It is hard to believe that we have been in school for 3 weeks already!  For teachers and students alike, these first weeks of establishing routine, navigating a new social dynamic, and laying the groundwork for clear expectations in middle school seem exhausting, repetitive, and slow moving in terms of academic progress.  However, research shows (and so does my 19 years in education) that spending these first weeks focused on clarity, distinction, understanding, expectations, and respectful discourse is well worth it. This week, we finalized our Middle School Guidelines and worked to ensure the understanding of the intentions behind each guideline.  With all middle schoolers miraculously present, we unanimously approved these guidelines and their intentions. Congratulations Middle School!

So now, though there will continue to be reminders and discussions about middle school expectations, we can begin to really dive into the academics.  We started Social Studies and Science this week, and have launched our English Language Arts units. With routines and expectations beginning to take hold, the deeper learning can now make its move to the foreground.