July 7, 2022 | Beginning this fall, we are revamping our middle schools with a new team approach, new schedule, new courses, and more opportunities for students to gain high school credits in their home schools.
Starting middle school is a thrilling time for students and parents, and we appreciate your willingness to continually trust us with your child. You may be asking why we are making so many changes. Well, the answer is simple. Our students deserve it!
Our students need the same opportunities as students in other school districts, and they need options to explore to help them decide on the courses they would like to take in high school. But perhaps the most compelling reason is that our students and families want these opportunities in our schools.
As you can imagine, we’re excited about the new opportunities we’ll have for your students when they return in the fall — we hope your kids are too.
Here's what we have in store for the new year!
TEAMING
One of the most significant changes underway is the implementation of teams in all of our middle schools. Our staff and students will now be teamed up, allowing for a closer-knit group. Good evidence supports the importance of teaming at the middle school level, allowing our students, families, and staff to work closer together.
SCHEDULE
Each school will have the same start and end times, with 55-minute periods.
NEW COURSES
Each middle school will offer the same elective opportunities for all our students, including art, band, choir/theatre, dance, financial literacy, health, physical education, Project Lead the Way, and Spanish. It is the direct result of the equity parts of our strategic plan. We need to ensure that our students across all three schools have access to the same high-quality offerings.
HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT
We want our students to start earning high school credit in middle school, like other school districts, allowing them to take more elective and advanced courses in high school. Your child will be able to earn high school credit in middle school for the following courses: health, Spanish 1, and algebra 1.