Seaman Middle School: Team Sites

SEAMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM

December 30, 2008

7th Grade Wobbegongs	7th Grade Sea Dogs	7th/8th Grade Zebra Fish
Danny Miller	Ron Blanton	Lance Dougan
Melinda McNish	Karen Lee	Marlene Taylor
Chad Uhler	Carolyn Steele	Stacey Ziegler
Al Prengel	Brad Druse	Cindy Cumming
		Kristina May
		Donna Brooks
		Martha Shaffer

To visit individual team web pages, go to the Team Sites link on the left side of this window. A fly-out menu will display the team names for you to click on/select.

8th Grade Barracudas	8th Grade StingRays
Kevin Wolfe	Bob Calderwood
Penny Guy	Patti Herbster
S. Nocktonick-Hess	Julie McLaughlin
Wendi Menke	Todd Blanton

Seaman Middle School Teaming FAQs

What is the philosophy behind teaming?

Teams are the organizational structure that creates opportunities for a group of teachers to work with a common set of students, allowing for collaboration among teachers, integration of the curriculum, and coordination of activities to best promote learning for every child. Each team is designed as a learning community within the larger middle school. These groups allow for greater flexibility in grouping, scheduling, and staffing and reduce student isolation.

Why is teaming better for middle school students?

Teams create a social and academic climate that promotes developmentally appropriate activities for adolescents with a core area group of teachers. A team has been compared to a small neighborhood in a big city, enabling educators and adolescents to interact daily. This allows teachers to better meet the needs of teams of students as a whole as well as their individual needs.

How are teams of teachers and students created?

The building administration assigns teachers to teams based on their areas of specialization. Core area teachers serving on the team also consult with support staff, such as the learning support and special education teachers as well as the grade-level guidance counselor, when appropriate. Students are randomly mixed to create heterogeneous groups, giving them an opportunity to maintain old friendships and meet a variety of new students as well.

What decisions about my child’s academic and social life in the middle school are made at the team level?

Your child’s team teachers meet regularly to discuss team issues and plan social and academic activities to enhance his or her middle school experience. Teams set common goals, monitor individual student progress, coordinate communication with parents, plan curriculum integrations, coordinate homework, and plan special team activities.

What are the Seaman Middle School teams?

SMS will have two seventh grade teams, two eighth grade teams, and one team of seventh and eighth graders. Students in seventh grade are assigned to a four-teacher team (English, Math, Science, Social Studies). Students in eighth grade belong to a five-teacher team (Same as 7th plus Computer). Each team will consist of approximately 100 students.