Winfield Middle School
"In a minute, but not yet..."
It's how we do things around here.
"In a minute, but not yet..."
It's how we do things around here.
May 16th, 2016
What really happens at school...
...from our 6th President.
We are striving towards the goal, not of the end, but of lessons along the way.
Mr. Daugherty reminded me at the end of last year that he tries not to count the days but make every day count. (We are not ready to count the hours, yet).
There may be times of frustration, stress, intense focus on over-reactions, all within these last few days. Please, pause, breathe and take a moment to reflect with everyone of how far we have come! Our discipline is down. Our behaviors are better. Students seemed to work hard on the MAP test. We are possibly poised for success in our quest to be #onthemap. We CAN and WILL get through this.
Behaviors:
Please practice good discipline;
Good discipline does NOT diminish hope.
We know that if exclude a student from every event, s/he will be far less likely to show up for school, let alone get their work done, if there is no way for that student to redeem him/herself. Our goal is NOT to exclude them from everything, but create things where they can find success. We are careful and strive to use an incremental consequence. We don’t want a student to have to spend days in time out, just “to show him a lesson.” That does not mean ‘a day’ is not needed every now and then for various behavior and work-related reasons. The only lesson they may learn from missing out, will confirm their preconceived notion that school is filled with stress. We know students already have issues with school and this only compounds the issue.
Monday 5-16
- 1st hour - Field Day & Expectations
Tuesday 5-17
- Black day; Meet in AC LAB for AC LAB Challenge
- Yearbooks; PICK UP from Library
- Dunk Tank
Wednesday 5-18
- Red Day
- 1st hour Chris’s Cakes
- Assembly when?
- Student of the Month
- Attendance
- SPORTS Teams
- Talent Show
- Locker Clean-out
- Kickball Tournament
Thursday 5-19 - Students last day.
- 8th Grade BBQ - Soda & Chips
- Cheerleader fundraiser delivered to our CAFE about 10 am.
- 8th Grade Walk out from Gym
- End of 2015-16 School Year - Grades to be emailed home on Friday 5:00 today
Friday 5-20
- Teacher Check Out
Just some thoughts on MOTIVATION 101
“Incentives tell people to tolerate the process and
congratulate themselves for the reward”
but...
“Educational games tell people to enjoy the process and
congratulate themselves for the reward!”
At the Middle School, we strive to live up to this motto, enjoying the learning and celebrating success along the way, wherever we find it!
Teaching at the Middle School:
I do. We do. You do!
MIDDLE SCHOOL WORD OF THE MONTH
SELF DISCIPLINE: the ability to control one's feelings and overcome one's weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it self-control
Watching students exit the test energized, confident, and enthused, inspired a ray of hope.
Time and DESE will tell regarding our final results.
We should be receiving our results during the summer before school returns?
Academics
A trend upward may imply increased confidence, stamina, and achievement levels. Our first results are coming back on our Algebra Scores, but from here on out, it is a waiting game to see how we compare. Exit comments from students however indicated that “eValuate was harder than the MAP test,” in students' eyes.
Behavior/Discipline
- Last year, (14/15) we had 381 Office Discipline Referrals (ODRs) as of May 10th.
- This year, (15/16) we have had 308 ODRs at the Middle School.
- This is a 20% reduction in numbers; translating to hours saved in administrative attention and greater time invested in the learning environment.
- We attribute that to our District Wide PBiS, Buddy Sheets addressing minors, eValuate Testing, and teachers addressing minor infractions in the classrooms.
“That which we allow, we endorse!”
Highlights
The Middle School takes some things VERY seriously. Here are a few shots of the events happening on our stage in front of hundreds of parents. First off, the Middle School entertains with their annual spring concert. The Principal collects fun socks. Everyone signed the “Principal’s Day Card.” The current National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) welcomed the new inductees during the Candle Lighting Ceremony as well as refreshments at the end...
Diversity in events and variety in interests create opportunities for anyone and everyone to find something of interest at the Middle School. Six Flags, Field Days, Ac Lab Challenges, and Dunk Tanks round out our year of building relationships.
Any Given School Day...
The Sixth Grade is a place to explore, take risks, sniff test everything, and photobomb anybody at anytime. Everybody wants to get involved! Note the wave way in the back! Shoes, smiles, and even a page full of writing demonstrates good engagement as well as a fulfilling experience...
Spring Time Attendance is on the Rise
And
Weekly Celebrations for the 90 / 90 students who are balanced precariously near the cutoff include a Treat, Snack, and a story of inspiration.
FLAT STANLEY and other Characters around the Middle School.
"Southpaw Alert"
A common interview question for potential Middle School Teachers goes something like this:
“Describe a Middle School student.”
In the Middle School, the energy driving the variety in that answer is what endears each of us to our craft.
We know there is no other place for us so we serve these students and their families with energy and compassion, trying to respond to each student just as they need.
Just a short list of SOME of the recent or upcoming events happening at the Middle School:
Weekly Binder Meetings
Monthly PBiS Meetings
Monthly Building Leadership meetings
Glow Volley Ball
Ac Lab Challenge Assemblies
Library Reading Field Trip
Volunteer at the Food Bank
Chess Club Field Trip
City Museum - Reading Counts Award
National Junior Honor Society Induction
Spencer Library - Meet the Author
MAP TESTING
Algebra EOC Testing
Six Flags - Leadership
Warrior Way Store to redeem tickets
Black/Red Card Celebration for attendance, discipline and academics
Senior CLAP-OUT
High School visits to promote Sports, Clubs and Summer Academy
SEMI-formal Dance
Pink & Purple Assembly
Field Day - Middle School
Chris’s Cakes for Attendance and Student of the Month
8th Grade BBQ & Walk-Out (8th grade Graduation)
Clap-Out for the Seniors to each building
Teacher Checkout
Teacher PD - Summer Stipend Days
Did we forget anything???
At the Middle School, we really do focus on meeting the needs and interests of as many types and tastes of students as possible throughout our community. This list above demonstrates the variety of events assembled, all with the few staff we have in our middle school. Many go above and beyond, creating interesting lessons as well as interesting events to engage their students.
What to look for in 2016-17:
THE PLC MODEL INCLUDES THREE QUESTIONS:
What do we want our students to learn?
How do we know if they have learned it?
What do we do if they have not mastered it yet?
Communication
The Middle School would like to increase the frequency, regularity, and consistency in their parent contact. We know every parent does not really want to hear from every teacher, unless there is a problem. With this backdrop, we are implementing a plan to enter at least two grades on the SIS Gradebook system. Of those grades, one will be a typical teacher determined grade. The other will stem from the students themselves. A researcher, John Hattie, endorses and even claims that student reported grades are the NUMBER ONE way to increase student achievement. He poses that a student knows what he knows and is the most accurate judge of progress and growth. Here is just a little research to verify the effectiveness of this intervention, including a brief clip from the author himself demonstrating one way students can self-report their own grades.
Refrigerator Art! All of it!
Just a brief preview into their future:
Student work takes on a wide variety, from high school Physics to Art, from Math to greeting cards. Much of it still ends up on parents refrigerators at home!
Summer School Invitation Letter
Summer School will be held this year from June 1st - 28th at the high school. We will host both a morning and an afternoon session. Primary focus in the AM with be on Math with ELA stressed in the afternoon. Phone calls are going out now inviting parents to send their learners.
Summer Academy, which should be named Summer Adventure, due to all the fun they have,
Conclusion:
Watching my garden take form this year reminds me of the cycle of school. So many steps are necessary to assemble a garden: soil preparation, fertilizing, watering, seed starting, protection from weeds and pests, time, temperature, and companion planting issues. For instance, the soil must be free from distractions like minds must be open to explore. Fertilization helps the nourishment and feeding of the plants, like our students need to know they are cared for unconditionally. Watering is the basis for growth like good attendance forms the best habits. Distractions, such as weeds, pests, heat, and cold also exist in a student's world. Students carrying struggles might often be too distracted to struggle on fractions or close reading, yet our teachers overcome. Tender shoots also need extra care and protection as they develop strength and stamina to stand under the pressure of wind and extremes of outside, like students once they reach the “real world.” Finally, companion planting, like dill around the tomatoes, but peppers away from tomatoes, comes into play in the classroom when considering the chemistry and personalities of the various students, their seating charts and how they learn best. Sometimes, students struggling to get along can build character and tolerance, but other times the chasm is far too wide to cross in the classroom setting. Regardless, we at Winfield Middle School enjoy our place in the scheme of things. We know our students cherish our attention, often striving for either good or bad, but never wanting to be ignored. This is what causes us to press on, build relationships, and form avenues for learning, communication, and growth later in their lives.
The Middle School
Tom McCracken
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