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September 2009
Dear Mountain Shadows Parents and Guardians,
I want to take this time to welcome you to the 2009-10 school year at Mountain Shadows Middle School (MSMS). As principal, I can go on forever about how wonderful MSMS is and as I am starting my eleventh year as MSMS principal; you know I have alot of great things to say about MSMS. I could tell you about the numerous local, state and national awards our school and teachers have received for their hard work and dedication to middle school students. I could tell you of the awards our students have received for academic, artistic, and athletic excellence. I could speak of academic rigor, exciting elective classes, and the great field trips we take, such as Outdoor Education Week for the 6th graders. If you would like to know more about these events, curriculums, and awards, please call me and I will be happy to share all the details with you.
What I really want to share with you is about the great story that lies within our classroom walls. At MSMS, the story begins with people—students, instructional assistants, teachers, support staff, parents/guardians, and every person working here to make sure your child is well supported personally and academically. We at MSMS love this age group. Early adolescence is a wonderful time and we are the lucky ones who get to work with them everyday. Middle school students are some of the most courageous, compassionate, inquisitive, humorous, talented, creative, and intelligent people I know. Middle school is one of the best kept secrets and I am excited to work here.
Early adolescence can be a scary time for parents. Your child wants to be independent yet they seem scattered and forgetful. He or she seems to flit between being childlike to being incredibly mature and insightful. You may be afraid of your child joining the big world of middle school. Middle school can be an anxious time for parents and children. This is where we at MSMS come in. We understand that coming to a middle school from a smaller elementary school may be anxiety producing. So, we have put structures into place to help incoming 6th graders as well as our returning 7th and 8th graders have a great experience at middle school in a safe and caring environment.
Middle school is the time when a child needs his or her parents as much as they did starting kindergarten. However, they need you in a different way. They need you to help them find ways to be independent while being safe and responsible. Your child efforts to become more impendent may come across as pushing you away where in reality they need you more than ever. They need to be respected as an adult and cared for as a child. They need your guidance and advice. Try and be available to listen when they want to talk even though it may be the time you are late and rushing off to work. Be ready to listen, numerous studies have shown that the vast majority of middle school students want their parents' guidance and advice. Remember when you talk with your child; be sure to listen as you will hear the young adult he or she is becoming. Embrace this period of your child's journey to adulthood. It is an incredibly exciting and rewarding time. So, welcome the young adult developing within your child and be proud that they are finding their way to becoming productive and successful adults.
We have created smaller groupings of students called small learning communities or SLCs. There are two SLCs each in 7th (Explorers and Seekers)and two in 8th grade (DaVinci and Triumph), 6th grade level SLC, our Special Day Class SLC (Adventurers), and our specialized middle school program—Expeditionary Learning. Each SLC has its own name and identity all which provides your child a place where he or she belongs and makes the middle school experience more personalized. In the 7th and 8th grade SLCs, there are 120 students with four core teachers. This helps students and parents create a strong connection with the teachers. MSMS teachers are extremely caring and knowledgeable and are willing to help you and your child to have a successful time at MSMS.
While students may complain about parental involvement, students are more successful when their parents are involved with their school activities. You can do this in a variety of ways. You can set up a special place for doing homework, set up a homework time, help your child organize his/her schoolwork, create a reward system for completing and turning in homework, and especially do a weekly backpack check. The backpack check is good for finding those announcements, MSMS monthly update and other information sent home with the student that usually ends up at the bottom of the backpack.
Please see our FAQ sheet (Frequently Asked Questions) as it provides more information about the starting of school, the bell schedule, dress code, P.E. clothes information, and other important information.
Dr. Laurie Mason
Principal
