Back to (middle) School

Henderson International School

Sep 11, 2014

middle school is a unique period

The range of academic, physical, social, and emotional

development is huge

Relationships among adolescents, and the adults in

their lives, change on a daily basis

It is a time of self-exploration and self-definition

It is a time of great curiosity

Children enter this period as concrete thinkers and exit

with a far greater capacity for abstract and higher-order

thinking

middle school - a brief history

• Our education system has been grappling to meet the

need of early adolescents for over 100 years

• Until the early 20th century, US schools were mainly K-8

• By the mid-century, an increase in enrollment fueled the

move to junior high schools

• In the 1970s, there was a deliberate shift to middle

schools with a focus on the specific needs and

developmental stages of children

• In 2007, there began a significant shift back to K-8

schools

four essential attributes

The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE):

Developmentally Responsive

Challenging

Empowering

Equitable

middle school mission

We provide a supportive environment, challenging

academics, and developmentally-appropriate

programming so that our graduates can:

Be comfortable in their own skin (self-esteem)

Know their learning strengths and styles (self-

awareness)

Positively assert themselves

Advocate for themselves and others

strategic initiatives for 2014-15

This past February, we committed to providing the

best middle school education possible by:

Strengthening the middle school team

Providing our students and families with grade-

level standards (ERB, NGSS, NCSS, ACTFL, NCCAS, SHAPE)

Enhancing our assessment, feedback, and

reporting practices

Increasing enrichment opportunities for our

students

goals for tonight

Meet the middle school team

Visit classrooms and see samples of student

work

Learn more about individual classes and

teachers

the middle school team

Fifth/Sixth Team: Heather Berg, Stephanie Rasar, Tanya

Yamada, and Tim Williams

Seventh/Eighth Team: Tara Cadena, Anne Michelle Perkins,

Joe Petrelli, and Donna Raucher

Spanish: Rikki Martin

Digital Media & Technology: Krissy Waldman, Brandon

Lindsey, and Erika Crowe

Art Rotation: Gabe Cadena, Debbie Levy, Jillian Petrelli, and

Nick Stamanis

Physical Education: Ricardo Baldizan, Ali Cohen, and Andy

Corridori