2020-2021 Principal and School Improvement Council Report
Rawlinson Road Middle School (RRMS) is committed to educating the whole child through academics, social and emotional education, fine arts programs, and athletics. By utilizing engaging and meaningful practices, the goal is to develop our students as lifelong learners within an inclusive, challenging educational environment.
The Rawlinson Road staff provides rigorous instruction in authentic ways to empower our students so that they are able to take ownership of their learning. Our middle school uses the workshop model framework to ensure students are actively engaged in the learning. Literacy-based instruction is utilized across content areas, and Math instruction consists of real-world application and manipulatives. . Our teachers collaborate weekly to reflect and improve instruction by analyzing assessment data and the effectiveness of strategies used. They also participate in monthly technology focused professional development as a way to model life-long learning for our students. As a faculty and staff, we truly believe in a growth mindset and understand that failing is part of the process, but moving forward is also integral. Consequently, Raider Time is a daily enrichment period dedicated to supporting students academically through extension or support as well as exposing them to the arts.
To further develop social and emotional learning, our students participated in Social / Emotional learning using the Big Life Journal curriculum. Additionally, our school utilizes the PBIS framework to foster positive student behavior. A direct result of this framework is Positive Student Intervention Supports that assist students with understanding what behaviors are expected and how to meet those expectations. The framework is a tiered approach to meet the individual needs of our students. Our school counselors provide classroom character-building sessions and peer mediation when needed. Mindfulness practices have also been implemented to help students learn coping strategies to self-regulate and de-stress. Similarly, our teachers participate in ACE’s training to learn how toxic stress affects the brain and apply strategies gained from 321 Insight, behavior management resource.
Rawlinson Road strives to provide opportunities that will enhance the overall educational experience. We believe this includes quality fine arts programs, extra-curricular clubs, and a variety of athletic teams. This past school year our Raiders’ band program excelled by placing in the District Honor Band and also receiving All-Region and All-State distinctions. Student club opportunities consist of organizations such as Beta Club, Eco-Raiders Recycling, Student Ambassadors, Academic Challenge, Math Counts, Pride Reading, FCA, and Raider News Network. Our Eco-Raiders have expanded our Greenhouse program, which was funded by grants awarded to the school. Our Raider News Network, a student-led production, delivers school news daily and creates promotional videos for school events. Lastly, our competitive sports programs offer a variety of athletic opportunities for all students that include football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, track, cheer, and softball.
Rawlinson Road is fortunate to have parent support through an active PTO and School Improvement Council. Working as a team allows us to provide a quality whole child education for our students as well as support our families. Both parent organizations sponsor events throughout the year to enhance the Middle School experience.
