2025 Elementary School to Middle School Transition 

6th Grade Parent Orientation- Parents

• Tuesday, 1/28 @ Pearson Ranch MS 5:30-6:30

6th Grade Student Tour & Presentations- Students@ PRMS during school day

•  Tuesday, 2/4 for Elsa England ES

•  Wednesday, 2/5 for Sommer ES, Anderson Mill ES, Forest North ES, Wells Branch ES & Purple Sage ES

PRMS Elective Night : Tuesday, February 4th-(5th grade Parents & Students) at Pearson Ranch MS

Doors open at 6pm, Sessions begin at 6:30 

Please plan to arrive prior to 6:30 so you/your student can see all the elective opportunities

6th ELECTIVE CHOICE SHEETS ARE DUE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21st!

Band & Orchestra Instrument Tryouts        

Saturday, March 29th @ Pearson Ranch, Times TBD

For students attending PRMS in the Spring of 2025, the electronic choice sheet will be sent directly to student accounts on Wednesday, February 5th at 4p.m.

Sixth grade students are automatically registered for:

• Language Arts

• World Cultures

Math Options for 6th grade students:

• Math 6 - students will cover the 6th grade curriculum and be on track to take algebra in 9th grade

• Accelerated Math I- students will cover the 6th grade and part of 7th grade curriculum and be on track to take Algebra I in 8th grade. (Algebra is a high school credit course)

• Accelerated Math II/Accelerated II Math TAG - students will cover the 8th grade curriculum in 6th grade, then take Algebra 1 in 7th grade and Geometry in 8th grade (Algebra and Geometry are both high school credit courses.) Students must be currently enrolled in TAG math in 5th grade to choose the Accelerated Math II course option or earn an 80% on the Examination for Acceleration test.  Students who test and qualify for TAG math in Spring of 2025 will need to take additional testing in order to take the Accelerated II math course.  See your elementary counselor for information about the additional testing.

Science Options for 6th grade students:

• Science 6 - students will cover the 6th grade curriculum and be on track to take begin high school Science

• Accelerated Science I- students will cover the 6th grade and part of 7th grade curriculum and be on track to take a high school science course in 8th grade

TAG (Talented and Gifted Academics)

TAG classes are predetermined by RRISD criteria. Students who are currently enrolled in TAG classes in 5th grade  will automatically be enrolled in TAG classes in 6th grade.

Physical Education: 

All 6th grade students are required to select a physical education course.  Students may choose regular PE, dance or Off Campus PE. 

• A student may not take dance as both a PE and an elective. If a student chooses dance as a PE course, they may not choose it in the elective section.

Electives: Students will register for 2 elective courses chosen from the options below and 1 alternate elective courses.

(For a full course description, please see the RRISD Middle School Course Catalog)

Fine Arts - students are required to take one fine arts elective in sixth grade

• Art        

• Choir       

• Beginning Band   

• Dance  (A student may not take dance as both a PE and a fine arts elective.)

• Beginning Orchestra  (If you feel your student needs a higher level of orchestra, please select this course and contact the orchestra director for an audition)

• Theatre Arts

 Languages (A student may NOT choose discovery and foreign language as a combination for the two 6th grade electives as neither course is a fine arts course)

• Spanish 1A

• French 1A

Sixth grade students are not required to start a foreign language in sixth grade.  A student needs two credits of a foreign language course to graduate high school.  This can be completed by:

• Taking a 1A course in 6th grade, a 1B course in 7th grade, and the level 2 course in 8th grade

• Taking a 1A course in 7th grade, a 1B course in 8th grade, and the level 2 course in 9th grade

• Taking the level 1 course in 9th grade and the level 2 course in 10th grade

Students cannot begin their foreign language requirements in 8th grade as we do not offer a level 1 course that can be completed in just one school year in middle school.

Other Elective Option:

• Discovery 

Families needing assistance with fees for courses please contact the counseling office.

Important Notes—Please Read Carefully:

The state requires academic interventions for students who demonstrate a need for additional academic assistance.  In order to maximize student achievement, students in need of assistance will be assigned to an academic intervention class in lieu of an elective.  While every attempt will be made to honor students’ elective requests, budget and enrollment considerations may affect course availability and offerings.  Change of mind requests will not be permitted after June 1, 2025. A student who does not choose alternates will have alternates selected by his/her counselor.  Elective courses are subject to change or cancellation.  By signing below, we commit that these are the courses we request to be scheduled for the 2025-2026 academic year.  We understand that school resources will be allocated based on these choices.

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Q: How many classes do 6th grade students take?

A: Students have 8 classes.  For 6th grade, students take Math, Science, Language Arts, World Cultures (Social Studies), a wellness course and 2 elective courses.

Q: Does my student have to take a Fine Arts class?

A: Yes, 6th grade students are required to take a Fine Arts course as one of their two elective courses.  This includes Art, Band, Orchestra, Choir or Theatre Arts.

Q: What is the difference between On-level Math 6 and Accelerated Math 6 ?

A: On-level Math 6 follows the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) required for 6th grade.  The Accelerated Math 6 course covers all of the 6th grade TEKS in addition to covering some of the 7th grade Math TEKS.  Students who complete Math 6 Accelerated in 6th grade are on track to take Algebra I for High School credit in the 8th grade.

Q: What is the difference between On-level Science 6 and Accelerated I Science 6 ?

A: On-level Science 6 follows the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) required for 6th grade.  The Accelerated Science 6 course covers all of the 6th grade TEKS in addition to covering some of the 7th grade Science TEKS.  Students who complete Science 6 Accelerated in 6th grade are on track to take Physics for High School credit in the 8th grade.

Q: My 6th grade student participates in a specialized program (504, Special Education, TAG, ESL).  Will they continue to receive services at the middle school?

A: Middle school offers all of these services but they may look a little different from elementary school.  The elementary and middle school campuses collaborate to ensure students are provided with the correct supports.

Q: Is PE required?

A: 6th grade students are required to take a wellness course.  This requirement can be met for sixth grade by taking either Wellness (PE) or Dance. 

Q: Does my student have to take Spanish or French?

A: No, our Language Other Than English (LOTE) courses are optional electives.  Students may begin them in 6th grade, 7th grade or wait until high school to begin taking a LOTE course.  In deciding if a LOTE course is right for your student, consider their personal desire to take the class, their ability to manage an additional academic course and their level of organization.  

Q: Can my 6th grade student be in Athletics?

A: No, Athletics begins in 7th grade.

Q: Does my student need to begin taking High School credit classes while at Middle School?

A: The middle school years are a time where students should explore their interests and take classes related to areas they feel drawn towards.  These passions and interests may later develop into their future careers as they grow to know more about the topic.  Similarly, they may choose something that they want to learn more about to see if it is of interest to them.  If one of these areas is offered as a high school credit, that is a opportunity we are happy for students to provide.  There is more than enough time to take high school credit courses in high school.  Exploring and developing deeper interests is a key part of development during the middle school years.  

Q: May my student take 2 fine art electives in 6th grade?

A: Yes, your student may take 2 fine art electives if they choose. The requirement for 6th graders is they must choose at least 1 fine arts course to be completed in 6th grade. 

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Pearson Ranch Principal  Monica Collins     monica_collins@roundrockisd.org 

6th Grade Assistant Principal Nichole Thompson  nichole_thompson@roundrockisd.org

6th Grade Counselor and 504 Coordinator Brandi Cantu       brandi_cantu@roundrockisd.org

Special Education Department Chair Jana Cobb         jana_cobb@roundrockisd.org

Nurse Kathryn Kinder kathryn_kinder@roundrockisd.org

Registrar Alyssa Vinci alyssa_vinci@roundrockisd.org

Head Band Director Anne Leo anne_leo@roundrockisd.org

Orchestra Director Clarissa Lopez clarissa_lopez@roundrockisd.org

Choir Director Lisa Brown lisa_brown@roundrockisd.org

PE Department Chair   Brittany Zamora brittany_zamora@roundrockisd.org

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The Off-Campus Physical Education (OCPE) Program permits students in grades 6-12 to earn credits that meet the District and State Physical Education requirements.

The program permits students in grades 6-12 to earn half (.5) credit of Physical Education per semester for a maximum of one (1.0) credit per year.

Students in grades 6-12 may qualify as either Category 1 or Category 2. Category 1 requires a minimum of 15 hours per school week with an approved agency, as well as release time from school. Category 2 requires a minimum of five (5) hours per school week, with no release time.

Students who qualify for off campus category 1 will have their off campus PE listed as their last class of the day.  Parents will need to make arrangements to have their child picked up from school early in order to attend their off campus PE class.  Students do not take an additional elective during the day to replace their PE class.  Pearson Ranch cannot supervise students on campus during their off campus PE class.

RRISD Off Campus PE Information and Required Forms

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