Climbing to 6^th Grade

2024-2025 Academic Year

This climbing guidebook will provide you with the various dates and deadlines between now and the start of 6^th grade at Colina Middle School.  If you will be attending a different middle school, you are encouraged to stay informed on their various dates and deadlines. Please be actively checking the Colina Middle School and Colina Counseling webpage and Incoming 6^th Grade webpage to stay informed on their dates and deadlines. The information below is accurate as of March 11, 2025. Connect with your room parent or teacher if you have questions related to the last trimester at WHE.

Thursday, March 27 at 9:30am- Connect with the Colina School Counselors- In the Colina Middle School library, the Colina counselors will be sharing information about classes, schedules, and Q&A.  It's not too early to start thinking about middle school! Visit the Colina Counseling webpage for more details.

Tuesday, April 1 from 9:15- 11:15am- Colina Middle School 5^th Grade Visit- Students visit Colina to get a campus tour, meet the staff, and start making connections! Transportation will be provided by the school district. Posted on the Colina Middle webpage. THIS IS FOR STUDENTS ONLY

Tuesday, April 1 at 1:00pm- Course Preference Forms Available- Course preference form links will be active on April 1^st at 1:00pm. Please be actively checking the Colina Counseling Incoming 6^th Grade webpage for details.  To view course details including prerequisites, visit the Course List and filter by Colina Middle School. 

Friday, April 4 at 9:00am- Fundraiser Begins for Reserved Seating/Tent at Culmination-   The school provides open seating for families attending the 5^th Grade Culmination on June 12^th.  Approximately 200 chairs are placed in the school grass field for families of 60 students in the 5^th grade. These seats are “first come, first served.”  Gates open at 8:30am and the Ceremony begins at 9:00am.  However, if you would like to purchase reserved seating under a tent, the PFA is selling 6 tents. Each tent will have 8 chairs. The location of the tents influences the price point.  Click here to view a photo of the tent locations in relation to the ceremony.  Below are the price points.

Beginning at 9:00am on Friday, April 4, parents can email Carolyn Rearick (Carolyn.rearick@gmail.com) to put their name on a list of people interested in purchasing a tent. Please indicate in the email which tent you would like to purchase ($500 vs $350). Carolyn will email to confirm if you are the first 6 families to reach out. The family has 1 week to get Carolyn a personal check or cash. If no money is received, the next person on the waitlist will have an opportunity to purchase the tent. All funds raised support 5^th grade culmination activities. Any unused funds are funneled back into the PFA Budget.  

Tent Prices:

3 x Front row tents, $500/each

3 x Second row tents, $350/each

Friday, April 11- WHE Fun Run- Last opportunity to see your child participate in the WHE Fun Run. Reach out to the PFA for ways to get involved. The 5^th grade run time is 11:25-11:40am.

Friday, May 16- Registration Deadline for 6^th Grade Math Challenge Exam- This exam is open to all current 5th-grade students who wish to test out of the 6th-grade math courses. Passing the exam will allow students to bypass the 6th-grade math curriculum and enroll in Math 7 Accelerated (Math 7A) as 6th graders. Detailed information about the Math Challenge Exam, including registration information, is provided in the link below.

Placement Exam Details:

• Exam Date: June 16, 2025, at Redwood Middle School
• Registration Deadline: May 16, 2025
• Passing Score: 83%+ required for Math 7A placement
• Information and Registration Information:
• 2025 6th Grade Math Challenge Information
• 2025 6th Grade Math Challenge Information (Spanish)

Thursday, May 29 at 5:00pm- Open House + Art Show + Technology Showcase - The school and PFA will host an Open House night. The Innovation Lab and Art Show will be on full display in addition to your child's open classroom. During the Art Show, in addition to the one piece each student selects from their art portfolio, the entire 5^th grade class has a group display exhibition that is a focal point of the show.

Wednesday, June 11- Bridge Breaking- Prior to this date, each class of students will be divided into teams that will establish a bridge building company. This company will have various functions within it such as finance, engineering, and procurement, with team members holding managerial roles for each. The company will need to deliver on time their product (a bridge) to the customer (the teacher) that not only stays within budget, but can demonstrate it is the sturdiest bridge compared to its competitors. The Bridge Breaking event on June 11^th is an opportunity for the team of students to add weights to their bridge and see which can hold the most weight.  Parents are welcome to attend this traditional Bridge Breaking activity in the MPR. This activity occurs at different times depending on your 5^th grade teacher, below are estimated times of each Bridge Breaking event, please reach out to your room parent for more information.

• Burke- 8:30am
• Melucci- 9:20am
• Sherrod- 10:40am

Wednesday, June 11- Classroom Parties-  Connect with your room parents to learn more about the time of your class party and how you can contribute!

Thursday, June 12- 5^th Grade Culmination Ceremony & Last Day of School- The 5th Grader Culmination ceremony will start promptly at 9:00am, and concludes at approximately 10:00am. Please give yourself plenty of time for parking and arrival.  Entry gates will be available via Russell Park on both Medicine Bow Court and Panamint Ct.  These gates are specifically for Culmination parent entrance and will open at 8:30am.   No other gates are available for Culmination entrance.   Click here to see a picture. Approximately 200 chairs are placed in the school grass field for families of 60 students in the 5^th grade. These seats are “first come, first served.” 

All 5^th grade students and any WHE siblings must be dropped off before 8:15am, per a typical school day.  Students should go to their classrooms. The 5^th grade students will enter the ceremony together, as they have been practicing. If you have a WHE sibling who will be attending the ceremony, please notify the classroom teacher.  The school staff work with the classroom teachers to bring siblings out to the ceremony seating area at approximately 8:50am.  

In order to maximize your enjoyment of the event, photographs of your child will be taken during the ceremony by school staff and sent to each family electronically.  As such, there is no need to leave your seat for photos during the ceremony. 

When leaving campus with your child, you must sign out your 5th grade child (and any WHE sibling).  There will be a QR Code on the ceremony program, and hanging at each exit point at the gates.  Due to the attendance Ed Code, you MUST sign out your 5^th grade child and any WHE siblings leaving campus after the ceremony.    

Thursday, June 12- 5^th Grade Reception- In the MPR, hosted by the PFA, a reception for 5^th grade students and their guests will be held immediately following Culmination. Light refreshments will be available while supplies last. This is a good place to get photos with fellow classmates and families.

Monday, June 16 at Redwood Middle School- 6^th Grade Math Challenge Exam- Students will need to have registered by May 16^th. See above date for more details.

Tuesday, August 12 from 8:30am-1:00pm- Cougar Camp- Students will not want to miss this chance to get to know everything about Colina while making new friends in a fun camp environment! Visit the Colina Counseling website to stay informed.

Wednesday, August 13 from 8:30am-12:00pm- 6^th Grade Orientation- Students and parents attend this informational day to receive student schedules, lockers, ID cards, and purchase school items. Times assigned by last name alpha. Visit the Colina Counseling webpage to stay informed.