- Helms Middle School
- Helms 2023-24 Vision and Mission
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Helms Middle School Vision and Mission 2023-24
Our Vision
The Vision is our desired end state.
Our Helms community cultivates learners and educators who are caring, collaborative, and continuously learning. Every student leaves Helms Middle School feeling academically and socially prepared to excel in high school and beyond.
Our Mission
The Mission is how we do our work.
# 1 Achieving Students: We invest in our students’ holistic well-being and academic achievement.
Well-being Priorities
- Using a multi-tiered support system focused on positive behaviors, logical/reflective consequences, and restorative justice.
- Providing resources and support to meet the needs of our student's physical and emotional well-being such as counselors, therapists, mentors, social workers, psychologists, health/dental care, and substance abuse counseling.
- Creating connection and belonging on campus with a variety of lunch and after-school clubs, providing an after-school expanded learning program for tutoring and work-based internships, a daily physical education class, opportunities to join our middle school sports program, and providing identity-affirming groups, and mentorship by college access programs.
Academic Priorities
- Providing a quality curriculum for ELA, Math, Science, and History that is culturally relevant and Common Core Standards aligned with a focus on:
- using mastery-based grading to provide feedback students can act on
- elevating student thinking and voice in the classroom
- creating opportunities for students to work collaboratively to become strong problem-solvers and critical thinkers
- emphasizing purposeful close reading of grade-level texts and evidence-based thinking and writing about grade-level text
- providing performance-based assessments that are meaningful to students
- Building an independent reading culture through:
- engaging books and texts
- creating reading goals
- visiting the library regularly
- celebrating the reading achievements of students
- designating time for daily independent reading (Reading Zone)
#2 Caring Schools: We focus on a positive school climate and invest in partnerships with families
Positive School Climate Priorities
- Providing tier 1 PBIS strategies school-wide
- Building strong relationships and restorative discipline practices to feel safe and happy at school.
- Practicing the implementation of emergency safety plans
Family Partnership Priorities
- Creating an inclusive and trusting school culture that welcomes and affirms parents as partners through open and clear communication, transparent decision-making, and opportunities to engage with or provide feedback to teachers and school staff
- Promoting parent voice and connection to our school community through groups such as English Learners Advisory Committee (ELAC), School Site Council (SSC), African American Parent Advisory Committee (AAPAC), and parent chats offered throughout the year.
- Hosting a variety of family events including: celebrating student achievements, learning about students' academic core classes and assessments, and exploring the social needs and concerns for students in their middle school years.
#3 Thriving Employees: We prioritize meaningful learning opportunities, team collaboration, the acknowledgment of progress, and the celebration of achievements.
- Providing learning opportunities for all staff with a focus on safety procedures, the implementation of PBIS tier 1 interventions and supports, implementing a specific core curriculum, and strategies for enhancing the equity and achievement for English Learners, students with disabilities, and African American students through culturally responsive practices
- Creating supportive conditions for collaboration by practicing distributed leadership, using data-driven decision-making teams to support school plans, consistently seeking staff feedback on the quality and offerings for collaboration and professional development
- Creating time for acknowledging progress and reflection, honoring staff achievements, and having informal gatherings to strengthen bonds and build community