School year 2013-14 will see a bunch of changes in FCPS Middle Schools. This parent briefing by the CMS Principal goes over them.

1. Crestwood Middle School

2. Ensuring learning for
every student every
day

3. • Dr. Daniel Lippy, Principal
• Chelsea Skoczylas, Assistant Principal
• Cathy Kazio, School Counselor Grade 6
• Nancy Stamatakos, Math Specialist
• Jody Deveney, Literacy Specialist
• Keri Grossnickle, Enrichment Specialist

4. To ensure that all middle school students have
attained the knowledge and skills to be prepared
for their future.
Academic
Excellence
College and Career
Readiness
Culturally and Developmentally
Responsive

5. Middle school is a defining point
for students in the college and
career readiness process.
Source: The Forgotten Middle: Ensuring that All Students Are On Target
For College and Career Readiness Before High School, ACT, 2008.

6. 7 periods each day
Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Exploratory
Physical Education
Electives / Interventions
Extended Learning Time
(Enrichment, Extension and/or
Intervention)

7. • Seven 47 minute periods
• 30 minutes of daily Extended Learning Time (ELT)
• Each class every day
• Interdisciplinary Instruction
• Flexibility to meet individual student needs
• Time for tutoring and enrichment
• Opportunities for daily interventions for students in
the areas of reading and mathematics
• Time for teachers to be engaged in professional
learning

8. • 30 minute period of time
• Time for individualized instruction
• Increases instructional time for students
• Enrichment, extension and intervention
• Tutoring – individual and small group
• Allows for staff to meet the needs of
adolescent learners in a less formal setting
• Promotes positive relationship building
• School-wide lessons to support positive
school culture

9. Language • Honors
Arts • Merit
• Honors
Mathematics • Merit
Science • Heterogeneous
History of
the Ancient • Heterogeneous
World
Physical • Heterogeneous
Education

10. • Purpose of the HAL Program is to provide academic rigor
and challenge for highly able learners in language
arts, math, science, and social studies.
• The HAL program strives to meet these students’ specific
learning styles and advanced academic needs in the subject
areas of their strength.
• The students placed in these “cluster” groups must
demonstrate high ability through performance on a variety
of specific data measures. They must also possess the
ability to learn materials at advanced rates and levels of
understanding.
• Identified students are clustered together in honors level
math and language arts classes and heterogeneous science
and social studies classes.
• The school Enrichment Specialist serves as an advocate for
the HAL students, as well as oversees the School-wide
Enrichment Model which provides opportunities for all
students. Contact Mrs. Keri Grossnickle if you’d like more
information.

11. Life
Skills Integrated
Studies
*Each course is 18 weeks long – switch at end of semester
*Students who are enrolled in intervention courses may not
be enrolled in an exploratory course.

12. • Band
• Chorus
• Music Performance Lab
• Orchestra
• Technology Exposition
• Theatre Arts
• Visual Art
• World Language
Exploratory
*Elective course offerings are based on enrollment, staffing and
facility.

13. The level of academic achievement that
students attain by eighth grade has a
larger impact on their college and career
readiness than anything that happens
academically in high school.
Source: The Forgotten Middle: Ensuring that All Students Are On Target
For College and Career Readiness Before High School, ACT, 2008.

14. • Lockers
• Combination locks
• Friends
• Lunch/recess
• Class transitions