New Opportunities

People outside of education will often comment to me on how routine it must be to start the new school year. After you’ve done it for a few years they think it’s like hitting cruise control and off we go. The reality of it is that it isn’t routine at all. Really, nothing in education, especially middle school, is routine. There are certainly aspects of opening a building for a new school year that are fairly consistent, but each year we bring in new students, new staff and typically something else new related to the schedule, curriculum, and/or  technology. This year we actually have some pretty significant changes and it has been anything but routine. (and that’s a good thing!)

Going back to a blog post in 2015 (http://wgmsprincipal.blogspot.com/2015/06/transforming-middle-level-experience.html) we had started to plant seeds about thinking differently about how we do things. The “things” referred to include the master schedule, use of time, the use of resources, the courses that we offer, staying focused on what kids need, and both how and what we teach. Since then the transformation of the Middle Level has brought about some significant change over time that we can see in practice now in the fall of 2017.

Here are a few of the new opportunities for our students:

1. Our 6^th grade students are experiencing an extended Math and ELA period. Both of these courses are now sixty-two minutes in length from what used to be a forty-two minute period. Much of that additional time was repurposed from what was originally a separate stand-alone reading class. Taking the time from that reading class and dividing it up between Math and ELA (now one course targeting those essential literacy standards just as we do in 7^th grade and up) is allowing our students and teachers to dig in a little bit deeper into their work, get more practice and extend the learning much more than they were able to do with less time. As with everything else we do we will monitor the change, get feedback from everyone involved and adjust as needed. So far so good!

2. As the how and what we teach has evolved, we have worked on increasing student access to devices with Chromebooks to foster collaboration via the Google platform, link students to real time information and the most current resources, extend the learning experience beyond the classroom and promote a more interactive experience for students in the classroom. At this point we have just over 350 Chromebooks throughout the building being used across all content areas and grade levels.

3. The full year high school Design & Drawing for Production (DDP) course has been brought down to the middle school as an 8^th grade elective for students who have shown a proficiency in technology and engineering. In DDP students learn manual drafting and CAD using industry standard software such as Autodesk, AutoCAD and Inventor. A strong emphasis in DDP is placed on the design process and developing critical thinking skills. This course is going to really get our students involved with and thinking about pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

4. Career & Financial Management is a semester long high school course that all 8^th graders will now be taking. CFM emphasizes the “skills” needed for success in the workplace. Topics such as time management, goal setting, preparing for work (resumes/interviews), workplace habits/rights, and career exploration are covered.

Along with earning High School credit, DDP and CFM will open up opportunities for students to possibly earn a Career and Technical Education (CTE) endorsement in Business Computer Applications, Computer Technology, Finance, or Engineering Technology.

There is a lot of excitement from our students, parents and staff around these new opportunities and we are excited to experience them as the school year unfolds. You have an opportunity to learn more about what’s going on at the Middle Level firsthand by joining us for our Open House this evening from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Open House is designed to give you an overview of the curriculum, procedures and expectations, but more importantly it’s about making a connection with the amazing, caring and talented people that work with our kids each day. We look forward to seeing you this evening!

Continued Success,

Steve Dunham

Email: sdunham@westgenesee.org

Twitter: @Sdunhamwgms

Let's Roll!

Going into a new school year is always an exciting time. Just like the start of a sports season everyone is undefeated and filled with great optimism for what lies ahead. Anything is truly possible. With the new year we always have specific goals as a building with a focus on continuous improvement. As well as we are doing in certain areas we know that we can always improve. Sometimes our goals are tied to instructional practices, sometimes it is targeting student achievement, or working to strengthen our student support services. Regardless of the year or the goals, it has always been important work.

As we prepare for this school year I can’t seem to shake some of the images and rhetoric that we have witnessed over the last several months in our country. There has been a significant amount of divisiveness, sometimes rearing it's ugly head in the form of prejudice, hatred and racism. What we are observing isn’t happening in another country or at another time in our history, it’s happening right now, it’s happening here and our kids are watching. Our kids are not just watching the events themselves, but also our reaction to these events. It is important that we make the time to have ongoing and open dialogue with our kids both at home and in school about prejudice, hatred and racism - what it looks like, what it sounds like and why it is intolerable.

These events have me less focused on just our specific goals and more focused on developing our kids as people. Clearly our number one priority as a school continues to be preparing our students for their future, but to do that well and with conviction, helping them to develop great character is essential. The greatest gift that we can give to our children and the world is to develop  informed, compassionate, tolerant, loving, caring citizens. Remember: our kids are watching us, listening to us and learning from us. What we model is what we get. We can’t lose sight of how important that is.

The 2017-2018 school year is going to be our best year yet and it is an exciting time to be in the middle school. We are introducing two new high school courses to our 8th grade students, we have adjusted our 6th grade schedule to create one-hour blocks of mathematics and ELA, and we are rolling out a significant number of new devices to enhance our instructional practices and provide additional technology access for students. Great things are happening!

We are looking forward to seeing students at “Locker Night” this evening from 3 to 6 PM and we are excited to welcome them back for their first day of school on Wednesday, September 6th.

Continued Success,

Steve Dunham

sdunham@westgenesee.org

Twitter: @Sdunhamwgms

Summer. Reading.

Summer. Reading.

Those two words can sometimes provoke a feeling of dread in our students. They aren’t as exciting as other words of summer like “swimming” and “ice cream”. Summer reading somehow gets translated by some to mean a dreadful task that needs to be completed, in as little time as possible, just check the box and be done! In some cases, the box gets checked just prior to the buses pulling up to the stop in September. We SO need to and want to change that feeling! We want those two words, summer reading, to conjure the sense of an opportunity to read in a way that might be a little more relaxed, and a little more extended, than during the regular school year. Maybe even on a hammock or somewhere on a beach.

 By now you have received our Summer Reading Lists. Families often ask us how many of the books a child should read. One? Two? Our answer is simple; all of them and then some! Becoming an independent and engaged reader is one of the single largest influencers impacting a child’s academic growth. There just isn’t any substitute for it. Vocabulary, new knowledge, points of view, and ideas are presented in books in a manner that can’t be replicated any other way. There are 3 key ideas to keep in mind in supporting students who read:

1.       Variety: The Narnia Chronicles and Harry Potter series are often the hook in getting students engaged and motivated to read. We love a good series! It is important to remember that a broad exposure to different genres helps to build an open mind. It is true what they say, You can’t judge a book by its cover. Pick up a book of poems, or a non-fiction title over fiction. And if your child gets one or two chapters in and doesn’t like the book…close it and move on.

2.       Rigor: Don’t be intimidated by a book that might seem to present a little challenge. Reading ability gets stronger when books cause a student to focus, re-read and maybe even have to look up a word now and then. Experts recommend looking at 5 random pages in a book to test out the readability. It won’t be long before students find that sweet spot.

3.       Amount: A little bit of reading, every day, goes a long way. The daily habit of reading can be instilled at any age – it’s not too late! Newspapers and magazines are a great source for short bursts of reading. We always recommend a hard copy of the New York Times because of its high-interest articles. Each day of the week has a unique section, but students might have particular interest in these: Monday (Sports), Tuesday (Science), Wednesday (Food) and Thursday (Arts). Grab a copy next time you are out and just take a look. We get ten copies a day delivered here at school so that your child can always get their hands on a newspaper.    

To help you keep a steady supply of books readily available, check out one of our terrific local libraries - there’s one near YOU!

Maxwell Memorial Library     Onondaga Free Library

They will be setting up the midway at the New York State Fair before we know it and it will be back to school. In the meantime, slap on some sunscreen and have yourself a wonderful and relaxing summer full of good books!

Continued Success,

Steve Dunham

sdunham@westgenesee.org

Twitter: @Sdunhamwgms