Orange Middle

The word that hit me the hardest was Mrs. Russo saying "invigorated". It appears that the teachers and administrators are engaged in the new learning communities. The smaller groups will give teams of teachers focus on "their bunch" versus a large amount of children that do not have the same teachers, making common planning impossible. This excitement can only bring good.

What I would love to see is the state rewarding improvement, like Doug Ryan said. Even with my gifted children that I teach and my dyslexic daughter, improvement and advancement in their areas are what is most important. We can't compare the gifted, the dyslexic and the child without food or heat together.

Based on the National Middle School Associations "This We Believe" the school is incorporating many of their 14 points. They are showing preparedness by common planning, shared vision and high expectations for these children. The hardest for this community will be home involvement and an adult advocate. These families have a much harder daily life and the children carry that burden. Maybe parents coming in to help in the classroom or offering after school tutoring for free with the parents support with bring that needed sense of community.

I applaud Orange Middle for their vibrant new program and most importantly their outlook for the children they teach.