“Thank you for all that you have done. It saddens me that this ends a chapter in the life of our family.” These words, the words of a mother given freely upon the graduation of her son at his completion of the 8th grade from North Dayton School of Discovery, were particularly meaningful. He was one of the “Original Seven” – students who started in Kindergarten in North Dayton’s very first year of operation. Now these young pioneers were off to high school and leaving behind the school that had cared for them for nine years. And they were well prepared, as they were moving on having been part of a tremendous cultural change in the middle school. Something truly special happened this past year.
When Jacqueline Robbeloth became the new Middle School Dean of Instruction in the August of 2010, she knew that things had to change. Prior to her new assignment, she taught 5th grade for two years and knew well the students she would be leading. What she wanted for them was a shift in culture leading to a “Wing of Knowledge”; a place where personalized instruction was able to take place and students lived out the Moral Focus themes through their actions.
The middle school faculty knew the kids and the data that accompanied them, but Ms. Robbeloth knew that the way to their heads was through their hearts, so she and her teachers set out to win them. They talked and empowered their students to set goals and reflect on what they thought they needed in order to be prepared for high school and beyond. Their efforts allowed their students to build their own road. With the guidance of teachers, students created success plans with the help of NWEA data and feedback they received. They began to see and feel the positive change in their performance.
The results exceeded even Ms. Robbeloth’s expectations. Student growth far outpaced previous years. “The kids are phenomenal – AMAZING!” She adds, “A school has to be student focused. They all need to grow, not just the 28 in your homeroom, not just the 60 in your grade level, not just the 120 in your wing, but all 600+ kids in the building.”
“Students will remember so much more how you made them feel – more so than anything you actually taught them content wise. They talk about the relationships that meant so much to them.”