About Us
Students experience many changes during the middle school years. One is the transition from a self-contained elementary class to a schedule with various teachers in different locations, including a special class rotation for grade 6 and elective classes for grades 7 and 8. Another change is that lockers are issued to students in middle school. They learn to organize their materials and responsibilities through the use of the locker as well as a daily agenda. Students are held accountable for their work as well as their behavior.
Students also go through many physical changes during these years. It is a time of establishing their own identity among their peers as well as in their families. In addition to providing challenging academic instruction, middle school teachers also support and guide students through the many changes and new experiences of the middle school years.
During these years, students are engaged in developing friendships, learning new social roles, gaining a sense of independence and developing a sense of morality and values. They need opportunities to express their creativity and experience success and recognition. They also need consistency, direction and frequent affirmation of love from adults.
Middle school students plan a variety of activities through groups like the Student Council, Roots and Shoots, the Green Committee, and the National Junior Honor Society that help them fulfill the needs that developmentally characterize this age group. Within these groups, they plan projects and activities that directly impact the students, such as dances, competitions, bake sales, social projects and an end-of-the year recreational trip.
At CDS Middle School, we understand the unique needs of our students and strive to fill these needs effectively through a program that emphasizes both the academics and the developmental stages.
*Young Adolescent Development and School Practices: Promoting Harmony. National Middle School Association, Columbus, Ohio, 1988, p. 23.
Dr. Sofía Amador
Middle School Principal
