On December 12th is our evening 4th-8th grade preview night. Our preview days give our families a chance to see the awesome programming, curriculum and out of this world teachers we have all the way up through 8th grade. 

One of my goals as the leader of this organization is to provide a program that our Trailblazers and their families are excited to continue to participate in all the way until they become graduates in 8th grade. 

There are a handful of components of our 4th-8th grade program that set us apart from all other schools. Here are the ones at the top of my list.

1. Teachers. Our teachers not only know their content but work very hard to keep each day engaging and challenging for our students. I have mentored principals and visited schools across our choice and magnet region, and I have not seen as consistently amazing teachers as the ones we have at Solar. I believe that the number one thing that determines a great school is the teachers, and I can confidently call our teachers the best middle school teachers in Dallas ISD.

2. Course Options. Our creative master schedule gurus (our middle school teacher schedule committee) created a 10-block schedule that allows our students the ability to participate in up to 6 elective and enrichment courses beyond the 4 advanced core subjects. Not only is our core curriculum exactly what students would be taking at a magnet school, most magnet and comprehensive schools require students to choose a path (Studio Art OR orchestra OR maker/engineering OR theater OR debate.) 

At Solar, many of our students participate in 3 or 4 of these electives and feel so much more aware of their strengths and are more well rounded as they enter middle school. On top of that, our teachers have made our 10th block into an enrichment block where students participate in a fun enrichment course (ie. pickle ball, creative writing, art journaling), targeted instruction, Girl Scouts and STEAM Fridays. This opportunity for students is not offered at any other middle school in Dallas ISD. 

3. Communication Skills. Our goal for our students before they reach high school is for them to have multiple opportunities to speak in front of large groups and practice their communication skills. We have had multiple high schools reach out to us to ask how our students have become such confident speakers? This is all a result of daily intentional practice, building self-awareness and focus on sharing their voices. 

4. Social-Emotional Learning. Studies show that the social and academic contexts of traditional middle grade schools may not be well-aligned with early adolescents’ developmental needs for feeling connected to others, cooperation (instead of competition) with their classmates, and a sense of autonomy in their learning. Knowing who our students are as human beings during one of the most tumultuous times in their lives as their brains are rewiring and creating the image of themselves that they will carry with them into high school and beyond, has had the most significant impact on the success of our students. Our focus on social-emotional learning in middle school creates an environment where our teachers know our students. They team up to discuss students needs and ways to help support them through this tough transition. Our advisory block each morning allows our students to build strong connections and practice the skills to help them stay organized, self-regulate and practice self-awareness.

5. Diversity. While other magnet options may offer the opportunity for students to participate in a program with other students at a similar advanced academic level, our program provides the opportunity for students to interact and engage in meaningful conversations and learn from an extremely diverse group of students from all over the metroplex. This is one of the most critical pieces of what makes us Solar and what I truly believes sets our students up for success in spaces beyond our walls. They are able to demonstrate empathy, participate in collaborative groups and seek to understand and connect with others who may not look like them or share common values and interests. In our current environment as a nation, looking beyond the surface of our peers to find value in the differences in others and seeing the benefit that each individual brings to the group, regardless of their beliefs and backgrounds, is quite possibly the secret sauce to success for our future.