Recess/Lunch
You witness two students getting heated, you try to diffuse the situation - but one pushes the other and storms into the Hub.
Think of Stan first (student behavior) — then DM Slack Stan, Anabelle & Alice to get assistance.
You walk into the bathroom and see three students in there on their phones.
Confiscate (or ask them to put the phones in the MS Hub Office). Let Stan know through Slack. He will follow up with students and help return phones to parents.
A student stands up in class and yells, "This is bullsh**."
Stan. After calming the student as best you can and giving them space, Stan can talk with the student and make a plan with that teacher about contacting home.
A parent emails you and questions a grade they received in JumpRope. You respond with your justification/evidence, but they keep pushing back.
Anna can help you word a response or meet with the parent to educate them on IB grading.
Who is our Dean of Student Life?
Stan
Q: You notice that the duty schedule isn't working — no one is watching the students on the basketball court and middle school feels too spread out.
A: Brenda will look at schedules / recess areas and work on re-setting norms or changing expectations so we feel like supervision is appropriate.
You need to send a student to the Hub mid-class to cool down — what's the move?
Send the student with a pass and message the middle school Slack channel so Stan (or whoever's in the Hub - Brenda/Anna) knows they're on their way.
You are trying really hard to use JumpRope — but you forgot the amazing training we had in August.
Find the tech cheat sheets in Slack #middleschool or reach out to Anna, either at your monthly meeting or set up a time for a quick refresher.
A parent emails asking about a schedule change, an elective, or trip logistics.
Brenda — scheduling and programming questions go to her.
Who is our MYP Coordinator and Grading Tsar?
Anna
You've noticed one of your students isn't eating much at lunch. You've talked to them a few times. The situation has not improved.
Let MS Leadership (Stan) know — the HR teacher will reach out to parents about the concern. Stan will follow up with you to see if there is improvement / explanation.
A student arrives at the Hub upset and says they don't want to go back to class.
Stan — the Hub is part of his student culture and behavior support space. Brenda, Anna, Caitlin or Alice are the other adults who will be covering the Hub.
You are grading a formative assessment and are unsure what a 7th grader's score of a "6" really looks like — you'd love some side-by-side assessment help to see if you're on the right track.
Anna. She would be happy to sit down with you to co-grade some work in order to align assessments.
A parent emails asking to add an accommodation that isn't currently in their child's learning plan.
Caitlin — loop her in since learning plans and accommodations are her focus (with Brenda if it's also a scheduling piece).
Who is our Middle School Learning Specialist?
Caitlin
You notice the same student keeps getting left out of games at recess by the same group of peers — it feels like more than typical kid stuff.
Stan — belonging and social patterns are his focus. Loop him in via Slack so he can watch for a pattern over time - he’ll tag Anabelle as well.
You notice one particular student keeps leaving your class to go to the bathroom or their locker, and you want to know if there's a bigger pattern.
Stan & Brenda— ask us about patterns so you can problem-solve together. Is it academic? Behavior? We’ll help sort through.
You want to differentiate a lesson for a student working above or below grade level, but you're not sure where to start.
Caitlin — reach out to her for support on tiering the lesson to fit the student's level. Loop Brenda in so she can be prepped to support.
Your first email of the morning is a 7-paragraph email from an angry parent.
Do not respond right away. Forward to MS Leadership (Brenda) — we will meet and craft a plan for a response. Usually a phone call or meeting after a quick email acknowledging their concern.
What's the fastest way to loop in the entire MS Leadership team at once?
Email msleadership@mackboulder.com or post in the #middleschool Slack channel.
You realize the lunch duty rotation posted doesn't actually match who is free during that period.
Brenda — duty schedules and logistics are hers to fix.
You find a vape or other contraband item in the Hub.
Stan — he handles the safety and disciplinary follow-through.
You have a student who is not successful — you are following the learning plan, but the strategies are not working.
Brenda & Caitlin. Brenda can support both you and Caitlin in drafting / revamping a learning plan or holding meetings with parents if additional support is needed.
You get an email from a parent about sad news in the family (pet died, vacation cancelled, parent moving out / divorce).
.
Stan & Anabelle (let all of MS Leadership know) — they will help with student support if needed.
If a concern is bigger than what MS Leadership can handle, who's next up the chain?
Mack Leadership — Alice Murphy (K-8 Director), Liz Rippey (Director of Gifted Education and Learning Support), or Bo Adams (Head of School).