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Mission Statement

Rockwood South Middle School: Where all students, parents, staff and community members share responsibility for the learning process in which individuals are challenged to progress academically, socially, and emotionally.

Rockwood South Beliefs
We will be a school where-----

Education provides the opportunity for each individual to achieve his or her potential
Students have the responsibility to be active participants in their learning experiences
Staff members have the responsibility to positively influence all individuals at Rockwood South Middle School
Family members have the responsibility to actively support and participate in the learning experiences of all students
Community members have the responsibility to enter into an active partnership in the educational process

A Vision for Rockwood South Middle School
Our vision for Rockwood South Middle School is to create a school that encourages learning and challenges every individual. We, the staff, parents, community, and students, each play a vital role in making our vision a reality.

Staff
RSMS, along with the Rockwood District Board of Education and Administration, is committed to recruiting and retaining individuals with exceptional expertise in their respective fields. These staff members will recognize the vital roles they all play in achieving our goals, and are entrusted to act according to the highest standards of their professions as they do the following:

Demonstrate their support of and commitment to the school's mission
Make decisions based on our shared goals and sense of common purpose.
Establish high expectations for student achievement and behavior and accept responsibility for helping students meet those goals
Show caring and concern for all students in order to build positive working relationships
Model the importance of lifelong learning through their commitment to ongoing professional development

Parents
Parental involvement is essential for RSMS students to achieve at optimal levels. Student attitudes, behavior, motivation, and academic progress tend to improve when parents representing the diversity within our school feel welcomed and valued as active partners in the education of their children. For our parents to be involved successfully at RSMS, we must develop numerous connections and offer a wide range of opportunities for them. Our RSMS parents will be partners as they do the following:

Educate themselves about the social, emotional, and educational needs of middle school students and provide guidance to their child in setting goals and problem solving
Demonstrate commitment to their child's education by becoming involved in the work of the school, monitoring their child’s academic performance, and engaging their child in discussions about learning
Communicate with the school and work with teachers to emphasize the importance of education
Model positive character traits and a commitment to lifelong learning
Promote good health habits—nutrition, sleep, exercise—to facilitate their child’s success in school
Maintain high expectations for their child’s behavior and academic effort
Celebrate their child’s and the school’s success

Community
RSMS will establish an effective partnership with our community in order to address community needs, maintain open communication, and work cooperatively for the benefit of our students. The community will recognize the school as an important part of its culture and will strengthen its ties to the school through providing essential support as they do the following:

Demonstrate their support for the vision and values of the school
Assist in effective community use of the school's resources and facilities
Participate in the life of the school by attending programs, volunteering services, and assisting in processes designed to enhance various aspects of the school
Strengthen effective two-way communication that both provides information and seeks feedback
Establish partnerships with community members to reinforce the relationship between school and workplace
Provide activities to involve students in various aspects of community life

Students
The entire RSMS community will focus its collective efforts to ensure that all students are valued as individuals. We will communicate our concern for their overall well-being and respect for their diverse backgrounds, interests, skill levels, and learning styles. Our students will be aware that they are accepted and appreciated members of our school community and will display the highest levels of conduct, character, and achievement as they do the following:

Participate actively in many aspects of school life, including government, programs, assemblies, and community service
Demonstrate a desire to learn and help others achieve
Show respect and consideration to all members of the school community
Accept opportunities to learn and lead in many ways to achieve their fullest potential
Form partnerships with staff members, parents, and community to set challenging goals for themselves and take responsibility for their own learning
Conduct themselves in accordance with high standards of behavior and academic effort
Contribute to the safe, positive, stimulating, and friendly atmosphere of the school

Climate
The climate of RSMS significantly impacts every other part of our vision. A friendly, open, stimulating, yet predictable climate encourages all members to attempt and accomplish the challenges before us. A positive climate is characterized by these qualities:

A friendly, supportive, safe, and welcoming environment
A clean, well-kept, updated facility in which all members are responsible for upkeep
Caring, respectful relationships among members of the school community
Effective communication, including a conscious effort to celebrate the achievements of students and staff
Broad representation of students from diverse social groups in leadership roles
Emphasis on character education, including service to others
Awareness of the characteristics of the middle school child, as demonstrated by an understanding and compassion for THIS life-stage while drawing students forward, toward young adulthood.

Instruction
Instruction in RSMS classrooms should be closely aligned with the district curriculum and planned to meet the needs of the individual students in the class. All students should be able to succeed when the instruction does the following:

Establishes clear instructional goals
Determines the academic level of each student at the outset so that appropriate instruction is provided
Offers a variety of instructional approaches to allow each student to learn based on individual learning styles, skill levels, and interests
Engages students in learning activities for the maximum time during the class period
Monitors student progress continuously through formative and summative assessments so that instruction can be adjusted accordingly
Provides support for those students who do not learn as expected