Hometown Rankin - February & May 2015
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The CHALKBOARD<br />
rankin county School district<br />
Florence<br />
Middle School<br />
Florence Middle School provides a safe, nurturing learning<br />
environment in which students are taught 21st century skills, along<br />
with the state curriculum. The school is structured to meet the<br />
unique educational, physical, social and emotional needs of our<br />
students in grades 6 through 8.<br />
All staff at Florence Middle School understand the challenges<br />
that face middle level learners and have a love for this particular age<br />
group. The school offers a rich academic environment, numerous<br />
academic supports, as well as interscholastic and intermural programs.<br />
This year the school is focused on incorporating technology<br />
and improving the reading levels of students to better prepare<br />
them for the rigorous level of reading required in high school.<br />
Along with the academic purpose of the school, Florence<br />
Middle School prepares the students to be productive individuals,<br />
both inside and outside of the classroom. The principal, Jessica<br />
Hodges encourages her faculty and staff to positively influence,<br />
both academically and socially, the lives of all students at Florence<br />
Middle School. The school’s philosophy comes from former<br />
Indianapolis Colts’ coach Tony Dungy. “No excuses.<br />
No explanations. Whatever it takes!”<br />
McLaurin<br />
This year, MES administrators, staff, community, and<br />
students have been working together implementing meaningful<br />
activities that enhance student learning.<br />
Twenty-four fifth and sixth grade students were randomly<br />
chosen to participate in a Partnership group discussion.<br />
Students engaged in the decision making process by sharing<br />
how the school could make improvements. Students were<br />
divided into small groups, rotated through stations, and<br />
responded to the following questions on charts.<br />
How do principals, teachers, and<br />
faculty show that they care and value<br />
all students?<br />
How could they improve their<br />
efforts to show students they care<br />
and value students?<br />
What interests you most at school<br />
and why do you attend classes?<br />
What opportunities does School<br />
provide for you that you enjoy?<br />
How could School provide more<br />
opportunities for all students to pursue their interests?<br />
At the end of the discussion, the team prioritized each<br />
question. During the December meeting, the final report was<br />
shared with Parent Partnership Team. The Team began to<br />
initiate change based on the data from the Student Partnership<br />
74 • <strong>February</strong> / March <strong>2015</strong><br />
Submissions provided by local officials from each individual district and not to be considered editorial opinion.
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