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Snapshot of Our School
Secaucus Middle School has flourished as a high school stepping-stone for nearly 20 years. Each year, we build upon successful programs and add to our list of new accomplishments through the infusion of innovative activities and teaching strategies. The professional teaching staff and administration at the middle school take pride in developing students who are succeeding academically at each new level of learning, while incorporating the character elements needed to foster civic responsibility and good citizenship. Our small, yet culturally diverse school population continues to strive for excellence at every academic and social level. At the same time, we have been able to maintain a positive community profile, which embraces the spirit of volunteerism and intergenerational activities. We continue to offer a comprehensive program of content studies. While accelerated programs in Math and Science meet the needs of our gifted and talented students, our basic skills program was expanded to help struggling students meet levels of proficiency. Special education teachers are able to fully accommodate students’ needs in a regular classroom setting through inclusion/co-teaching programs. These programs were expanded and implemented into Language Arts, Science, Social Studies and our Mathematics curricula. The library’s technology lab helped to supplement existing middle school programs and prepared middle school students for the rigorous demands of our high school. Four major initiatives were implemented this year at Secaucus Middle School. The first was the implementation of Project Based Learning through technology. Each department selected five web-based technology projects (20 projects in total) that align directly to the Core Curriculum Content Standards. All of our teachers are responsible for grading these projects and incorporating student-led presentations into the curriculum. Students work in cooperative groups in order to accomplish various aspects of the project. They are being assessed on their technological literacy as well as the content provided in the project. The second initiative is the mapping of all departmental curricula. We are currently examining our courses and creating a more user-friendly format that can be used in the classroom and followed at home by parents and guardians. Our teachers are working rigorously with our Team Leaders in order to achieve the goal of completing all departmental mapping for all 10 months of the school year. It is our goal to create living, breathing documents that no longer sit on the shelf and collect dust. Through the use of technology, we are also embedding live documents and website hyperlinks into all curricula so that resources are readily available in digital format. A third initiative at Secaucus Middle School is the creation of an environmental science club through the implementation of a Learn and Serve America grant. We are already off and running with our paper recycling program and plan on creating a digital classroom for environmental projects in the near future. The grant will also allow us to completely power one science lab with solar panels. Considering our school is in the heart of the Meadowlands, this is an initiative that is long overdue! The fourth and final initiative for this school year is the development of faculty committees. We have developed five essential committees that will allow teachers to have a direct say in the implementation of programs directly related to the state’s ever-changing requirements. Our committees are as follows: Policy Committee, Climate and Culture Committee, Teaming/Scheduling Committee, Communication and Collaboration Committee, and Professional Development Committee. Each Committee will play an essential role in the evolving culture we create at Secaucus Middle School. A growing student enrollment is creating the need for innovative teaching methodology. Ongoing professional staff development is addressing this issue. For example, we are in the process of purchasing a new Web-Based, Project-Oriented science series for students in grades 6-8. This new program will better prepare students for New Jersey’s standardized science tests. Students will now enter high school prepared for Chemistry and Physics. Articulation days have been allotted for teachers to discuss the new and improved science curriculum and to create strategies to assist with student achievement. As Principal, I am committed to moving our school forward. It is my goal to further reinforce an already strong academic program that will prepare our students to be future communicators, analysts, and synthesizers of knowledge. All students must become critical thinkers, life-long learners, and contributing members of our community.
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