The middle school years are tumultuous ones for our students in grades five through eight. To judge how much students are changing physically all you have to do is compare their photos taken in September to those taken in June. What remarkable differences! So here at the Walter T. Bergen Middle School, the faculty and staff strive to ensure as smooth a transition into young adulthood as possible while still focusing on academics. Every day at WTB has some humor and some tears as the students hang on tight to the roller coaster ride of adolescence. Their teachers, in the meantime, are busy preparing lessons that are engaging and relevant. Thanks to board of education funding along with PTA support, a variety of performing arts programs were presented, some to the entire school and a number to small groups. The results were powerful springboards for conversation and introspection.

During the past school year, the first group of honorees was inducted into the Bobcat Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. Mrs. Maureen Jacobs is the advisor of this prestigious organization. Eligible students had to pass an evaluation by the National Junior Honor Society Faculty Council based on these personal attributes: character, citizenship, service and leadership in addition to their high academic standing. Here at WTB, we are looking forward to the next group of inductees to be announced later this fall.

WTB Middle School students will be receiving three formal report cards and three formal interim reports in addition to communication between teachers and parents as needed.

The trimester concept has shown to increase student achievement in many of the districts where it has been adopted. The change in marking periods provides more time for teachers to conduct thorough evaluations of student growth based on the state standards. It is not a new concept. Some schools have used the trimester marking period system for ten years or longer. The main reason for the trimester marking period system is the fact that is allows for greater contact time with students which, in turn, can provide greater intervention time. This helps the teacher know which strategies to use with each child (differentiated instruction), in order to help all students be successful. The trimester configuration of marking periods also provides more time for the completion of authentic assessments such individual and group projects which provide opportunities for students to apply knowledge or skills sufficiently for grading purposes.

The Walter T. Bergen Middle School faculty and support staff is looking forward to an exciting year of positive learning experiences!