MS curriculum in March and saw that they, thankfully, do not start home ec until 7th grade.  We already have in our 504 about notification about lesson plans involving food but I may want to beef that up.

[Mfamom]

Pi day seems to be the norm.  also, there was "marine" life in the science cirriculum in our 6th grade.  there were crayfish and other shellfish in the room.  (not sure if you have shellfish allergy)

Also, cafeteria accommodations, field trips, snacks allowed during class? 

We didn't have a lot of eating/food events in Middle School.  Hopefully will be the same for you!!

[Macabre]

oh goodness.  I was going to send you a pdf of our 504.  I totally forgot.  I'll go scan it now.

[ajasfolks2]

The PTA (or PTO -- whatever you have).

It is prime breeding ground for mutating
Cupcake Queens.



Also the "end of marking period" or "EOM" fricking parties:  Yea us!  (Well, all of us who don't die from the food party.)


The "healthy eating" stuff seems to also bring out the foodies.  (Here!  Let me cram milk down all of your throats -- even if it might mean anaphylaxis, doggonit!)

And be sure you've done the USDA form for meals, even if you have ZERO intention of having child eat cafeteria offerings. 

There are the new "breakfast to go" meals (Fed program -- this is why serious form fill out needed so far as USDA and establishing LTFA with them as well) -- often eaten in first class (homeroom & 1st class) -- the kids do a grab-and-go.  PBJ is on the menu.  The principal has the option to alter and remove the PBJ from the offerings, as well as other foods that you might need DD to avoid so far as Xcontam and classroom.


~ ~ ~

And yes to Science -- seems that since food is cheap and budgets are dwindling, there is lots of food use in demos and experiments. 

MAKE them spell out the experiments ingredient-by-ingredient.

~ ~ ~

FACS (whatever the family & food & nutrition & life and whatever your district calls it) -- find out what grading period DD will have the cooking section.  You'll have to go in and work with teachers as to the supplies and recipes, utensils, and modifications/accommodations needed there.  Be prepared that some of the ingredients may be stored and handled by cafeteria personnel.

Again, the USDA form will be part of your documentation.

You may need to visit the behind-the-scenes at cafeteria, even if child not eating their food.


REALLY look at how they store and handle the ingredients.

This was deal-breaker for us in lots of ways.

[Macabre]

Oh, science and theatre/band stuff were our biggest areas of concern. But science was the only truly stressful one.

[ajasfolks2]

Don't know why, but seems that the band/chorus stuff is really a challenge -- field trips and their penchant for party rewards.

Ugh.

[Macabre]

They also spent the most time with DS. It was controlling other parents really--and that wasn't an issue this year.  Hey--there are advantages to being the presidents of the parent group two years running! We controlled the cast parties. and that doesn't mean ds could eat everything at teh parties, but it didn't kill him to be around it.  and he had wonderful choices.  but yeah--there is a lot of necessary food for theatre and band.  but the teachers worked with me and did very well.  it wasn't perfect, but it was quite good.  Science was the pain.

[Macabre]

I don't know if we'll do this in high school, but we got together with all the teachers (and potential teachers) before school started to go over the 504. When I say "potential," in sixth grade when we were starting there, we knew DS would be auditioning for theatre productions. So the drama teacher came. I suppose is dS had real talent on the field or court the athletic director might have come. This might have been a dangerous thing to do I suppose, but all the teachers got to hear the same questions. They got to hear our Sped Dir refer to me as an expert and an advocate (lucky moment, this one). He said, "if something doesn't go right, Ms. <me> will email you and copy <Vice Principal/504C> to bring it to attention and trybtobdux itvforbrhe future. She is all business about this. Just expect that kind of good communication."

 

He introduced me to the teachers at our new school well.

But every year--and lately without him--this teacher meeting has been really important. 

[Macabre]

Just left our middle school for the last time. Ran into our 504C. And am a puddly mess.

[lakeswimr]

I think the fact that you have new staff and a new nurse that have to be trained are two of the biggest things.   I could relax after DS's first year in elem because everyone knew him but transition to middle means training from scratch once again.  Also, the people who have children older than my child were more lax and asked for fewer accommodations and let their kids do things I would not such as eat things from other's homes, etc so that means people at the school think they understand how to take care of my child and might assume things that aren't safe for him. 

[maeve]

I think the fact that you have new staff and a new nurse that have to be trained are two of the biggest things.   I could relax after DS's first year in elem because everyone knew him but transition to middle means training from scratch once again.  Also, the people who have children older than my child were more lax and asked for fewer accommodations and let their kids do things I would not such as eat things from other's homes, etc so that means people at the school think they understand how to take care of my child and might assume things that aren't safe for him. 

I'm lucky in that I know a mom who has a child a year older than my DD, and this mom has the same type of comfort zone and our children are both patients at the same allergist.  The good thing about our middle school is that the guidance counselor stays with them for the three years that they're at the school.  The meeting will be with the existing ES staff who know DD and the guidance counselor. 

DD has selected strings, so I'm not sure how much food will be involved in that.  I can probably email the strings teacher; he seems really nice and calm.

We had to deal with three different nurses/health clinic aides between the start of kindergarten and the second month of first grade.  We are, however, very sad to be leaving the current clinic aide, who has been truly wonderful.

[Macabre]

Good luck tomorrow Maeve!

[yelloww]

Hope it goes well!

Get the strings teacher on your side. I know that at our schools, a lot of kids in MS and HS go down to the band/orchestra room during lunch or study hall to practice. Sometimes they eat their bagged lunch down there too. We don't do MS band trips or party rewards for music. The program is too large and understaffed. There's no time for it.

The principal of the MS is uber controlling (in a good way) so that he knows exactly what is going on in his building... and he's made it very clear that this is NOT elem school.

Our guidance counselor for 6th grade (who does the scheduling) stays with them through their MS career. At least it is one less person that I have to explain things to every year.

See if they have snack in 6th grade still. I've subbed at schools where they have snack in a class since they have late lunch.