Timberwood middle school

Donnie Bates, Sean Donovan, Kaleb McBay

 Home of the busy beavers!!
Meet our mascot -- Busy Bob Beaver!!
He stands firmly by his motto: Yearn for
learning like an eager beaver!!
His favorite colors are brown and green!
His home is open to 5th, 6th, and 7th grade
students with 200 students in each grade!
 The busy beaver mission statement
timberwood middle school’s mission is to promote growth
in all aspects of a student’s life. we will raise and teach
students to crave success and independence and provide a friendly
environment that welcomes thinking outside of the box.
Our administration and staff are of the highest quality
and will do whatever it takes to help each student overcome
any obstacle in their paths.
 Middle School
We cannot understand middle school without talking about junior high school. This is because the creation of middle
school is a direct occurrence of the dislike of the junior high School concept.

Here are some details to get you familiar with the concept of a junior high school:

● Created in 1918 after being tested in Columbus Ohio, the junior high concept was approved by the National
Education Association
● It focused on a 6-3-3 plan. This means that there were six years for elementary, three years for junior high, and
three for high school.
● In the end, junior high was unsuccessful as being separated from high school and led to large dislike from
everyone.
 Middle School (cont.)
However, the middle school concept skyrocketed. The concept began in the 1960’s and developed rapidly over the
next two decades. Here are the philosophical differences between the two styles of schools:

1. Middle school educators tried to avoid the mistakes of junior high school.
2. Junior high focused on being a bridge to high school. Middle school did the same except it did it through a
learner-centered environment.
3. This means that it met the developmental needs of the young adolescents.
4. The 7th to 9th grade plan was done away with and the standard 6th to 9th was established. However, 9th grade
was generally excluded because of it’s subject centered design.
 Middle School Developers
Two prominent theorists of middle schools were Donald Eichhorn and William Alexander. Both men emphasized
the student focus of the middle school. However, it was Eichhorn who had created the term transescence. This
single term embodied the philosophy of middle school.

While it can’t be found in any dictionary, transescence is defined by Teaching in the Middle School as such:

The developmental period beginning in late childhood prior of puberty and extending through the early years of
adolescence.

In essence, the story of the middle school is one of betterment and increasing concern in the story of the student,
rather than the importance of the material.
 Importance of quality middle schools
● A quality middle school should create a positive and healthy school environment.
○ This environment is achieved by having dedicated teachers who want to connect with
students through their interests.
○ The more a teacher can relate or connect with their students, then the more the students can
trust the teacher and go to him or her for questions.
● Collaboration is also needed to have a quality middle school.
○ Student collaboration helps build social skills and teamwork skills.
○ Teacher collaboration is even more important.
○ Having integrated lesson plans is very important to have a high quality middle school and
collaboration between teachers is essential to make that happen.
 Importance of quality middle schools (cont.)
● Each students individual teachers are what actually control the importance of a quality
middle school.
○ The overall school can have a vast amount of money and rich history, but the teachers are
what really give the students a quality education.
○ Great teachers will provide students with an education of skills that will prepare them for
their future not just good grades on a test.

A student must feel their teachers actually care.

A great teacher will always show they believe
in their students, even if the students do not
believe in themselves.
 Our organizational structure
● School will begin at 8:00 A.M. and end at 3:10. We will maintain a traditional schedule to
promote a steady routine and to allow the teachers to have their students each day. The students
will enter and exit classes at the same time. 5th, 6th and 7th graders are all changing in similar
ways, and the small amount of time they can spend with each other can promote a social
atmosphere.
● One teacher for each grade will be an overseer. With such large grades it is important to have a
leader that can keep the peace and regulate a sound routine.
● The school is a community that promotes learning, critical thinking, and the well-being of our
students. The teachers and other staff are leaders and are devoted to the improvement of these
ideas. It is a learning experience for everyone.
● The school provides the staff with paths toward professional development, which is needed to
maintain our school vision. The teachers will have regular meetings to create ideas or improve
existing ones that will better our school
 Organizational structures cont.
● The school is held accountable for the success of the students. The school constantly collects and
utilizes data for better decision-making. The use of pure evidence leads to better results.
● The school works with colleges and technical schools to interest students in future pathways.
Along with promoting academic and personal growth, we utilize a staff of multiple cultures and
languages.
● We will work hard to maintain a healthy community among students and teachers, but also with
the local community. The school relies on parental support and conversations to maintain
healthy growth and improvement.
 Timberwood Teams
In a middle school, it is structurally responsive to have teams. As such, the following represents the team structure
for the Timberwood Middle School faculty:

Teachers of various subjects for one grade are put into groups as leaders, these group leaders then talk about what
they teach for that year.

5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade

Giggling Dolphins - We flip for
success!
Screaming Minxes - We have a
scream of a time achieving our goals!
Cunning Lions - We roar for success!
Night Mares - We run wild when we
succeed!
Gnawing Gophers - We take a chunk
out of stress!
Bucking Mooses - We go buck wild for
good grades!
Hungry Squirrels - We think staying
drug free is gnaw-ly!
Jumping Jack Rabbits - Our work
takes leaps and bounds!
Blitzing Bulls - We rush to accomplish
greatness!
 5th grade teams
Mrs. Selwager Mr. Lemsley
Social Studies P.E. Teacher
Mr. Arnold Mrs. Tickey
Principal A.P. Math
Mrs. Torrison
Ms. Rodrick Language Arts Mrs. Dempsey
Math Language Arts
Ms. Chankowsky
Social Studies
Ms. Yin
Science
Giggling Dolphins
Cunning Lions

Screaming Minxes
 6th Grade Teams
Mrs. Stetson Mr. Arnold
World HIstory Principal
Mr. Vega Ms. Finsley
Spanish World History
Mrs. Brecken
Mr. Lemsley Ms. Jackson
Math
P.E. Music
Mr. Braxx
Science
Ms. Santoya
Home Economics
Night Mares Bucking Mooses

Gnawing Gophers
 7th Grade Teams

Mr. Arnold Mr. Lemsley

Principal P.E.
Mr. Vega Mr. Ricksworth
Home Economics Math
Ms. Finsley
Mr. Blanck
Mrs. Stetson World History
English
World History Ms. Alveeda
Home Economics
Mr. Braxx
Science Blitzing Bulls
Hungry Squirrels

Jumping Jack Rabbits

 Why teams?
The Answer: Teams provide three essential benefits to the instructional goals of an education community.

1. Teams are better able to address the broad needs of young adolescents. In our team structure, teachers are
constantly in contact with both same grade and higher grade.

With this close contact structure teachers can more easily address the individual needs of students on a regular basis.
Because there is a team structure for multiple grades, previous experiences from teachers are more readily available.
 Why teams? (Cont.)
2. A team approach to guidance allows young adolescents to receive ongoing assistance throughout the school day

Here at Timberwood Middle School, it is our utmost priority to ensure the best environment for our students. The
best way of ensuring that is by having a team comprised of school faculty.

Essentially, Timberwood Middle School’s team structure makes it possible to help students who may be having
personal or school related problems no matter what time it is. If a young adolescent is having a problem in their first
period, a teacher that is in their second period class can help.
 Why teams? (Cont.)
3. Members of the teams also work collaboratively to help young adolescents develop a respect for themselves and
others.

With the teachers in close contact with one another, a student who is doing well in one class can be reassured in
another. For example, if a student does well on a test in Language Arts and struggles on a test in Math, they can be
reassured by a teacher who knows of his/her past accomplishments.

Something like “Hey, I heard about how well you did on your Language Arts test, I know you can do this!”
 Advisory Programs
Advisor-advisee programs: “advisement efforts conducted by classroom teachers, sometimes
spontaneous and at other times reflecting a carefully prepared scope and sequence: sometimes called
home-based guidance or teacher advisories.” (Manning, Bucher - pg. 264)

● Advisory Programs are one of the most successful and powerful ways to go about guiding
students.

● This is basically planned out to get students involved in a small interactive group with the
school officials and peers.
 Advisory Programs (Cont.)
Session Guidelines
● Meeting roughly 30 minutes per day for ● We keep a plan to involve students with
several days. specific experiences during assigned
● We allow the advisors to feel months and grades.
comfortable by making their own ● Focused on reflecting over the concerns,
programs. issues, and problems students have to
● Grouping students less than an average go through.
classroom would hold to make the ● We have an open mind to the students’
students feel like they are well-known. parents and other professional teachers.
● Have an objective evaluation to find out
what is strong and what needs
improvement.
 Mathematics Curriculum
● We highly value our importance in mathematics for our students because we emphasize the application of
mathematics to real-world problems that our students can relate too. Our curriculum follows the Common
Core Standards for Mathematics very closely to assure a timely process on what and when our students
should learn new content.
●
● To challenge our students we feel it necessary to teach a broad range of mathematics. Our topics are taught
as an integrated whole to show curricular connections as well. We feel that if the students can apply what
they learn in one subject to another, then they will learn overall at a much faster and easier time period.
●
●
● In our math courses, we allow an appropriate amount of technology use for the students. Not only the basic
calculator, but we provide computers to provide a more enjoyable learning process. This lets our students
explore how mathematics is used in their everyday lives and how to apply it themselves.
 Mathematics Curriculum
● 5th Grade - This grade should completely understand addition and subtraction of fractions by the end of the year. The students
should also develop their division/multiplication skills by extending to double digit division and multiplication problems. Our
students will also get to work in pairs to create a box for a project. The students will work together through a set of directions to
make a box to a size they prefer. In the process of creating the box, the students should be able to apply the skills they know to
find the perimeter and area of the box. The final step is to introduce the students to a new mathematical content: volume.
● 6th Grade - Through this year the students should begin to connect ratio and rate to whole number division/multiplication to
solve problems. Students should also learn to completely understand the multiplication/division of fractions. To get students
introduced with variables and expressions we focus on a project through the end of the year. This project is individual, but allow
students to help each other since it is basically a preparation for what they will learn next year. We ask students to go out and
come back with their favorite activity and then show students the structure of an expression. This shows them how long they
spend doing their activity per week, month, year, etc. It really helps our students get comfortable with the understanding of
variables and then creating expressions.
● 7th Grade - For this grade students begin to develop an understanding of how to apply proportional relationships. The students
also take the preparation of last year on variables and expressions to work with linear equations. The big project we assign to our
students for this year is allowing them to go out to our nature trail. We take time for students to group up into four students each
find grasshoppers with the nets we provide. The students make a mark on the grasshoppers we capture and record the amount.
The students will then come back another day to capture grasshoppers to see how many we recapture with the marks on them.
The whole project allows students to draw inferences of population based on samples from our own nature trail.
 science Curriculum
● We deeply value the education our students receive and hope to build a path they can follow throughout their
years of schooling. We use the Common Core Standards for Science to ensure that the students develop in a
direction that constantly moves forward rather than repeatedly walking the same steps.

● The curriculum for each grade is viewed as a stepping stone towards the grade levels to come. For the
students, each year is scaffolded onto the previous year. This means that the knowledge gained in the 5th
grade year will be used to move forward in the 6th grade year.

● Our curriculum is differentiated to meet the needs of all students and developmentally responsive to ensure
that the students understand the emotional and physical changes they are experiencing. We promote the use of
integrated learning so that students can observe and connect different subjects. We push the teachers to use
tangible lessons, such as labs, to emphasize experience over constant lecture and note memorization.
 science Curriculum activities
● 5th Grade - This is the year students begin to learn about fossils. This activity requires the students to bring a
natural object -- sticks, seashells, rocks -- to class. Each student will be given clay and glue. The students will
press one of the objects into the clay to make an imprint. After the object is removed, the students will fill the
imprint with glue. The glue will dry quickly and the students will cautiously peel the glue from the clay. The
dried glue represents the mold of a fossil!!
● 6th Grade - This year the students will begin learning fundamental physics in the form of aerodynamics. The
students will be placed in groups of three. Each student will have a sheet of paper of differing lengths and
widths. Each student will make a paper airplane and fly them in the form of trials. After many trials, the
students will prepare a chart to observe and critically think about the reasoning for failed or successful flights!
● 7th Grade - It is time for chemistry! For this experiment, students will be dealing with mixtures and reactions.
Groups of three students each will be given a balloon, a test tube, vinegar, and baking soda. Next, they will
pour a small amount of vinegar into the test tube and a small amount of baking soda into the balloon. A
student will carefully make sure the balloon is tightly fit around the tube and slowly raise the balloon so that
the baking soda will mix with the vinegar. If done correctly, the mixture will create a gas that inflates the
balloon!!
 English/Language Arts Curriculum
Here at Timberwood Middle school we pride ourselves on the reading and writing abilities of all our
students. This level of accomplishment can only come through the dedication of our teachers and the
wonderfully outlined English Language Arts Standards. The link is provided so that you may see all that
Timberwood has to offer with your own eyes.

In Timberwood we recognize the ability differences of each student, and as such our teachers are able to
perform adequate differentiated instruction to students of all calibers. We here at Timberwood Middle
School strive to meet the developmental needs of all our students. As an important aspect in our
curriculum, all teachers strive to integrate each aspect of what they teach into all the other classes.

Language Arts is seen by many as the cornerstone of adolescent development in schools everywhere. It is
scaffolded in such a way that the knowledge they gain in a previous year can be used for the rest of their
life both in and out of school.
 Language Arts Curriculum
● 5th Grade - This year is when students begin to learn how to comprehend intricate details from literature such
as poetry, drama, and stories. At the end of the year the students choose their own grade appropriate book.
They then read that book and extract details such as theme, response to challenges in the story, and compare
and contrast two significant characters from their story.
● 6th Grade - In this grade students learn how to cite supportive details and inferences from text, interpret
figurative and connotative language in literature, and compare written editions of text to media adaptations.
The final project for this grade involves reading the first book of the Harry Potter franchise and then
comparing to the movie adaptation. For this project students must make a venn diagram comparing and
contrasting different aspects of the story and ending with a paper that explains how Harry, the main
protagonist of the series, was able to overcome all of the challenges in the novel
● 7th Grade - History gets a check-up in the 7th year at Timberwood. In 7th grade students learn to examine
different historically fictional texts and then research that same text for historical correctness. As students have
learned to cite support from texts it will be up to them to use that knowledge to create a minimum of 10 slides
using adequate and supportive evidence. However, seeing as this is a challenging task they will be able to
group up with partners to ensure their ability to complete the project.

At Timberwood Middle School we strive to push our students to achieving greatness.

 Middle Level Philosophy
Middle school is the gateway between elementary and high school. The students are neither children
nor young adults, but are adolescents who are searching for meaning in their lives. Many of these
young students are going through changes that leave them confused and vulnerable.

As a middle school, it is important to emphasis more on developing a positive self-concept within the
students. While it is important to amass knowledge and creativity, it is also important for students to
feel strong and independent. Adolescence is a time of acceptance and self-worth. By strengthening
each student’s unique traits, these students will learn to accept themselves and ultimately become
successful and independent adults in the future.

To fully realize this dream, a middle school must become a strong, stable bridge that the students can
use as a foundation for internal and external growth.
 middle level philosophy
The only way a philosophy can work is if the middle school is developmentally responsive towards the students. To
ensure that the student’s needs are met, we will provide:

● A counselor for every fifteen students. We will have many counselors readily available at all times to provide
each student with support.
● Training for all teachers so that they are prepared to handle any situation a student comes to them with. The
teachers are a constant for the students and it is important for the students to know that they can have
somebody closeby to depend on.
● Clubs and other activities that will help the students grow socially and help them foster new interest in hobbies
or future career paths.
 Social Equitability
What is social equitability?

Essential social equitability is the concept of any school being responsible for the moral, physical, and mental
well-being of all students. This means catering to various needs.

● Physical needs such as regular ● Social needs are catered to

exercise, a healthy diet, and a through our in-school clubs
drug free life. such as BETA, “Future
Farmers of America” (FFA),
● This is accomplished through “Family, Career, and
the drug free week that we host Community Leaders of
at the school and guest America” (FCCLA), and
speakers with law enforcement various hobby related clubs.
backgrounds.
 Mental Health
Here at Timberwood Middle School we understand that our students may go through rough times. Some of
those times they may seem like nothing can help them. We’re here to prove them wrong. Timberwood Middle
School actively promotes a multitude of help hotlines and offers counseling services 24/7 through both the
School Guidance Counselor and the Middle School Principal.

Suicide Hot-Line Crisis Text-Line

1 (800) 273 - 8255 Text “Go” to
747-747
 Red Ribbon Week

While disguised as fun, at Timberwood Middle School, Red Ribbon Week is a time where all the faculty members
come together to remind students to say “No!” to drugs.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

● Hippy Day ● Fantasy Day ● Halloween Day ● Patriotic Day ● School Spirit
● Police Day
department ● Pep Rally
Guest Speaker