Middle School - Home
District - Home
MAGICAL MIDDLE ZONE
CHARLEROI
Learning Zone
Setting the climate for learning.
The main goal is to set a sense of
order and calm at
Students Come First
Students are organized into academic
teams called Learning Circles. These circles allow the teachers the opportunity
to develop a better understanding of their students. Learning Circle meetings
will take place every Tuesday morning at
Teachers at the middle school address
the differing learning styles of their students and provide an array of
teaching and assessment methods. The teachers are committed to an inclusive
environment. All disabled students
are mainstreamed in regular education classes whenever possible. Students at-risk are given particular attention
and remediation to bring them up to grade level. Many of these students are involved in the SAP
program and are assigned a mentor teacher.
Teachers and students work together to decide how they will
learn, how they will assess and evaluate what they learn, and how they
will use what they know in meaningful ways. In the classroom, students
learn to work collaboratively and assume responsibility for their own
learning processes. They are expected to be involved, active learners
who solve problems creatively and apply what they learn beyond the classroom
Another goal is to have teachers look at the Comer model, which looks at the whole child through
a complement of developmental pathways—physical, language, psychological,
ethical, social, and cognitive (http://richmond.k12.va.us/schools/westover/comer.htm).
Children are not viewed as broken or imperfect but as persons with possibilities.
The idea behind the Comer model is to work together to get a plan and
implement different ways of learning to meet the needs of all students.
Great Expectations
Instructional
Programs
The curriculum at
Middle school subjects
are arranged in the traditional areas listed below. They are designed
to (1) provide both comprehensive as well as in-depth learning experiences
consistent with Charleroi
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The “Bridges” reading program in eighth grade will have the added
lab component for 2005. This program will consistently follow the idea
that students will learn more by taking an active role. The class will
continue to make connections with other subjects.
The
Bullying Program to promote less fighting and create a safer atmosphere
will continue in the middle school. This program started 2004 and will
continue to establish a Bully Prevention Coordinating Team to oversee
all aspects of bullying prevention in the middle school. Rules will be
established and supervision in areas such as hallways, locker sections,
in the cafeteria and bus areas will be increased.
Celebration
of the Arts
Integrate the Arts
Thematic Units to energize students
and teachers.
Integrating the arts
with the core curriculum is an energizing solution for middle school.
We can capitalize on our district’s strengths by using
The thematic units will integrate content from the core classes
and extensively use four arts area to support learning. (See sample plan
for Celebrating Our Cultures) Every 9 week period each Learning Circle
will be asked to create a unit, which can be supported by the arts and
provide the opportunity to engage all the intelligences.
Landscapes
for Learning
The Environmental Program
and Center
Environmental Education
enhances critical thinking, problem solving, and effective decision-making
skills. It teaches individuals to weigh various sides of an environmental
issue to make informed and responsible decisions.
A middle school goal is to further develop the environmental
program and center.
Several programs
will be used to enhance the science curriculum. One of the programs to
be developed will be the LEARNING ABOUT LAND PROGRAM. The development of this program will link learning to
the State and National Standards and Guidelines in environmental science.
Another program is PROJECT WILD. This
promotes the use of the outside classroom to teach using the natural environment
that the teacher is teaching. The science teachers will be using the local
areas to reinforce the meaningful first-hand experiences with the living
world. Students who are grounded
in outdoor studies are more apt to continue active learning beyond their
school years.
This project does not
involve lengthy trips, but promotes observation of natural areas. Many activities will be used during National
Wildlife Week to encourage young people to help protect wild animals in
their communities and beyond.
Goals for the Charleroi Middle
School
- Conduct community presentations for ongoing support
and awareness of the program.
- Implement parts of the environmental management
and restoration plan. Initial goals will be constructing a trail and
investigate the building of a greenhouse.
- Develop and implement curriculum for two purposes.
One curriculum will center on environmental science, and the other curriculum
will center on using the outdoors for instructional opportunities in
all other subject areas. Ideas will be gathered from a variety of sources,
including parents, students, and teachers, organized by grade and subject
areas, and then shared with the appropriate subject area teachers. Reach
students may also assist in outdoor instruction when requested. Teachers
and students from the neighboring
- Provide opportunities for middle school students
to work on an "Environment
and You" service learning project, designated for Earth Week.
Charleroi
The middle school has a wealth of technology
available to students. We have
the computer lab that is used for 6th and 7th grade
classes as well as the mobile lab available to all classrooms. All teachers
have a desktop computer in their classroom and all rooms have access to
the Internet. Technology has allowed the staff to develop new and creative
teaching methods.
The
goal for 2005/2006 will be to increase the use of computers through the
reading program and also for the cognitive tutor program. The cognitive
tutor program
will have an added 2 periods a week to support the mathematical learning
process. The Apenga Learning program will also be used in sixth grade math classes and by 7th
and 8th grade students that need extra help in mathematics.
Also,
more classes will use the mobile lab to facilitate research in their classes.
Teachers will be asked to incorporate technology in their classroom whenever
possible. “Connecting the Bits”, a free online publication provides information
for integrating technology into teaching and learning.
An upgraded web page
for middle school will be established and include information for all
teachers to use.
Professional Growth
Parent Organization
The Charleroi Parent Organization will have the opportunity to
provide input on the school performance and direction.
The
One
of our first activities will be a Pirate Ball Game on September 18. Our
middle school chorus will perform the Star Spangled Banner along with
the high school chorus at the game. Transportation will be provided for
the game and everyone is invited to be part of the day.
Focus
Days
The middle school goal is to have quarterly
Focus Days which feature special interdisciplinary events that draw
together the strands of the curriculum for enrichment or extension activities
that make learning come alive. Flexible scheduling on these days allows
for hands-on, daylong explorations both on and off campus, taking full
advantage of the educationally enriching resources of the MonValley
Area.
Additional
Activities (GOALS)