YOSEF MIDDLE SCHOOL Joseph Edwards, Joe Mabry, Danny Jones, Orlando Dobbins, Allison Beck

OUR PHILOSOPHY At Yosef middle school, we address both the academic and personal development of every young adolescent. Our goal is to provide programs, curriculum, and pedagogy based on the developmental readiness, needs, and interests of young adolescents. We believe that any middle school which hopes to effectively serve young adolescents must be developmentally responsive, challenging, empowering, and equitable; therefore, we will ensure that our school is such.

Grade Organization Middle schools are typically comprised of students who are between the ages of and in grades 5 through 8. In North Carolina, most middle schools have grades 6-8. Research shows that schools which have grades 6-8 are most likely to have an interdisciplinary organization with a flexible day, an adequate guidance program, a full scale exploratory program, curricular which addresses students’ personal development, continued learning skills, and basic knowledge, varied and effective instructional methodology for the age group. For us, the goals, activities, and organization of a school are more indicative of whether a school is truly a middle school than its grade configuration. With that being said, we have chosen to put grades 6-8 in our school because we believe schools that focus on these grades are more developmentally responsive to young adolescents needs.

Support Personnel Principal Assistant Principal Secretary Office Staff (Data Manager, Bookkeeper) Core Teachers (24) Non-Core Teachers (P.E., Band, Chorus, Art, Drama) Guidance Counselors School Nurse Resource Officer Athletic Coaches (Many of whom will also be teachers) Special Needs Assistants/ Tutors

Curriculum Intramurals Inter-Scholastic Sports (Football, Wrestling, Basketball- Both, Baseball, Softball, Track and Field, Cheerleading) Advisory Programs Exploratory Programs (The Olympics, Wide World of Sports, Camping, Biking, and Visual Journaling) Clubs (Jr. Beta Club, FFA, FCA, Yearbook, and Quiz Bowl). (If at any point in the year, students can get 5 or more students interested in starting a club and getting an advisor’s approval, the club can be voted on. ) Electives- Chorus, Band, P.E/Health, Spanish, Art, Drama, Trades Class (Construction, Bricking, Woodwork) Technology

Grade Organization Yosef Middle School will be organized in grades 6-8. “Students age have specific developmental and instructional needs that can best be met by a school organization containing grades 6-8 that provides developmentally appropriate and responsive curricular and instructional guidance” Powell

Team Organization We will have two teams composed of 4 teachers each: math, science, social studies, and language arts. There will be 25 students per class which comes out to 100 per team and 600 total for the school. Students will name their team and the teams will stay together throughout grades 6-8. Only teachers will change each year.

More on Teaming Our teams will have common (team) planning time and they will work as closely as possible with encore teachers to ensure interdisciplinary instruction. “In real-life all aspects of knowledge more often than not are used at once instead of being separate distinct entities” -Dr. Heath “The partnership of shared time, space, instructional/curriculum emphasis, and philosophy makes a large school feel smaller and reduces the anonymity of young adolescents and adults alike” -Powell

Exceptional Learners Some students can benefit from extra challenge in the classroom. To meet these students’ needs we offer an academically gifted program. Students will be considered for this program based on teacher recommendation and test scores and will be reviewed by a board of teachers before entered into the program. Students who receive special education services will have an IEP so that we can track their growth and development and continue to offer instruction that effectively meets their needs. We hope to offer a curriculum throughout our school that is diversified and individualized in all of our classes. But for those who may need a little extra help, we will offer the programs mentioned above.

Flexible Scheduling In recognition of the idea of flexible scheduling set forth in Powell as well as This We Believe, the following schedule is by no means set in stone. With prior approval of the principal and warning given to lunch staff, any team may change their schedule for whatever length of time is needed to best serve their students.

6 th Grade Team A 6 th Grade Team B 7 th Grade Team A 7 th Grade Team B 8 th Grade Team A 8 th Grade Team B Homeroom 8:00 – 8:15 Homeroom 8:00 – 8:15 Homeroom 8:00 – 8:15 Homeroom 8:00 – 8:15 Homeroom 8:00 – 8:15 Homeroom 8:00 – 8:15 1 st period 8:20 – 9:20 Encore 8: 20 – 8:50 1 st period 8:20 – 9:20 PE 8:20 – 8:50 1 st period 8:20 – 8:50 1 st period 8:20 – 8:50 Encore 9:25 – 9:55 1 st period 8:55 – 9:55 2 nd period 9:25 – 10:25 1 st period 8:55 – 9:55 2 nd period 9:25 – 10:25 PE 9:25 – 9:55 2 nd period 10:00 – 11:00 Advisory (MWF) Exploratory (TR) 10:00 – 10:40 3 rd period 10:30 – 11:30 Encore 10:00 – 10:30 PE 10:30 – 11:00 2 nd period 10:00 – 11:00 Lunch 11:00 – 11:30 Lunch 10:40 – 11:10 Lunch 11:30 – 12:00 2 nd period 10:35 – 11:35 3 rd period 11:05 – 12:05 3 rd period 11:05 – 12:05 Advisory (MWF) Exploratory (TR) 11:35 – 12:15 2 nd period 11:15 – 12:15 Advisory (MWF) Exploratory (TR) 12:05 – 12:45 3 rd period 11:40 – 12:40 Lunch 12:05 – 12:35 4 th period 12:10 – 1:10 PE 12:20 – 12:50 3 rd period 12:20 – 1:20 Encore 12:50 – 1:20 Lunch 12:40 – 1:10 Advisory (MWF) Exploratory (TR) 12:40 – 1:20 Lunch 1:10 – 1:40 3 rd period 12:55 – 1:55 PE 1:25 – 1:55 4 th period 1:25 – 2:25 Advisory (MWF) Exploratory (TR) 1:15 – 1:55 Encore 1:25 – 1:55 Advisory (MWF) Exploratory (TR) 1:45 – 2:25 4 th period 2:00 – 3:00 4 th period 2:00 – 3:00 PE 2:30 – 3:00 4 th period 2:00 – 3:00 4 th period 2:00 – 3:00 Encore 2:30 – 3:00

Advisory At this age students have numerous changes occurring in their lives and bodies all at once and they need to know that there is someone they can talk to about these changes. They also need to receive education so that they understand what is happening. This is also a time when adolescents begin to be curious about certain activities such as sex and drugs, and again they deserve to be adequately educated in these areas.

More on Advisory School is the most diverse and social place in the lives of these students, thus they must have a time dedicated to learning how to be good citizens. “Advocacy is not a singular event or period in the schedule, it is an attitude of caring that translates into actions, big and small, when adults respond to the needs of each young adolescent in their charge” -TWB

Advisory Topics Study skills Hygiene Bullying Drugs/Alcohol Citizenship (diversity and giving back) Sexual development and the developing body Conflict resolution Identity Healthy living

Advisory Activities Team building Canned food drive Field trips Angel tree project Drugs are scary activities (i.e. door decorating) Discussions and debates Helping out your neighbor activities

Family and Community In a Developmentally Responsive Middle School: – The families of students play a vital role in the success of their students. – Families need to feel like they are active participants in their students’ education. – Schools need to give families of students opportunities to be active participants. – The school ensures that the community has a sense of responsibility and feels welcome.

Volunteer Opportunities Schools can schedule various times available on evenings or on weekends that families can volunteer at the school during events such as: – sporting events – campus cleanup days – fund raisers – club events, etc.

Family Classroom Speaker Teachers may send surveys of skills and interests that family members may possess that could be discussed with the class such as: – hobbies – occupation – special skill/expertise – foreign language skill

After School Helpers Qualified community members could be encouraged to help in the after-school program: – tutoring – teach a new sport – speak on a topic – teach a skill – build a craft, and etc.

Responsibilities of the School Setup varying volunteering times Foster positive community relationships. Support family/community involvement. Family involvement shows students that their family cares about their education. Powell, pages 72, 364, 367