Middle School Morning Meetings
Written by: Carrie Wisehart
This is my first year as Principal at DeKalb Middle School. This summer, I met with any staff or teachers interested in meeting with me and sharing their thoughts. Those meetings were invaluable to me as I learned about my new school’s culture and the concerns that staff members had moving forward. Culture was a recurring theme – morale, unity, and coming together as a school. As a result of that finding, Middle School Morning Meeting was born.
Many middle schools don’t have the space to house all their students in one place (other than the gym) – and we are no exception. But for a short 8 minutes every day, we squeeze all 800 of our students and staff into our cafeteria/commons space, and we spend time together.
Together is the key word. Educational leaders know and understand that a school does not operate just because of teachers or staff or administrators – but because of the entire tribe of people – custodians, food service workers, secretaries, paraprofessionals, maintenance crew – they ALL join with our certified staff to make a difference in the lives of our students.
“Morning Meeting in a middle school provides a lot of opportunities for culture and unity.”
Morning Meeting in a middle school provides a lot of opportunities for culture and unity. First off, my students were able to quickly get to know me in a short period of time. I was the “new principal,” and now I was in front of the entire student body every single day. The next goal was to create themes for every day that would match what our students and staff needed.
“In my middle school era” Monday
Monday’s goal was to get to know one another. Each Monday, I put staff members’ middle school pictures on the screen, and students guess which staff member it is. Once they guess, the staff member comes to the front of the room and answers our two questions:
- What was your favorite part of middle school?
- How did you survive middle school?
Students have expressed that they love Mondays – getting to know our staff and teachers.
True Life Tuesday
The goal for Tuesday is to help our students get to know the community. True Life Tuesday often features guests from our school district or community. We’ve had our school superintendent, business office manager, School Resource Officer, some members of the local fire department, and more! When we don’t have a guest, I tell “true life” stories that help students connect with others who have made an impact on my own life.
Wellness Wednesday
Wednesday is centered around Wellness. The first week, we introduced our nurse. Wellness Wednesday has included different healthy activities that students can use to cope with stress and take care of themselves. We’ve done breathing exercises, brain-focused exercises, and had staff members talk about their own self-care strategies.
Thoughtful Thursday
At our middle school, we have a BIG RED BOX that students put compliments in. The compliments are distributed throughout the school year to staff and students. We read them out loud on our news and in our Thursday morning meeting.
The purpose of Thursday is to take care of others. Kindness is the emphasis – and we do it together. We also use that time to present our monthly Marigold Award. This award is nominated by staff FOR staff. The marigold flower protects other flowers from pests and weeds – a marigold at our school protects and encourages other staff members. We present this award in FRONT of our students so that they see staff recognizing one another.
Fist Bump Friday
Positive Office Referrals (or Baron Fist Bumps) have become a staple at DeKalb Middle School. We focus on seven competencies in our district: critical thinking, collaboration, communication, empathy, adaptability, perseverance, and integrity. When a staff member sees a student exhibiting one or more of these competencies, they write a positive office referral, sending students to the office for a GOOD REASON!
The student’s picture is taken and posted on social media. The positive office referral is sent home with a letter outlining the purpose. Students are given a magnet to put on their lockers. Finally, students are invited to a monthly pizza or popcorn party with the principals. Each Friday, these names are read aloud and celebrated at our morning meeting.
“Those eight minutes are essential as we create unity among staff, students, and teachers.”
Morning Meeting has become an integral part of our culture at DeKalb Middle School. Those eight minutes are essential as we create unity among staff, students, and teachers. The other day on Wellness Wednesday, another teacher and I role-played an active listening exercise. When I walked into a teacher’s classroom today, he was referencing that moment. We have shared experiences as a community – and we do them together.
We end each meeting with the pledge of allegiance, a moment of silence, and then, our student government leads each grade level in a chant: “We are DeKalb Middle School!” It’s all about who are ARE, not who we aren’t – and it’s an honor to celebrate who we are every day in Morning Meeting.
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