On Thursday, November 9th, the 2nd Jordan-Small Middle School Forum was held. Approximately 25 parents and community members attended this meeting. Rough draft ideas for the best learning and teaching practices to help meet the needs of middle school students were presented. The draft presented at this meeting came from discussions and research reviewed by J-S Middle School staff.

In developing our rough draft model our three main goals are to support the greatest academic, physical, and social development our students can attain. Today more than ever we know more about how the human body and mind develops between the ages of 10 and 14. We know that academic growth does not occur in most students at this age simply by having a rigorous curriculum. A school must also formulate and create supports and practices that develop each child’s individual physiological and social needs. Middle Schools across the country who have focused on their students’ needs in all three of these areas have seen their students make both dramatic and sustained academic growth on both national and state assessments!

Questions and concerns from the audience centered around four areas in our rough draft plan:

1. Looping, where a teacher or a team of teachers works with the same students over a two-year period
2. Integrating curriculum, where a group of teachers team teach differing subject areas and reinforce concepts learned with the opposite teacher in each of their own classes
3. Placing a greater emphasis on Art, Music and Physical Education/Health along with introducing a Foreign Language in 5th grade
4. Continuing the daily schedule of our new middle school on the same time frame as Raymond Elementary School.

At our next Middle School Forum we will update our plan and present more information to more clearly explain the student needs, the above practices help to support. Our next two forums will be on Thursday, Jan. 25th, and Thursday, Feb. 1st from 6:30 – 8:00 PM. We ask that you attend one of these forums. Two forums back to back are being provided to give everyone who wants to attend ample opportunity. We must have your feedback and involvement in the development process if we are truly going to build a school that supports all learners!