On Wednesday, March 11, the Journalism class held its yearly “State of the School” press conference with Mr. Jeff Griffith, middle school principal. During a school press conference, the principal discusses the positive things happening in our school this year, as well as the negative issues.
According to Mr. Griffith, there are many positives to take away from this school so far. To start, student involvement in extracurricular activities was a big improvement. In the press conference, Mr. Griffith stated, “We have students participating in Math 24, Math Counts, band, sports, and our school play. These activities take extra time and effort, and it’s great to see students challenging themselves and representing our school. Being involved helps students build friendships, develop new skills, and become part of something bigger than themselves.”
Another positive aspect of this school year is the kindness many students show each other.
“Every day we see students helping classmates, including others in conversations or activities, and simply being respectful to one another,” Mr. Griffith said. Those small moments of kindness help create a positive school culture and make our school a place where students feel welcome and supported.
Lastly, the third positive is the effort students have been putting into STAR testing.
“I appreciate that many students are taking these assessments seriously and trying their best. When students put forth real effort, it gives teachers helpful information about where students are growing and where they need additional support,” Mr. Griffith stated. STAR data helps teachers see students’ progress in our school, so when students put in actual effort, it benefits everyone in the classroom.
While there are many positives in this school, there are a few areas where we need to improve as a school community.
“One concern is students playing games on their computers during class time. Our computers are an important learning tool, but when they are used for games during instruction, it takes away from learning. Our expectation is that school devices are used for school work when students are in class.” Mr. Griffith said. Using computers for games can significantly hinder a student’s focus and understanding of a class, as well as create severe cognitive, behavioral, attentional, and emotional obstacles.
To add to the Chromebook issue, another issue the school is paying attention to is how much time students spend on devices during lunch and recreation.
“These times are meant to be a break from class and an opportunity to talk with friends and interact with each other,” Mr. Griffith stated. Middle school is an important time to build social skills and friendships, and that happens best when students are talking and connecting with each other rather than staring at a screen.
The last issue in our school currently is the lack of expectations in the cafeteria.
“Lunch should be a time where students can relax, but it should also be respectful and responsible. We have seen situations where students leave large messes behind or engage in behavior that is not appropriate for a shared space,” said Mr. Griffith. Cleaning up after ourselves and treating the cafeteria with respect are simple ways that we can all help make the school better.
In conclusion, the school has many positives to take away from this school year. Students have been getting involved, treating each other well, and putting in much more effort on STAR testing. While many good things are happening, students still need improvement in some areas. Like any school, we have many things to celebrate and also a few areas where we can continue to improve.
