The new school year begins for students on August 25, 2008.  We are anticipating an enrollment of close to 800 students at Highland Middle School (grades 6, 7, and 8). Our district enrollment continues to grow approximately 4% each year.

We are please to welcome several new staff members for this year:

• Ms Allison Bonhard has been selected for the new 6th grade Integrated Language Arts position.  She has 2 years teaching experience in the Madison School District.

• Mr. Michael Tipple will be teaching both the 6th and 8th grade Foreign Language Exploratory classes.  Michael has been a long-term substitute in the Ashland School District, teaching FLEX and Spanish I courses at the middle school.
  
  
• Ms Nicole McGaha has been hired as an additional 8th grade math teacher. She will teach Algebra and Math III (pre-algebra) courses.  Nicole worked for the past year as the building substitute at Highland High School and is licensed for grades 7 - 12 math.

• Mrs. Tracy Goebel has been hired as a part-time 8th grade language arts teacher. Tracy has been employed for the past 8 years as Highland’s director of communications.  She will teach 2 sections of 8th grade language arts. This will help to reduce class sizes and provide more scheduling flexibility for our students.

New for the 2008 - 2009 school year:
            Our 6th grade students will have an increase of 50% in Language Arts instruction.  A new course, Integrated Language Arts, will supplement the language arts classes and provide additional instruction addressing the Ohio Content Standards for reading and writing. Students will have this graded class for two 9-week quarters as part of their 5 block rotation.  Topics will include writing (persuasive, response to writings, letters, informational), oral and visual communication, research and technology.

            All 6th grade students will also have a Foreign Language Exploratory (FLEX) course. This 9-week course will serve to provide students an overview of multiple languages (Spanish, French, German, Latin) as well as cultures of the middle- and far-east. The content is designed to foster an interest in the study of a foreign language as student progress through the middle and high school.

            8th grade students will continue to have the option to take FLEX.  This semester-long (18 week) course provides more depth and language skills to assist students in selecting a foreign language to study as they begin high school.

            At the middle school, students have opportunities to choose electives aimed at providing experiences in preparation for high school while exploring possible career goals.

Foreign Language Exploratory - an 8th grade elective course developed to provide students an overview of foreign languages, cultures, and history. The semester-long course will assist students in making a decision about what language to study in high school or college.

Technology Education - all 8th grade students will participate in this 9-week course designed to introduce students to the use of modern technology in problem solving, data analysis, material production and communication. Students will also gain an awareness of career opportunities that exist in this field.

8th Grade Elective Art  - 8th grade students may elect Art as a semester class (18 weeks). Students will work in many media (sculpture, drawing, painting, graphic design, etc).

6th Grade Teams - Our 6th grade teachers are structured into 2 teams. Each team of 4 core teachers will share approximately 130 students. Teams are heterogeneously grouped. Both teams have gifted students as well as students with special needs. The teachers have common time to plan instruction and discuss student progress. The hallmark of teaming is the implementation of flexible scheduling, since all the students share the same teacher, the same space in the building and the same time blocks throughout the day.