Westside Middle School

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Westside Middle School

• Home of the Rockets
• 2008 - 2009

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Staff Engagement

• Teachers, administrators, and support staff
  employed at Westside are satisfied with their
  work and they understand how their roles
  contribute to the school and districts
  direction.

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Westsides Faculty

• In order to understand the culture and climate at
  Westside, it is important to understand the
  various factors that influence attitudes towards
  change.
• The following are graphs representing the
  experience of teachers, total time at Westside
  and number of different schools teachers have
  taught.

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Total Years of Experience (certified)
As you can see, the majority of our staff has
taught at least 6 years. The largest portion of
individuals have taught more than 20 years.
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Years teaching at Westside Middle School
This charts shows that the majority of our
teachers have taught six or more years here at
Westside. Eighteen of our teachers have taught
from eleven to more than twenty-one years at
Westside.
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Number of schools at which they have taught
This chart illustrates the number of schools that
different faculty members have taught. As you can
see, the majority have only taught at Westside
Middle School.
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Conclusion

• It is evident by the high retention rate of
  teachers that our schools focus on the students
  keeps the teachers engaged.

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Staff Development

• Staff development has been designed around the
  needs and desires of the staff here at Westside.
• The following are examples of how the staff was
  surveyed and how the results were communicated.

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Staff Development Survey

• October 22, 2008
• Function of the Design Team

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Percent of time engaged

• 16 at 90 100
• 4 at 80 89
• 3 at 60 79
• 1 at 40 59
• 3 Below 40

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Requested topics to cover

• More on Technology (2)
• No response (12)
• Allow time for subject areas to work together (2)
• Classroom Organization/ Discipline Management (3)
• Web Resources (2)
• Fundraising
• More Wow Framework (2)
• Learn about Quizdom
• Judy Loves idea lesson plan format
• More on using smart board or promethean

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How could have the information been presented
better?

• It was great or no response (19)
• Send in email
• Refreshments and caffeine would have made it
  better (2)
• Could have got feedback from staff on Design Team
• Unit Plan
• Needs to be shorter- mind was on working in my
  room
• Entirely in song- I really respond to that well
• Paper

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Additional Questions or Comments

• No (5)
• No Response (17)
• Too Long
• David is the BEST!
• Loved the music and power points
• Does the temperature control work in the MP room
• Love the Design Team and appreciate what you do
  for us

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Prefer to complete survey online or paper

• Does not matter (6)
• No response (2)
• Paper (4)
• Like this!!! (13)
• Computer is fine- but faster if on paper right
  after meeting before you get busy doing other
  things and forget (2)

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Teacher Rewards

• Once a month a teacher is selected to receive a
  fifty dollar gift card to Longhorn Steak House.
• In order to receive this award, teachers must
  have completed duties and assignments.
• The purpose is to support positive morale.

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Teacher rewards continued

• All teachers that had completed all assignments
  and duties were treated to one half day off
  during the month of December.
• Rationale
• Teachers are more focused and engaged when they
  feel appreciated.

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Developing a Focus on Students

• Throughout Westside there is a clear focus on
  students and on the quality of the work provided
  to students-work that students find interesting,
  challenging, and satisfying and that results in
  students learning what is expected by schools,
  parents, and the community.

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Gender Based Classes
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Rationale of Gender Based Implementing School
Wide

• After experiencing success, we decided to
  implement gender based instruction school wide.
• We decided to implement it school wide with two
  exceptions Alpha and Special Education.
• Due to scheduling these two groups are not able
  to be divided by gender.

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Rationale of Gender Based Instruction

• The male brain secretes less serotonin than the
  female brain, making males more impulsive and
  fidgety.
• Oxytocin is one of the brain chemicals that is
  more constantly stimulated in female brains than
  male brains
• This makes the female more capable of quick and
  immediate empathetic responses to others pain
  and needs
• Girls bond first, ask questions later.
• Boys aggression first, ask questions later.
• Girls try to manage social bonds in a group
  situation through egalitarian alliances.
• Boys try to manage social energy through
  striving for dominance or pecking order
• Hormones influence learning ability

Source Boys and Girls Learn Differently by
Michael Gurian, 2002
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Rationale of Gender Based Instruction

• Females brains mature earlier than males
• Females acquire verbal skills (complex) much
  earlier
• Females read faster, with a larger vocabulary,
  and speak better grammar.
• The bundle of nerves connecting the two
  hemispheres of the brain are 20 larger in
  females.
• The prefrontal lobes of the female brain is more
  developed at an earlier age. This is where the
  regulation of emotion occurs.
• The occipital lobes in females is more developed,
  this is where sensory processing occurs.

Source Boys and Girls Learn Differently by
Michael Gurian, 2002
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General Information

• Females take in more sensory data than males.
  They hear and smell better than males, and take
  in more information through their skin and
  fingertips than males.
• Females tend to self-monitor high-risk and
  immoral conduct better.
• Males tend to rely more on non-verbal
  communication and are less able to verbalize
  feelings and responses as quickly as females.
• Males are more developed in the right hemisphere
  of their brain which provides them with better
  spatial skills, such as measuring, mechanical
  design, geography, and map reading.

Source Boys and Girls Learn Differently by
Michael Gurian, 2002
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Gender Based Class Rooms
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Rotating Schedule

• The primary factor behind implementing the
  rotating schedule was the time of day that
  students had certain subjects. Some students tend
  to learn best in the morning when they are fresh
  and rested and tend to wear down as the day goes
  along and lose focus. Other students, however,
  have a hard time getting motivated in the morning
  and do not get focused until later in the day.
  With a rotating schedule, students do not have
  math, reading, or language arts during at the
  same time every day of the week.
• The goal is that an optimal time is achieved for
  all students at least twice a week.

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Schedule
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Fridays Schedule

• You will notice that Friday is not listed on our
  schedule because every other Friday we have our
  Advisement or Club activities.

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Friday Schedule
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Advisement Program

• This year was the first year that Westside
  Middle had an Advisement program. The counseling
  department along with the graduation coach
  designed this new program by developing its
  curriculum for the first semester.
• During the second semester, the Advisement team
  paired up with Junior Achievement to help our
  students focus on career awareness and
  post-secondary education.
• Our students were placed into small advisement
  teams with an advisor that would meet every other
  week for an hour and a half.
• Our main goal for the Advisement Program was for
  the advisor and advisee to develop a respectful
  and caring relationship, while the advisor would
  focus on academic achievement, personal and
  social development, and career awareness.

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• Our Advisement Program also allowed for a Large
  Group Advisement time that the counselors and
  graduation coach teach during every advisement
  time. These guidance lessons are chosen by the
  needs of the students at that time. We have
  focused on stereotypes, gossiping, bullying, and
  suicidal awareness during these large group
  times. When we have large group advisement time,
  this also allows those advisors to vertically
  plan, since we have their advisees for 45 min.
  This schedule has worked well with our teachers
  and students to overall promote student
  achievement, student character, and their career
  opportunities for the future.

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Advisement Times!
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Clubs

• In trying to provide more opportunities for
  students to form relationships with adults here
  at school, Westside has implemented a club
  schedule on a bi weekly basis.
• Students participate in the club of their choice.

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Club Choice

• At the beginning of the year, we brought each
  grade level in and called out random names.
  Students were given a sticker to place on a sheet
  of paper labeled with the club name.
• The second semester students were given the
  option of staying in their club.
• If they did not they were given the opportunity
  to indicate their favorite three choices on a
  sheet of paper. As much as possible, we tried to
  give the students their choice.

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Clubs offered at WestsideInsert List here
(Larry)
Fly Tying and Entomology Basketball
L.A.S.O.  - Latin American Student Organization
Art Club Cartoon Viewing Club Cake
Decorating Movie Club Travel Club Coloring
Club Anime Club Chess, Checkers and other
board games Soccer Club Westside Ambassadors
FFA (Future Farmers of America) Origami
Scrabble and Boggle Club Digital
Scrapbooking Songwriters Club Yearbook club
Crafts, board games, and Cards Drama Club
T-shirt painting club Video Games Club
Outdoors Club Science Club Student
Council
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Clubs
Cake Decorating
Digital Scrapbooking
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Middle School Design Academy

• Westside Middle School participated in the first
  ever Middle School Design Academy for the
  Whitfield County School System.

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Design Academy Pictures
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Middle School Design Academy
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Supper _at_ Westside

• Westside Middle hosts four Have Supper with
  Westside nights.
• The first two were held in October and February.
• The first was an open house and the second was to
  inform parents about registration for 2009
  freshman at Northwest.

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Extra Curricular Activities

• Here at Westside, we believe in developing the
  whole child. In order to help students to be well
  rounded individuals, a variety of activities are
  sponsored after school.

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Sports

• We offer a variety of sports opportunities
• for students here at Westside. The
• following graph represents student
• participation.

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Number of students participating in sports at
Westside
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Sports at Westside
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Dances
Homecoming Dance 2008
Christmas 2008
Sweetheart Dance 2008
Halloween Dance 2008
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Patterns of Engagement

• Nearly all classes are highly engaged, and when
  they are not, teachers make every possible effort
  to redesign the pattern of activity in the
  classroom so that more students are engaged.

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Student surveys
8th Grade Language Arts Teacher Jan. 2009
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Student Surveys
8th Grade Social Studies December 2008
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Surveys
8th grade Science November 2008
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Fine Arts

• Here at Westside we pride ourselves in the
  quality of fine arts instruction offered to our
  students. The following are artifacts to support
  the quality of the work.

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Visual arts

• To celebrate Student Arts EXPO, the Creative Arts
  Guild sponsors an arts competition for
  collaborative classroom projects. Each school may
  submit up to one entry per classroom. Each
  winning classroom in their category (grades 6
  8) will receive 100 cash award to be used
  for art supplies or other classroom art
  activities
• AWARDS Festival September 20, 2008
• 1st place - collaborative 3-D sculpture
  project
• 2nd place - collaborative 3-D sculpture
  project
• Student Art EXPO March 9-13, 2009
• 1st place - grade level 6
• 1st place - grade level 7
• Art Together Student Art EXPO, 2009
• 1st place- grades 6-8 collaborative project
• 2nd place- Art Club collaborative project

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The 60th Annual North Georgia Agricultural Fair
was held October 16-25, 2008

• AWARDS 8th Grade
• 1st chalk pastel, 1st woven textiles, 1st
  sculpture,
• 2nd woven textiles, 2nd computer art, 2nd
  calligraphy,
• 3rd computer art, 4th calligraphy
• 7th Grade
• 1st collage, 1st graphic design, 4th computer
  art,
• 4th chalk pastel
• 6th Grade
• 2nd printmaking, 2nd sculpture, 3rd
  calligraphy,
• 3rd oil pastel

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Band
Westside prides itself in having a strong band
program. The band usually performs 4 5 times a
year with the attendance ranging from 100 250
parents in attendance.
During the 2008 2009 school year, eight
students represented Westside at District Honor
Band.
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Chorus
Westside also prides itself in having a strong
choral program. In grades 6 8, we have a total
of 117 students that participate in the choral
program. The chorus performs an average of 4 6
times during a year. Average 100 250 people
attend performances
District VII Honor Chorus has 19 students
representing Westside. 6th Grade Statewide Honor
Chorus was limited to 3 representatives per
school in Georgia. We had four representatives at
the All State Chorus Festival,
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Industrial Technology

• In Tech Ed we study the development of technology
  in the areas of transportation, communication,
  construction, and manufacturing.  Computer
  literacy skills are also taught to prepare eighth
  graders for software they will encounter
  throughout life. The industrial technology
  teacher serves as the technical director
  responsible for the proper functioning of the
  equipment used to broadcast morning announcements
  on channel 15 each morning.

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• The Industrial Technology teacher also assists in
  the trouble shooting and repair of the technology
  in academic classrooms.

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Morning Announcements
Industrial Technology
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Agriculture Education

• Here at Westside, we take pride in the work of
  the students who participate in the agricultural
  program.
• Along with the Agricultural program, students
  have the opportunity to join FFA.

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Agriculture Information

• Contests
• Creed Public Speaking
• Wildlife Management Contest, 4 students all
  ranked 40th or better in state
• Dairy showing
• Poultry judging
• Floral design
• Floriculture contest, 4h in region, 4 students, 1
  of which ranked 4th highest in region
• Dairy judging
• Horse judging

• Participation
• 161 total FFA members
• 3 students attended Student Leadership Camp in
  Covington, Georgia
• 12 students attended Discovery Conference in
  Covington, Georgia
• 5 attend State Capitol function during Ag.
  Awareness Week

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Content and Substance

• Teachers and administrators have a clear,
  consistent, and shared understanding of what
  students are expected to know and to be able to
  do at various grade levels. This understanding
  is consistent with such official statements of
  expectations as state standards and standards
  established by local boards. Teachers and
  administrators also have a reasonable assessment
  of student interest in the topics suggested by
  these expectations and standards.

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Technology Embedded

• Technology is an integral part of the instruction
  that takes place at Westside Middle School. The
  majority of academic classrooms are equipped with
  Active Boards and LCD projectors that allow for
  whole group presentation of material. Classrooms
  are, also, equipped with a mini-lab of 3
  computers for student use. The media center has
  nine computers that students are able to use
  along with four mobile laptop labs that teachers
  can check out and take to their room. The
  computer lab, equipped with 28 desktop computers,
  is available for whole classes to use, as well.
  The in-school suspension program has eight,
  Internet functional computers, where students get
  assignments online. The instructional focus of
  our school is heavily embedded with technology
  and we are always looking for way to expand its
  use.

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Teacher Lessons

• Battlefield Math
• Propaganda
• Dry Ice
• Did you know

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Lesson Plan Template
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Unit Plan Template
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Writing Rubric

• In order for our students to feel confident and
  be able to perform at their best level, we use
  the state writing rubric as we prepare for the
  8th grade writing test.

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Writing Rubric
Total Score is ____________ out of 25.
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Middle School Design Academy

• The Middle School Design Academy was created this
  year to provide teachers the opportunity to
  collaborate with colleagues from all over the
  county. Hard to teach concepts were identified in
  each subject area and days were set aside for
  those teachers to come together and design
  lessons that would engage and challenge students.
  Teachers were able to discuss various strategies
  and ideas for promoting student comprehension in
  the areas of their subject that were most
  difficult. The lessons that were created were
  imparted to everyone through the countys
  Sharepoint website.

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• The idea for the Design Academy came from the
  middle school principals while attending a
  conference through the Schlechty Center. The
  intentions behind developing this academy were to
  impact the level of student achievement. Areas of
  deficiency on the CRCT were used to recognize the
  areas that needed the most attention. Teachers
  collaborating together and sharing ideas will
  improve the level of instruction therefore,
  positively impacting student achievement.

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Student Achievement

• Parents, teachers, the principal, and the Board
  of Education, as well as others who have a stake
  in the performance of the schools, are satisfied
  with the level and type of learning that are
  occurring.

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Benchmark Testing Dates

• Math/Science
• 1 - September 4th
• 2 October 2nd
• 3 November 4th
• 4 December 16th ( 1st Semester Final)
• 5 February 10th
• 6 March 17th
• 7 May 19th ( 2nd Semester
  Final)

• LA/Rdg/SS
• 1 September 9th
• 2 October 7th
• 3 November 6th
• 4 December 18th
• 5 February 12th
• 6 March 19th
• 7 May 20th

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Graph of Honor Roll
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Writing Test
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EOMMs

• Several times during the school year, the
  special education teachers met with school
  administration to discuss students receiving
  services. As each students name was called,
  teachers shared data and anecdotal information
  pertaining to student academic progress,
  performance in class activities, and behavior.
  The committee also discussed any out of school
  issues that may influence behavior or impact
  learning while at school. The Issues discussed
  and information shared was also used to help
  develop each students report on his/her Present
  Level of Performance which is a part of the IEP.

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Coaching for Design

• Dr. Stewart, Cheri Mahan and Larry Farner have
  all been trained in Coaching for Design.
• We are looking for ways to implement this during
  faculty design times.

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Safety Nets

• Here at Westside, we realize that not every child
  learns at the same pace. We also realize that
  extra help and encouragement is needed. The
  following are artifacts about the Safety nets
  provided here at Westside.

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A Safe Environment

• Students and parents feel that the school as well
  as each classroom is a physically and
  psychologically safe place success is expected
  and failure is understood as a necessary part of
  learning. There is mutual respect between and
  among faculty and students, and the fear of harm
  or harassment from fellow students and demeaning
  comments from teachers is negligible.

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Monday Night Math

• For the last four years Westside Middle School
  has provided Homework help for students having
  trouble in math or students who have fallen
  behind in math.  
• In the past Homework help has provided a net for
  students to retake Benchmarks they have not done
  great on. Homework help has also provided
  parental help in concepts covered in class.
  Students who attend Homework Help have proven to
  become more responsible about their education.
• Sessions are held on Monday for 2 hours 6 p.m. to
  8 p.m. Parents are required to attend with the
  student.  The students either bring the material
  they need help with, or the teacher provides the
  material for the Homework Help instructor.  This
  is a drop-in situation, so students do not
  usually stay for the entire time.  Attendance
  ranges from 12 to 2 students, but the average
  attendance is around 8 per session.  Feedback
  from teachers, students, and parents is always
  overwhelmingly positive.

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Tuesday Night Language Arts

• LA Homework Help meets one night a week to help
  students with a variety of tasks.  These range
  from help with Daily Language Practice to help
  making up benchmark and other tests to help with
  basic reading skills. 
• Sessions are held for 2 hours, and a parent is
  required to attend with the student.  The
  students either bring the material they need help
  with, or the teacher provides the material for
  the Homework Help instructor.  This is a
  drop-in situation, so students do not usually
  stay for the entire time. 
• Attendance ranges from 12 to 2 students, but the
  average attendance is around 8 per session. 
  Feedback from teachers, students, and parents is
  always overwhelmingly positive.
• So far this year LA Homework Help has met 18
  times, and we plan to continue through Spring
  Break.  This will bring the total for the year to
  around 22 sessions.

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Math Lab

• Math lab met from September to December, Tuesday
  and Thursday mornings with an average attendance
  of 3 students.  We met for 30 minutes from 725
  to 755 for a total of 15 times.  Since January
  we have been meeting on Monday and Wed. mornings
  for the same time period but with an average of 4
  to 5 students a total of 7 times so far.
• Math lab is an extension of the classroom
  providing help to students who are unable to
  complete class or homework assignments.  The
  student can come to math lab with these
  assignments and receive individual instruction on
  how to complete the work.  Many times we will
  also preview new material so when it is covered
  in class they can be immediately successful

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Math II

• For students who have failed the CRCT from the
  previous year, referred by teacher or requested
  by parent we offer a math class during
  connections.
• This provides small group instruction from
  struggling math learners. This also provides a
  double dose of Math. As soon as the student shows
  adequate progress, they are placed in a regular
  connections class.

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Response to Intervention Program(RTI)

• Tier I
• Our universal screenings are the students CRCT
  test scores and their benchmarks every four and
  half weeks, which are created by our teachers and
  used across the grade level. Dr. Stewart and
  Larry Farner, our academic coach, collect this
  information to purposefully drive our
  instructional program. Tier I also includes our
  standards based classroom instruction by using
  GPS, WOW, differentiated instruction, flexible
  grouping, attendance monitoring, collaborative
  planning, re-teaching, and pre-teaching.

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Tier II

• Our Tier II interventions include behavior
  contracts, math connections, math lab, Study
  Island, language arts night and math night. Any
  student that did not pass the Math on the CRCT
  last year was automatically enrolled in a Tier II
  plan. They were placed in a second math class to
  receive an extra 55 minutes of math each day to
  pre-teach or re-teach skills. Behavior contracts
  were given to students to help them become more
  organized and motivated in the classroom.

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Tier III

• Our Tier III interventions include
  individualized general education with our
  language arts and math nights and Student Support
  Teams.

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Tier IV

• Our Tier IV interventions include special
  education and alpha classes. We also have a
  collaborative special education meeting every
  quarter to discuss the progress of every special
  education student.

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Newsletter
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Community Outreach

• This year Westside Middle has participated in
  three fundraising projects for the Rocky Face
  Community. The three projects were our 2nd
  Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, Christmas
  Outreach, and Westsides Got Talent that
  supported the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

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Thanksgiving Food Drive

• This food drive provided a complete Thanksgiving
  dinner for 13 families at Westside Middle. We
  received approx. 1000 during this fundraiser, so
  we reserved 500 to help with our Christmas
  Outreach in the upcoming month.
• Cost 500

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Christmas Outreach

• The Christmas Outreach was established to help
  families that could not afford presents for their
  children. We supported 8 families at Westside
  Middle and included their siblings to help them
  have a wonderful Christmas. We also received a
  500 donation from a supporting church that
  helped us buy these gifts.
• Cost 500 from school and 500 from the church
  donation.

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Westsides Got Talent Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society

• To help us raise money for this great charity,
  the counseling department held a Talent Show
  during school as well as a night performance.
  There were over 200 students who attended the
  show during the day and over 50 parents and
  students that night.
• We raised 1100.00 to donate to this charity.

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Demerit Policy

• 1st Warning
• 2nd Referral to Counselor
• 3rd Phone call home
• 4th Student assigned to ISS
• 5th Behavior Contract / Parent Conference
• 6th Student assigned to ISS
• 7th and subsequent - Student assigned to ISS

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Connect Ed Calls