Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Mickelson Middle School principals outline teaming, daily PE and growing ELL population
Loading...
Summary
Mickelson Middle School principals Todd Foster and Matt Christie briefed the board on enrollment, programs that emphasize teaming and daily wellness classes, and rising numbers of English language learners.
Todd Foster and Matt Christie, principals at Mickelson Middle School, presented an overview of the middle school's program, enrollment and recent initiatives at the Brookings School District board meeting.
Foster said Mickelson's enrollment this year is 778 students, with 263 in sixth grade, 262 in seventh grade and 253 in eighth grade. He told the board the school has 39 English-language-learner (ELL) students now, and he expects the incoming fifth-grade class will increase that number; he estimated the program could approach about 50 ELL students next year and said 14 different primary languages are spoken by students at the middle school. Foster thanked the district for supporting a full-time ELL teacher, noting that Cheryl Harming has moved into that role and is serving the student population.
Christie and Foster described key elements of Mickelson's approach: a teaming model in which groups of roughly 35 students and five core teachers operate as a smaller learning community; a Bobcats "Back to School" seven-day orientation designed to build relationships and review procedures; a tiered new-student integration system to onboard students who arrive mid-year; and the "Bobcat Grotto," a restorative in-school support space where students can work to "earn their way back" to class with guidance and points-based progress.
The principals also emphasized that Mickelson provides physical education and health/wellness every day, supported by a team of five wellness teachers. Foster said few middle schools in the state offer daily PE/health, and he credited that schedule with strengthening student engagement.
Foster noted Mickelson's history: the middle school concept was adopted locally in the late 1960s, the current building opened in 1999 and an addition was completed in 2020. He invited board members to visit the school and asked anyone interested to schedule a deeper briefing on middle-school scheduling and practices.
Ending: Board members thanked the principals for the presentation and praised the school's emphasis on adolescent development, relationship-building and daily wellness instruction.
