Dear Parents and Visitors: On behalf of the students, faculty and staff of Excelsior Springs Middle School, welcome to our school's website. It is our hope that this site proves to be a useful source of information regarding your child's educational experience at ESMS. One question that is commonly asked by parents and community members is "What is the difference between a middle school and a junior high school?" Rather than comparing, point by point these two types of schools, I would like to give you a short description of what a middle school looks like. To begin with, schools in the middle are designed to meet the needs of those students who are moving from childhood to adolescence. The term used for this period of development in a child's life is that of transescence. Transecent age students are experiencing a great deal of change in their lives. In addition to the physical changes occuring, these students are struggling with fitting into peer groups yet maintaining their individuality. They are attempting to distance themselves from their parents, but needing to rely on them for support. Another example of this change is the desire to be treated as a young adult while demonstrating behaviors still associated with childhood. And these aren't nearly all of the struggles faced by students in the middle school. Middle schools revolve around teaming. Sometimes known as a "school-within-a-school," the concept of teaming means that a group of students share a core group of teachers for all of their classes. In the case of Excelsior Springs Middle School, a Communication Arts teacher, a Math teacher, a Science teacher, and a Social Studies teacher all have the same students. This allows the teachers to work cooperatively to best meet the needs of the students on their team. A second component of the middle level philosophy deals with exploratory classes. Generally, by the time students reach high school age, they pretty much know where their interests lie. Middle school is the opportunity for students to explore areas in which students may not normally have an interest. At ESMS students have classes in speech and drama, recreational reading, 20th century history, hands on science, art, and band to choose from, just to name a few. Other middle school components, which we are working on developing, are an advisory program, flexible scheduling, and a transition program. As parents, the middle years can be very challenging. Our hope is that we can assist you and your student(s) as they move through the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. I would like to encourage you to visit us at your convenience. It means a great deal to our young people to know that their parents are interested in their education. Feel free to stop in for lunch or to sit in and observe a class. Sincerely, Jackie Haymes Principal Excelsior Springs Middle School
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