Annual Report

Middle School Highlights

December 12, 2006

MIDDLE SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT 2005-2006

The Seward Middle School was founded in 1991 with the configuration of grades 5-8 with approximately 35 staff members and 400 students. The process of becoming a middle school in philosophy started several years before 1991.

The mission statement of the Seward Middle School is as follows: the Seward Middle School in cooperation with parents and community, is committed to providing young adolescent students with the understanding and skills necessary to cope with their own changes from childhood to adolescence. These students will be educated in a safe school environment which allows for the development of an intellectually reflective person. Students will be prepared for continued school success and life-long learning with emphasis on the development of essential skills, positive self-concept, and the ability to work in a cooperative manner.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Seward Middle School was created to help this diverse, active group of young people learn and move successfully through this important stage of life. The Seward Middle School provides students with many opportunities to develop academic skills, acquire fundamental knowledge, determine their interests and special talents, and experience a sense of belonging. We focus upon helping students satisfy their need for close relationships with teachers and friends while moving toward greater independence. Varied teaching and learning approaches are very evident in our school. Our teachers use individual and group projects, problem-solving activities, cooperative learning groups, lectures, demonstrations, field trips, and utilization of community resources.

The curriculum is challenging, integrative and exploratory. Helping students see how subjects relate to and support each other is important. Students achieve better when activities are related to their out-of-school lives and when they can use skills learned in seeking solutions to real problems. Students receive the basic core classes of math, social studies, science and language arts at each grade level that are aligned to the Nebraska State Academic Standards. Students may also take classes in areas such as art, vocal and instrumental music, exploratory music, technology, keyboarding, agricultural science, physical education, family consumer science and health. These classes are supported by a strong resource program and guidance services for the students.

TOPTIME

Our teachers and students are placed together in teams that provide a sense of family within the larger school community. This program is called Toptime. Toptime matches an adult advocate with each student, someone who knows the child well and is available to work with students and parents about academic or other concerns. There are 21 Toptimes and 15-18 students in each group. Students who have learned to cooperate with and care about others help create a pleasant school atmosphere in which everyone feels a sense of security and belonging. We believe that our advisory program increases a sense of belonging to the school and in teacher-student relationships. Toptime is the primary vehicle for our school to integrate such programs as Character Counts, Hands and Words Are Not For Hurting Project, community service projects, and many other activities.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

Each year, Seward Middle School provides their 6th graders with an outdoor education experience. The 6th graders spent three days at the beginning of the school year (August 24-26) at Carol Joy Holling Camp, Conference and Retreat Center at Ashland, Nebraska. The purposes of the camp are to solidify the class through team building activities, provide multi-cultural experiences, and provide other educational and social experiences that cannot be offered in a regular classroom.

While at camp the 6th grade students develop a stronger sense of loyalty to the school and their peers. They also see the high school counselors as mentors and persons who they admire and want to emulate. During the camp there is also a positive interaction that takes place between the students and the teachers who will be teaching them during the upcoming year.

For many students this will be their first and only camping experience. Outdoor education provides experiences that never can be duplicated in any typical classroom. Teachers have the opportunity to observe social and leadership skills of 6th graders never seen in the classroom. Staff members observe student's strengths in August and expand on them throughout the year.

The Gerald Coffey VFW Post 4755, Cattle National Bank, and Jones National Bank contribute money each year to pay for the camp experience. This is a great example of the community, parents, and school working together to provide excellent learning opportunities for our students at Seward Middle School.

TEAMMATES

TeamMates is a mentoring program modeled after the original program begun by Tom and Nancy Osborne in 1991. The school-based mentoring program pair's adult volunteers one-on-one with middle school students. Adult TeamMates serve as positive role models for students needing extra adult attention. They meet with their student TeamMates at least one hour a week during school hours, and share in a variety of activities.

Through Seward County BRIDGES, Seward Middle School became a TeamMates school in 2000. Currently, there are five students teamed with a mentor in the TeamMates program at Seward Middle School. There are students waiting for a TeamMate. Please contact the middle school office if you would like to be part of the program.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

The 2003-04 school year served as the beginning of a new cycle for a five-year school improvement plan. In year one, a steering committee was formed to specifically target areas where there could be growth and improvement in student achievement for students at Seward Middle School. When the goals were written, action plans were formed to specifically target how the goals would be met.

In year two, teachers met several time during professional development days to implement the district and building goals. As a result, teachers were trained to improve on their effective instructional strategies and change discipline procedures. In December 2004, all teachers and administration participated in three days of APL training. All action teams met during professional development days to review, modify and implement the action plans. Improving in the areas of effective instruction and discipline will have a direct effect on improvement in student achievement.

In 2005-2006, the middle school teachers, staff and administration narrowed our building levels goals to focus on student achievement and growth by the end of the cycle. The following is a description of the Seward Middle School building goals.

Goal #1: All students will improve achievement in reading, writing, and spelling.

An action team was formed to review state assessment scores, achievement test scores, and statewide writing assessment scores on an annual basis. The strategies this action team will implement are promoting correct conventions in writing, increasing the amount of language art instruction time, implementing strategies for improving reading instruction in reading and writing across the curriculum, and develop a reading incentives program. Teachers will promote staff training and work time to achieve this goal.

A second action team was formed to implement strategies that would provide alternative math and reading, address the special education philosophy, and provide training on working with special needs students. State assessments and achievement test scores will be reviewed annually as evidence of attainment. Evidence of Adequate Yearly Progress for special needs students will be evaluated to meet federal No Child Left Behind legislation.

Goal #2: All students will improve academic achievement by taking responsibility for their own behavior, learning, and assignments.

Two action teams were formed to help students in the reduction of late assignments, decrease office referrals. The action teams began the process of developing a set of building-wide rules for all students and the implementation of the SMS PRIDE program and the 4R room.

In addition, Learning Teams were formed to study effective instructional strategies that are based on research. Learning Teams read the book Classroom Instruction that Works by Robert Marzano.

MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

Academically, the students at Seward Middle School do well in achievement. Scores on the Terra Nova achievement test show that students average well above the state and national average. Students in grade 8 continued taking assessments to meet Nebraska standards in the areas of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening and Mathematics. In addition to grade 8, teachers and students in grades 5 and 8 began piloting assessments to meet Nebraska science standards. Finally, teachers in grades 5, 6, and 7 began implementing assessments to meet NCLB standards. The Hands Are Not For Hurting Project continued at Seward Middle School. Seward Middle School students have adopted the Purple Hands Pledge from

The Hands Are Not For Hurting Project that was developed by a woman in Salem, Oregon to decrease the incidence of school violence and increase the development of healthy relationships among students. The Purples Hands Pledge is I will not use my hands or my words for hurting myself or others. All students and adults recite this pledge every morning after the Pledge of Allegiance. Toptime coordinators, Eileen Oates and Carol Lee Radden purchased Purple Hand posters that were distributed throughout some Seward businesses. The goal was to show that Purple Hands is a school-community effort to end violence and bullying.

We had a tremendous turn out for the Veterans Day program. This year we, again, invited the Kiwanis Kitones. They did a great job of entertaining the students and veterans. The VFW provided a demonstration on properly folding the U.S. flag and teaching students what each fold means. Finally, the VFW was presented a Purple Hands poster to display at the VFW. Since the VFW is one our school-community partners, we would like them to display our message in the community against abuse, bullying, and violence. Each veteran was asked to make a purple hand. They are on display at the middle school.

Seward Middle School raised over $2000 in a penny war contest and donated the money to the Red Cross for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Mrs. Haberman's 5th grade class was honored with treats for raising the most funds.

In December, the student council penny war competition earned $300.00. The proceeds bought Christmas gifts for an adopted family through Blue Valley Community Action.

A University of Nebraska program came to Seward Middle School on Thursday, March 16 as part of the Husker Tour of Excellence. University of Nebraska student-athletes, student-leaders, Herbie Husker and Miss Nebraska 2005 teamed up to motivate and inspire Seward area middle level students on education, life skills and decision-making.

Reading Classic is a competition to get students excited in reading. Students are given a list of books to read then compete against other schools. Teams in grades 5-7 meet once or twice after school from January to March. Sponsors for Reading Classic are Kelly Stelling and Jamie Hayden- grade 5, Jan Matzke-grade 6, and Juanita Hill-grade 7. Teams in grades 6 and 7 won their competitions and represented Seward Middle School at the state competition on April 8.