“A New View from the Middle” Pioneer Ridge Middle School Eastern Carver County Schools, District 112

1. “A New View from the Middle”Pioneer Ridge Middle SchoolEastern Carver County Schools, District 112

2. Redesign for ‘09 • Secondary Redesign Team “Each Learner Prepared for Success” • Building Core Teams • Middle School Core Team Recommendations: • Teaming • Schedule • Credit System • Encore and Elective Courses • Advisory/8th period • PRIDE “Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers.” Unknown

3. Secondary Core Teams • Pioneer Ridge Core team created mission and vision statements • Eight teacher members representing various grades, subjects, encore classes • Regular meetings + stipend • Multiple sub-committees formed for in-depth work • Guided by secondary design team’s work

5. T R U S T Parents, Community, Staff, Students Excellence Systems Climate/Relationships Community/ Environment Student Centered Communication Learners • PRMS Practice Respect, Model Success

7. The Pioneer Ridge Mission/Vision Practice ~ Sometimes difficult, always worth it! Respect ~ People, property, and community, all the time! Model ~ Make it happen, make it yours! Success~ A process, not an endpoint!

8. Who are we? • Grades 6-8, opened this year as district’s third middle school • Enrollment: 711 • Middle School Framework- 2 6th grade teams/families; 1 7th, 1 8th and 1 7/8 team (looped) • 13% diversity; 20-25 %FRL • Feeder elementary schools (Chaska and Chan Elementary) • Feed into both Chaska and Chan High School • 2009-10: Teaching staff came primarily from East and West MS along with about 25 percent new staff; Support staff remained in the building

10. Redesign for ‘09 • Secondary Redesign Team “Each Learner Prepared for Success” • Building Core Teams • Middle School Core Team Recommendations • Teaming • Schedule • Credit System • Encore and Elective Courses • Advisory/8th period • PRIDE “Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers.” Unknown

11. Teaming/Families • Sixth Grade • Pathfinders/Explorers • Approximately 120 students per team • Seventh Grade • Mavericks-Pure 7th • Approximately 150 students • Seventh/Eighth Grade • Mountaineers-Mixed 7th and 8th. Pilot of looping students. 80 7th graders and 70 8th graders • Eighth Grade • Vikings-Pure 8th • Approximately 150 students

13. Staff-to-Staff Teaming • First staff meeting as a new building • “Me bags” and paper plate activity • Revealing Your True Colors activity • T-shirts and PRMS apparel • Book club • Social get-togethers before each staff meeting • PRIDE committee • Staff outings • Social get-togethers • Weekly bulletin kudos and monthly drawings for parking space and class coverage.

14. Including ALL staff in the Vision!

15. Redesign for ‘09 • Secondary Redesign Team “Each Learner Prepared for Success” • Building Core Teams • Middle School Core Team Recommendations • Teaming • Schedule • Credit System • Encore and Elective Courses • Advisory/8th period • PRIDE “Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers.” Unknown

16. Weekly Schedule

17. Academic Calendar • Trimesters – 12 week classes • Hexters – 6 week classes • A Day and B Day Classes

19. Redesign for ‘09 • Secondary Redesign Team “Each Learner Prepared for Success” • Building Core Teams • Middle School Core Team Recommendations • Teaming • Schedule • Credit System • Encore and Elective Courses • Advisory/8th period • PRIDE “Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers.” Unknown

20. Middle School Counts! • To align with high school credit system and language • Each trimester course earns 1 credit, hexters are ½ credit, advisory 1 credit per year • Total 22 middle school credits • Support systems established: • Program for Academic Student Success (PASS) • Saturday School - SOAR Alternative Program • Credit Recovery - COMPASS After-School • Summer School - Club Mid • Literacy Lab/Rd 180 - Math Lab

21. Redesign for ‘09 • Secondary Redesign Team “Each Learner Prepared for Success” • Building Core Teams • Middle School Core Team Recommendations • Teaming • Schedule • Credit System • Encore and Elective Courses • Advisory/8th period • PRIDE “Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers.” Unknown

22. Encores and Electives • Art • Communication Arts-Sixth Grade • Core Electives-Sixth Grade • Computer Technology • Family and Consumer Science • Performing Arts • Personal Wellness • Technology Education

23. Redesign for ‘09 • Secondary Redesign Team “Each Learner Prepared for Success” • Building Core Teams • Middle School Core Team Recommendations • Teaming • Schedule • Credit System • Encore and Elective Courses • Advisory/8th period • PRIDE “Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers.” Unknown

24. Advisory Rigor, Relevance and Relationships Authentic vs. Contrived District 112 Mission: “To prepare each learner for successful completion of a post-secondary education program, life-long learning, career opportunity, and meaningful contribution as a citizen of the local and global community by proving personalized, rigorous, and relevant learning experiences.”

26. PRIDE Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS) "We are Prepared and Respectful while demonstrating Integrity, Dependability and Excellence.” • Expectation Matrixes are posted in the classrooms, hallways, buses, bathrooms/locker rooms, lunch, activities, common areas • The PRIDE Program is a program that sets standards, defines quality and success and identifies which behaviors are valued and rewarded. • A positive learning culture pulls students to perform and behave at their very best.

27. “We are Prepared and Respectful while demonstrating Integrity, Dependability and Excellence.”

28. Implementation of PRIDE • “Keep Blazing with PRIDE” tickets • recognize the little things • “TRAILBLAZING” tickets • the big things everyone deserves recognition for • 5 Keep Blazing tickets =1 Trailblazing ticket • Advisors keep track of/organize • “Stop & Think” tickets • don’t let the little things go unnoticed…they can become big • “Behavior Improvement Plan” • addresses more serious negative behaviors • 5 Stop & Think tickets =1 BIP • Advisors keep track of/organize *Students are responsible for filling it out, signing it, and handing it back to the teacher who assigned it

29. Academic Skills for Success • Planner use • Organization and time management • DEAR – Drop Everything and Read • Student portal • Individual student/teacher conference • Set individual academic and personal goals • Where, when and how to effectively study • Test taking strategies • Motivating yourself • Self-advocacy

30. Post Secondary Post Secondary/Career Exploration activities support all students in acquiring the knowledge, understanding, skills and character traits necessary for future success. Middle level students often need help identifying who they are as an individual, their world, researching their options, and planning for high school and beyond.

31. Service Learning Service learning is a form of experiential learning whereby students apply content knowledge, critical thinking and good judgment to address genuine needs. The themes of service learning center around the following areas: • Leaders and making a difference • Heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow • Service learning in action • School wide = Hearts for Haiti/Recycling • Grade 6 = state level (363 Project of donating sandwiches to the homeless) • Grade 7 = national level (Impact Lives - similar to Feed My Starving Children) • Grade 8 = world level (H20 Project of providing usable water in impoverished countries)

33. Second Step The Second Step violence prevention program integrates social and emotional learning with academics. Kids learn and practice vital social skills such as the following: • empathy for others • cooperation • substance abuse prevention • bullying and violence prevention • communication skills • managing emotions and coping • problem solving, decision making and goal setting

34. Character Education Video Clips Character education film clips are short film excerpts from major motion pictures which can be used as teaching resources for students. Some of the themes from the episodes include honesty, cooperation, respect, sportsmanship, kindness, self-control, courage, loyalty and perseverance.

35. Team Building Team building activities are designed to build a sense of community and connections between the following: • Students to students • Staff to students • Staff to staff • Staff to parents/community

36. First Friday

37. Students-to-Students • Team meetings and get-togethers • Relay races and fun outdoor activities • Displays and bulletin boards celebrating birthdays, athletic achievements, academic success and artwork • Various competitions such as football picks, hockey picks • Blending of advisory groups for various games and activities • Spirit Week • Field trips

38. Staff-to-Students • Staff “Me bags” at team meetings • Lunch with the teachers • Staff pictures on the bulletin board • Team advisory photos • Various incentives for school camaraderie • Assemblies at beginning and end of the year • Staff and students slide show at the end of the year • Field trips such as 6th grade Deep Portage trip • Welcome and farewell to students as a staff • Book clubs • Support to students before and after school • Good news postcards

40. Staff to Parents/Community • Establish a PTO • Diversity Club • Parent volunteers • Open House • Monthly newsletter • Surveys and evaluations from parents • Websites with Parent Portal • What’s Cool in Our School – 6th grade Immigration Day • Fine Arts Night

41. There is no easy button! www.prm.district112.org millerdana@district112.org

42. “A New View from the Middle” Pioneer Ridge Middle SchoolEastern Carver County Schools, District 112