Whole Child Education

Port Jervis's school improvement efforts over the past few years have completely changed the school into a thriving learning environment that focuses on more than just student academic achievement. One of the first recipients of the NYSASCD Whole Child for the 21st Century Award, the school has initiated programs that fully prepare students for work, college, and citizenship by keeping them healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. The culture motivates students and engages them in learning through programs such as the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Students, community outreach activities, health fairs, and proactive assemblies.
 

East Syracuse Minoa’s Pine Grove Middle School earned the 2011 National School Library Program of the Year award from the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). The Pine Grove library program was given this honor for its ability to transform and meet the needs of the community. The library plays a vital role in providing students with learning experiences that embrace real world connections, interdisciplinary work and community partnerships. Efforts at the school have integrated the library program into curriculum, literacy, technology, and all areas of educating the whole child.
 

The staff, parents, and students at Martha Brown Middle School work as a team to develop a friendly, nurturing environment that fosters positive self-esteem, mutual respect, and responsibility. The school recognizes individual learner styles and offers diverse opportunities that promote academic, physical, social, and emotional growth. Martha Brown influences students during their critical transitional years, striving to develop critical thinkers whose spirit of inquiry creates a lifelong love of learning and helps its students become contributing members of society.
 

Crestdale Middle School (PDF) is a 2012 North Carolina Middle School Association Redesignated School to Watch for its demonstrated academic success. Students are happy, excited to be at Crestdale, and proud of the activities available to them. The culture of the school provides all students access to challenging and engaging educational experiences. An Academic Enrichment Class Period ensures that students are both remediated and accelerated . Ther school's high expectation objectives are posted everywhere to be visible for all students and faculty. Crestdale is consistently being recognized as a School of Excellence or School of Distinction every year. Faculty and students are proud of their accomplishments.
 

Apple Valley Middle School (PDF) is located in rural North Carolina in one of the Nation's largest apple-producing areas. Eventhough the school has a high percentage of disadvantaged students, the school thrives and is continually striving to reach higher growth. The school atmosphere is warm and welcoming and is supported by the community in many ways. A variety of partners in the community, including counselors, mediators, and community support centers, support the work at Apple Valley. Faculty, staff, and students see the principal as the person who holds the school together, but they also see the administrative staff as a well-balanced team. The school is the heart of the community and is heavily involved in helping the community it serves.
 

Seventy-First Classical Middle School (PDF) located in Fayetteville, N.C., is a 100% School of Choice. This school demonstrates tremendous academic success and has been labeled a School of Excellence in North Carolina since 1998.The students and staff appear happy, and there is valuable input and buy-in from stakeholders when making
decisions for the school. Parents are very pleased with programs and the care and concern shown by teachers and staff. Seventy-First Classical Middle meets the needs of their students, parents, teachers, and staff in an environment where excellence is expected, yet students are nurtured."
 

Rugby Middle School (PDF) is a 2012 North Carolina Middle School Association Redesignated School to Watch. Located in rural western North Carolina, the school takes meeting the students needs seriously. Rugby is a "community of practice, going beyond rhetoric to reality." Teachers, staff, and administrators do whatever is necessary, creating clear-cut, well-understood expectations for everyone in the building. All students are eager to talk about how good their school is and how much they enjoy being there. The school feels warm, safe, and inviting, providing a rich teaching and learning experience for all.
 

Long before the term “professional learning community” became popular, the Chatham staff functioned as such—reading reports of education research, visiting other schools, piloting an advisory program, examining data, and discussing what worked and what needed tweaking. Students are as proud of their Chatham “home” (and their home and classwork that covers every nook and cranny) as they are of the brotherly love that defines school culture. Guidance counselor Jackie Hoffman states, “Every student is an individual, and we make certain that each one gets the nurturing he or she needs.” Chatham’s character-building effort has been sustained by an engaged faculty who listen to students and shape them to lead the charge to change the world.
 

Pleasantville Middle School is an education community that is dedicated to understanding and facilitating the positive transition from childhood to adolescence. Community and staff are committed to providing educational experiences where learning is valued, differences are accepted, wellness is encouraged, and accountability is realized, to assure the development of each students’ intellectual, educational, physical, personal, and social growth.
 

Meadville Area Middle School is only 1 of 21 middle schools out of the 572 middle schools in Pennsylvania to receive the honor of being named a School to Watch. Both students and staff at Meadville take great pride in their school because everyone in the school is focused on making sure everyone learns to achieve academic success.