From the Middle: Week of October 16

What is our Ideal Graduate?

Middle school staff did an activity at a staff meeting to begin our district vision.  Students have to learn a lot of skills to be employable in the world they will face when they graduate.  We have heard from businesses and colleges that many of our students struggle to be creative, collaborative, critical thinkers, and communicate.  Schools also have a duty to teach other skills that are not just curricular.  From this list, you can see all of the words that we as a staff feel are important for our students. 

Spotlight of the Week- Mrs. Quirk:

Mrs. Quirk is a 5th grade Science and Social Studies teacher.  She is also a peer coach and has offered her classroom up to conduct a learning lab where teachers can learn about strategies they can use in their own classrooms.   Mrs. Quirk demonstrates APL strategies on a daily basis and focuses on how to get students active in class.  Everyday, Mrs. Quirk talks about the importance of getting oxygen to your head and how it helps students stay focused and learn easier.  Brain breaks are a way for students to take a break from learning and come back energized to learn.  Below are some examples of Go Noodle and students taking a dancing break before returning back to classwork!