Middle School Partners Program
SAISD
Featuring Harris Hawks
A Whole New World
At Harris Middle School, opportunities are abounding. This year we joined the next cohort of Verizon Innovative Learning Schools and in September, each student at Harris will receive an iPad that she or he can take home. Each iPad comes equipped with internet access which will really help facilitate all of the learning happening on and off campus. You see, Harris was also approved as an International Baccalaureate campus offering the Middle Years Programme. Students at IB campuses focus on taking a more holistic approach to learning. This means that students consider the global context of what they are learning and teachers find new and innovative ways to facilitate students taking ownership of new information, driving students to become authentic, lifelong learners using the ten IB ATL skills. With this kind of access to the world and so many opportunities, our students at Harris know that they really can be anything.
In a World Where You Can Be Anything...Be Kind
In the Middle School Partners Program at Harris, we also focus on building a student's character. One way we do this is by make sure that our students know that their words can have lasting consequences. Students participated in an activity led by Mrs. Graham, the Communities in Schools Site Coordinator for Harris Middle School, in which they had to squeeze toothpaste out of the tube. After they completed this task, they were told to put the toothpaste back into the tube. Of course, this was nearly impossible and created a mess, which was the whole point. Students were reminded that their words are powerful and can cause lasting damage. Once spoken, an unkind word can not be taken back. We can apologize, but the hurt and harm caused by our thoughtless words often leave a lasting mark. According to Mrs. Graham, "This was a fun way for our students to begin thinking about others, and treating each other with dignity and respect.”
According to students, the activity did just that:
Janelle & Layla
Janelle said, "If you say something mean, it could hurt somebody. Even if you say sorry, they could forgive you, but it still hurts." Layla added, "You can't take anything back completely, so you need to think before you say stuff."
Paul
"When you say stuff and hurt someone, you can apologize and think everything is better but it still effects them," concluded Paul.
Sara
Sara warned, "When you apologize, the person might still feel hurt, so be careful what you say."
Bridge to Promotion--Moving on Up
Our first Bridge to Promotion cohort at Harris saw eleven sixth grade students complete seventh grade coursework through Edgenuity this summer and move into the eighth grade and the Middle School Partners Program for the 2018-2019 school year. One student, Elyas V. said, "I felt weird being older than other people in my class (as a sixth grader). Now, I think it is pretty fun and cool to get to move to my right grade and be in the Partners Program." Miranda said that in 6th grade she felt more mature than her peers. When approached about the Bridge to Promotion program, Miranda felt, "It was an opportunity and I am glad that I was given the chance." Payton, another student who completed Bridge to Promotion and joined this year's Partners cohort adds, "I feel so happy and grateful to be in my right grade. Other kids should be given the opportunity, too. I am appreciative that somebody finally gave me a chance to show who I really am. I am able to do that in the Partners Program."
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Edgenuity and the Partners Program
We are excited to move forward with Edgenuity Online Learning in order to build stronger academic success for our Partner students. Edgenuity will be providing an exciting and engaging educational environment that is designed to capture the attention of our Partner students and draw them into the interactive world of online learning. Not only will students work during school hours on high school credits, but they will have the opportunity to access their account from home.