SAGE Middle School
Newsletter
SAGE Center Mission
As the heart of the gifted community, the mission of the SAGE Center is to ensure all students, as members of a global society, foster their uniqueness, develop their potential, and embrace their true belonging through learning experiences distinguished by:
*Courageous exploration and discovery of passions in a flexible and innovative environment
*Support systems for students, staff, and community
*Ownership and self-regulation in a student-driven culture.
Program Goals
To provide curricula that focuses on more elaborate, complex, and in-depth study of major ideas, key concepts and themes that integrate knowledge within and across disciplines and encourages the use of higher-level thinking skills.
To provide curricula that sets high standards and that demands rigorous expectations for student work and performance demonstration.
To provide instruction that allows for the development and application of productive thinking skills and enables students to re-conceptualize existing knowledge and/or generate new understandings that deal with real-life problems and issues.
- To provide instruction that is flexibly paced and matched to the student’s ability, pre- assessment data, learning style, interest, and motivation.
- To provide opportunities for students to develop leadership and group interaction skills that allows student-centered discussion and Socratic questioning.
To require project based learning of gifted students that represents application, analysis, and synthesis of knowledge.
To encourage an environment that fosters a positive attitude toward creative challenges, investigative activity, and knowledge creation.
Engage with Sage
Middle School SAGE Days: Blue & Gold Schedule
Please be aware of two things that are different from the district's secondary hybrid schedule:
- There will be no middle school in-person student contact on Wednesdays at SAGE while we're in Scenario 2.
- November 23rd & 24th will be different for SAGE as well. We will only have Blue, Monday on the 11/23. We will not hold middle school SAGE on Nov 24th.
In-Person SAGE
Bus Rider:
- Students who ride the bus will be delivered and dismissed through the lower level bus loop.
- Please avoid this area when visiting the SAGE Center.
Car Rider Drop Off Time:
- 6th - 8th grades: Drop off between 9:20 - 9:30 a.m.
- Parents who are dropping off at the SAGE Center should pull through the upper lot circle drive. Students will enter through the Southside double doors of the Center.
- The circle drive is ONE WAY.
- Please pull all the way to the cones before stopping and unloading.
Pick Up Times:
- 6th - 8th grades: Pick up 1:40-1:45 p.m.
- Parents who are picking students up from the SAGE Center should pull through the upper lot circle drive and wait until students are released.
- The circle drive is ONE WAY.
- Please pull all the way to the cones before stopping and loading.
Virtual SAGE
Below are the SAGE teachers facilitating Virtual SAGE:
- 6th - 8th: Mrs. Lara Owsley
- 6th-8th: Mrs. Melissa Torres
Middle School 6-8 students participating in Virtual SAGE will be assigned a Virtual SAGE day similar to the Middle School days listed below. Wednesdays will be set aside as a student catch up day.
Office Hours
Mrs. Fogel 12:30-1:30 Wednesday
Mr. Adamson 12:30-1:30 Wednesday
Ms. Duffett 12:30-1:30 Wednesday
Mrs. Koch 12:30-1:30 Wednesday
Mrs. Shaffer 12:30-1:30 Wednesday
Mrs. Rust 12:30-1:30 Wednesday
Mrs. Turner 12:30-1:30 Wednesday
Mrs. Torres 12:30-1:30 Wednesday
Mrs. Owsley 1:00- 2:00 Wednesday
Big Three Behavior Expection
Students are expected to be Professional, Respectful, and Responsible while at the SAGE Center. Below is the Behavior Matrix that our Illuminators will be expected to follow throughout their days at the Center.
Please encourage your child to do his/her best in following our expectations every day. We know that following these big THREE expectations will help each child be a positive learner who will Illuminate the Way!
Course Descriptions
Restorative Circles
Affective Curriculum
Problem Solving Skills
G.U.I.L.D.S
1st Semester In-Person Unit of Study Descriptions
Art of Engineering
Biomedical Science
Elements and Principles of Design
Exploring Architecture
First Lego League
Special Effects
Stock Market
Stock Market II- Students will take their knowledge and skills of the stock market to the next level. Students will go deeper into aspects of investing with topics such as mutual funds and bonds. Students will have the opportunity to invest.
Arduino
Virtual Units of Study
Badges
This year we will have a raffle that students can enter to win Gift Cards/prizes. For each badge over 5, you can earn an entry into the drawing.
Badges will be reported to students via Canvas assignment.
Middle School SAGE Canvas
Canvas is NKC’s digital online learning management system (LMS). It is used throughout the district, as well as, here at SAGE. Students in 6th, 7th & 8th grades have multiple SAGE classes, which are all in Canvas. As a parent observer, you can use Canvas to see work assigned & submitted, and to view information about each SAGE class.
Already a Canvas Observer?
If you are already observing your student in Canvas, then you should see their SAGE classes listed, in addition to their other courses.
New to Canvas?
If you have not yet signed up to be an observer, the directions to do so & the tutorial videos are linked below.
Parent Observation Directions:
Attached
Tutorial Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf2WG3k1FMc&list=PLnNlyhnWWg78HdzIFVthHC-ni2JYhoME5&index=2&t=0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zizBWcvCWUE&list=PLnNlyhnWWg78HdzIFVthHC-ni2JYhoME5&index=2
Troubleshooting:
SAGE classes may be listed on a different tab or page, depending on the device you are using, labeled NIC, for Northland Innovation Center.
If you have signed up previously and are still not seeing the SAGE classes, tech support has suggested repeating the sign up process again.
If you are a district employee, tech support has also suggested that Canvas will work more efficiently if you use a personal email for your parent account.
PAGS
As a reminder, we are currently taking memberships for this year so that we can continue to expand our events and resources!
We are always looking for more ways to get students and parents engaged, and we need your help! Please renew your membership so that we can continue to provide resources, support, and FUN for students, families, and teachers.
Memberships are only $10 per family (regardless of how many children are in SAGE).
Middle School SAGE Team
Shon Adamson
816-321-4009
Melissa Duffett
816-321-4511
melissa.duffett@nkcschools.org
Jennifer Koch
816-321-6710
Cassandra Shaffer
816-321-5988
cassandra.shaffer@nkcschools.org
Lara Owsley
816-321-4216
Lara.bradleyowsley@nkcschools.org
Cassie Fogel
816-321-4605
Wendy Rust
816-321-6558
Melissa Torres
816-459-0744
Cindy Turner
816-321-6313
Email: rebecca.mason@nkcschools.org
Website: nkcschools.org/sage
Location: Northland Innovation Center, North Oak Trafficway, Gladstone, MO, USA
Phone: 816-321-5646
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NKC-SAGE
Twitter: @NKC_SAGE