Roxboro Middle
Principal: Patrick McNichols
Roxboro Middle School Families and Friends:
Thank you for visiting Roxboro Middle School’s website.
I would like to welcome you to the 2011-2012 school year. I am excited to be back to school after having spent the summer visiting China and Europe in preparation for our development of an international instructional focus at Roxboro Middle School. I had an opportunity to visit schools in China, and explore Europe on a family visit. This experience has reminded me of the great opportunities our nation provides its’ citizens, and has given me some great new ideas for improving our instructional program.
Last year we made structural changes to our school and workday that enabled us to improve the quality of educational services we provide our students and their families. The teaching staff worked hard to implement block scheduling in English and math classes to increase instructional time. We built common planning time into the workday for teachers to collaborate on professional growth and support for struggling learners. SMART Boards were placed in every classroom to increase opportunities for students and teachers to collaboratively use technology. Teachers researched and have begun to implement instructional practices that allow students to take more ownership of their learning by using improved feedback practices and multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery of learning objectives.
We will continue this school year to work on improving our instructional program by focusing our efforts on creating a global perspective for our students. We plan to research the process for implementing the International Baccalaureate Program (IB). The IB Program was founded in 1968 and currently works with 3,290 schools in 141 countries to develop and offer three challenging programs to more than 962,000 students, age 3 to 19 years old. To learn more about the IB Program, visit the organization’s website at www.ibo.org. The big question for Roxboro families to consider is: “What does implementing the IB Program mean for my family?”
The IB mission statement provides an explanation of why the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District has chosen to develop an international focus of study for our students. The IB mission statement says:
- “The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.”
- “The organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.”
- “These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”
Students at the elementary schools that transition into Roxboro Middle School will participate in the IB Program’s Primary Years Program (PYP), which focuses on trans-disciplinary and concept-based instruction. Roxboro Middle School will investigate the process for joining the Middle Years Program (MYP) which focuses on holistic learning, intercultural awareness and the development of strong communication skills. Our goal is to prepare students for the rigors of advanced study at Cleveland Heights High School, which can lead to college credit upon completion of the high school curriculum. The MYP is geared to be an inclusive program that can serve the needs of all students including students who have special education needs!
During the 2011-2012 school year teachers will participate in training provided by the IB organization. We will begin to develop a curriculum aligned with the guidelines of the IB Program, while also meeting the expectations of the Ohio Department of Education. Our teaching staff will research resources provided by the IB organization and visit schools currently implementing the MYP. We will make every effort to provide Roxboro families with up-to-date information about the program throughout the school year.
One tangible example of our commitment to implementing an international studies program at Roxboro is the expansion of our language program for sixth-grade students this year. Roxboro Middle School has traditionally offered students the opportunity to learn Spanish and French. With the addition of the Chinese cultural studies class, we will now offer three foreign languages. We plan to grow the program every year, as we will add an introduction to Mandarin language class during the 2012-2013 school year and will offer a high school credit Mandarin language class during the 2013-2014 school year.
As my travels this summer taught me, through the growth of technology resources, the world is growing smaller. Children all over the world are learning to speak English so they can compete in the global economy. We have a responsibility to ensure that all of our students learn not only a second language but also the skills they will need to be leaders in the new world economy. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the school at 371-7440 or contact me by email at p_mcnichols@chuh.org to discuss how we are working to provide your student with a world-class education.
Sincerely,
Mr. Mc Nichols
Principal, Roxboro Middle School
