Dear Julian Families,
A big thanks to the Julian PTO for hosting our Back to School picnic yesterday. What a great way to kick off the school year! I appreciate that so many of you joined us for this event. Another thanks goes out to the Oak Park Education Foundation for providing Julian Middle School and D97 students the opportunity to create a beautiful mosaic on our building honoring Percy Julian. The dedication ceremony yesterday was wonderful. Faith Julian, the daughter of Percy Julian, shared inspiring words about her father with the crowd of D97 and Oak Park community members that joined us for the event. It was a memorable evening!
Please read on to hear some of the exciting things happening at Julian Middle School.
Julian receives Special Olympics National Champion Unified School Recognition
Across the country there were a total of 131 schools and 4 in Illinois that have reached banner status. A Special Olympics Unified Champion School has an inclusive school climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff. A Unified Champion School receiving national banner recognition is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.
The primary activities within these standards include: Special Olympics Unified Sports® (where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates), Inclusive Youth Leadership and Whole-School Engagement. Banner Unified Champion Schools should also be able to demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.
A message from Dave Breen, Special Olympics CEO of Illinois, stated the following:
“Your school community has shown impressive determination and is helping us move towards our collective goal of creating a truly ‘Unified Generation’ of young people who embrace differences and lead social change. You are literally redefining the future as you make your communities more inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities, and in doing so, making the world a more accepting place for all.”
I am so proud of our teachers and students! Congratulations to all of our Julian Jayhawks that contributed to us earning this tremendous honor!
Approaches to Learning (ATL) Class – 6th Grade
This year we are excited to share that every 6th grade student will be taking the newly designed Approaches to Learning (ATL) class. This class was designed to help students learn the skills needed to thrive in middle school. Transitioning from a smaller elementary school to a large middle school has its challenges. This course addresses those challenges and will directly teach our students strategies to be successful in this new environment.
Students will take this trimester-long course during their Integrated Studies 6 class. Most 6th graders will be in this class during the 1st trimester. Other student that are currently in the Design and Modeling technology class will take the ATL course during the 2nd trimester. The course will consist of the following learning topics:
- How do we learn? How do I learn?
Students will assess themselves as a learner by specifically identifying their strengths and possible areas for growth as they relate to the ten IB Learner Profile traits and Howard Gardner’s Multiple intelligences Theory.
- What does IB learning look like?
Student learning in all courses is designed in units. Each unit has three main components; a Statement of Inquiry that defines the why of learning, a Global Context which defines how the unit of study connects to the world outside of the classroom, and the summative assessment which is graded with a rubric. By understanding these elements, students will be able to take ownership of their learning and benefit from understanding these elements that are consistent across all classes.
- How do I stay organized in middle school?
Students will learn organizational skills and strategies to help them keep track of assignments and manage their time.
- How can affective skills support my mental and emotional health?
Students will learn strategies to manage stress, avoid distractions, and persist even after mistakes, failures and adversity.
- How do I best collaborate with others?
Your child will have frequent opportunities to collaborate with his/her peers, whether that be during a classroom discussion or an extended design/exploration opportunity. Students will understand the role of empathy, responsibility, and equity to improve their group learning experiences.
At the end of the course, students will set goals and reflect upon what they learned to ensure that these lessons can be applied throughout the rest of the school year.
Additionally, teachers will be infusing opportunities to learn from the world beyond their classroom walls. International-mindedness is a central tenet to the IB program. This is one of the main ways we make learning engaging for all students. International-Mindedness is understanding that the world is much bigger than you or even us and having the skills necessary to learn and negotiate in a way that is inquisitive, equitable, and respectful. Opportunities for these types of experiences will be embedded into this course.
Author Visit - September 19
Julian Middle School is proud to share that author Dylan Thuras will visit during 9th period on Wednesday, September 19th. This is an event for the entire 6th grade.
Thuras is the author of The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid as well as the original Atlas Obscura. The Atlas Obscura website is an awe-inspiring place to explore.
Any student can order a copy of the Adventurous Kid version of Atlas Obscura. Hardcover copies are $19.95. There is an advance reading copy in the library for students' previewing pleasure. Order forms are available here, in the office, and on bulletin boards outside the auditorium and Library. Orders can be placed in the Library.
We look forward to having a literature-based learning experience grounded in international mindedness at Julian early this fall!
Please direct any questions toward Ms. Winchell at [email protected].
Student Handbook
Please click here for access to the Julian Middle School Student Handbook for the 2018-2019 School year.
Upcoming Events
No School - Labor Day - Monday, September 3
MAP Testing - Wednesday, September 5 - Friday, September 7
Thursday, September 13 - Curriculum Night / 6:00pm-8:00pm
Sincerely,
Dr. Todd Fitzgerald