"New Year... Exciting Changes"
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the new school year! We are excited about the return of our students and look forward to a successful year for all students. Last year, our guiding coalition met to create our guiding principles that will anchor our work moving forward.
This year, we have a focus on student learning. We believe that if our students are not learning, we are not doing a great job teaching. All staff members are committed to doing whatever it takes for our students to experience success.
To ensure our guiding principles are attained, we have been intentional about the following:
- All ELA and Math classes are 90 minutes long.
- We follow a block schedule on Wednesdays and Thursdays to allow for all classes to focus on individual student needs.
- All content areas have identified Essential Standards. Essential Standards are TEKS that each content team believes a student must master to be successful in the current course and future courses. (NOTE: You will receive a pamphlet with all content Essential Standards soon.)
- All students will be taught through small group instruction on a regular basis to meet their individual needs.
- We are focusing on positive behaviors and will reward students for doing the right thing.
We are committed to our students and look forward to your partnership as we aim to make this the best school year yet for our students.
Your igKNIGHTed Principal,
Dr. HP Hyder, III
House Bill 4545
Before we can begin the accelerated instruction, 6th grade parent whose child did not pass a STAAR test, must participate in an accelerated learning committee meeting to develop an educational plan for the student and monitor progress. The law does not require parents of 7th and 8th graders to participate in the committee meetings. However, these students will receive accelerated instruction.
Below is a list of the possible content areas, by grade level, that a student may need to receive accelerated instruction for:
6th Grade - Math, Reading, and/or Science
7th Grade - Math and/or Reading
8th Grade - Math, Reading, and/or Writing
When providing accelerated instruction, HB 4545 recommends that the instruction be provided in a 1-on-1 or small group environment, with no more than 3 students in a small group. In order for us to meet the needs of more students, we will be sending a letter home asking for a waiver of the recommended group sizes.
As a means of aligning with the proposed group sizes, we will be offering accelerated instruction during advisory, extended blocked classes, after-school, and on Saturdays. Our students will engage in whole group mini-lessons, teacher-led small groups, and independent practice activities. By following this model, we are confident that our students will receive individualized attention from the teachers and make the expected progress.
Thank you in advance for your support and participation in the accelerated learning committee meetings.
Northbrook Middle School
Email: nms@springbranchisd.com
Website: nms.springbranchisd.com
Location: 3030 Rosefield Drive, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: (713) 251-4100
Twitter: @NorthbrookMS