Simmons Middle School principal named regional secondary principal of the year; school leaders report on achievement, safety and family engagement

The Aberdeen School board on the evening of the meeting heard an update from Simmons Middle School and learned that the school’s secondary principal was named regional secondary principal of the year.

Simmons administrators described the school’s ongoing work on the district’s goals, including a continuing comprehensive needs assessment (CNA) that uses state assessments, interim tests, attendance data and climate surveys to identify priority skill areas. "We are using the interim assessments very regularly this year," Dr. Morley said, adding that staff meet by department on staff development days to review interim results and focus instruction.

The school described several student supports and community activities put in place this year. In health and wellness, Simmons continues a homeroom curriculum intended to build students’ social-emotional skills—responsibility and compassion among them—and reports regular family events such as family fitness nights, a family movie night attended by "several hundred" people and a clothing drive that partnered with the student senate and donated remaining items to the Salvation Army. The school’s Youth Power group runs peer events to connect middle school students with high school activities.

On safety, administrators said staff completed Safe Schools trainings and conducted ALICE and fire drills. They also completed a site safety checklist that inventoried emergency supplies including AEDs and epinephrine auto-injectors. The school worked with its school resource officer to install flashing stop signs at a nearby intersection the principal described as "wonky" to increase driver awareness during drop-off and pick-up times.

Board members praised the school’s efforts. One board member called the focus on district goals "noteworthy," and another contrasted the current family-engagement activities with the more closed culture of earlier eras, saying it reflected a positive change in how schools involve families.

Administrators also announced that the district’s secondary principal of the year—named during a regional event—was introduced to the board. The meeting transcript referred to that honoree as "Mister Bobek" and also as "Mister Beck" in later remarks; the principal who accepted the recognition thanked staff, students and the board and said the award was "more of a we award than a me award." The principal said the formal award presentation will occur at an upcoming conference in June.

The Simmons update ended with plans for additional family engagement events in February and ongoing emphasis on data-driven instruction and student supports.