Developmental Responsiveness

West Oak Middle School leverages being a small school by creating a culture where students are supported by a team of teachers that believes in them and cares for each student as individuals.  The Humanex SEL survey that our students completed last spring showed that the overwhelming majority of students reported their teachers want them to be successful, treat them with respect, care about their health, and believe in them.  Many teachers leverage personal conferences and use daily mood meters to assess their students’ readiness to learn and to make sure students get the support they need inside and outside of the classroom.  The teachers and staff use Student Target Portfolios, where students track their progress each year and give a presentation of their collected body of academic work to their parents.  We have brought Health back as its own class so we can support students as they develop and change physically.  We incorporate a daily recess for all students and we have high participation rates in our interscholastic athletics.  

At West Oak Middle School, our goal is to not only support and enhance students’ intellectual development, but we also aim to support and enhance each of our students’ physical and social-emotional development as well. Our district partners with Quest food company to offer nutritious breakfasts and lunches to our students every day at no cost. This includes a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables along with protein enriched entrees too. Our school has also offered families and community members free food seven days a week to ensure that they are receiving adequate nutrition as well. 

Our students are also offered an exceptional physical education that includes a newly renovated fitness center that has various cardio and weight training equipment. During this time, each student is given a heart monitor to help them monitor and track their progress. 

West Oak Middle School also provides various resources to help meet our students’ social-emotional needs. Through our district’s SEL Committee, students receive a weekly social-emotional lesson that staff members then embed into their everyday teaching. Also available for students at the Tier II level are various student groups taught by our social worker, that help students in a variety of areas. Some of these groups include: anxiety, depression, decision making, peer relationships, 7th grade boys, and functional learning. 

Finally, along with various after school sports that are offered at our school, we have a number of clubs and activities that are very well attended and participated in. These clubs and activities include: The Elle Project, Club Co-Exist, Art Club, Sewing Club, Broadcasting Club, Yearbook, Theatre Club, National Junior Honor Society, Cosmetology Club, Intramural Basketball, and Sign Language Club. Each group meets weekly or biweekly after school and transportation is offered for all students to safely get home.

At West Oak Middle School, we are deeply committed to nurturing the curiosity, creativity, and social growth of every student. From the diverse range of classes we offer to our innovative teaching methods, our goal is to create a learning environment where students thrive. We prioritize student choice giving them the freedom to explore their passions by picking from our Art, Digital Media Arts, Project Lead The Way, Music, Spanish, Choir, and Band classes. Each of these classes offer a vast array of opportunities for students to instill a love for learning through creativity and curiosity. 

Across our entire building, we foster an atmosphere where student choice allows for personalized learning experiences in a structured, supportive environment. Our supportive, respectful, and responsive staff works collaboratively to build a culture that instills these skills within all of our students.

West Oak Middle School is focused on both rigorous and relevant teaching practices for students.  Teachers work to build interdisciplinary units so students can see connections between the subjects they are learning.  Teachers in our Fine Arts and Core classes build activities and assessments into their unit plans that have application to students’ current lives and what students may pursue in the future.  Through the use of Kagan cooperative learning strategies, all students are able to find a voice in their classroom as they talk about content and its connections to their own lives.  As a school, we are committed to our School Improvement Plan to give students choice in each of their classes and in each of their units regardless of subject.  This has increased student ownership and voice in the classroom.

We have focused a number of clubs in the school on providing student voice with regard to important decisions to the school.  The Student Ambassadors group is a student volunteer group that meets regularly with the administration to make suggestions for school improvement, build/maintain culture and climate, and put student ideas into motion.  Club Coexist gives students with very different perspectives a safe space to share who they are.  

We recognize the value of interdisciplinary learning and are actively working to strengthen this approach. While collaboration and sharing of best practices are already part of our culture, we are striving to increase the amount of integrated activities that cross content boundaries. Some of our Encore teachers are already leading the way, collaborating and co-teaching to reinforce key concepts between classes. We are also in the  stage of integrating ELA concepts into our Science curriculum. By encouraging students to apply the same comprehension strategies across subjects, we aim for students to create deeper, more meaningful learning experiences. Additionally, our Communication Arts and ELA teams are aligning their writing units to ensure consistency in expectations. We are working on unified projects across different classes, as well as continuing to align concepts and skills amongst classes to enhance student understanding. 

Our Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings are a driving force behind this collaboration. Teachers are focused on developing content with a shared grade-level goal in order to ensure that every student is benefiting from a cohesive learning experience. In order to further reinforce our commitment to student success by being a unified front staff, these goals are closely tied to our School Improvement Plan. As a staff, we explore new ways to collaborate across disciplines which lays the foundation for more interdisciplinary projects to further enrich our students’ education.

Each fall West Oak Middle School Students take the STAR Assessment of Student Readiness in reading and math.  Teachers use that data to set goals not only for themselves, but for students as individuals.  Teachers in our Advisory classes set achievement and personal goals with students and help them monitor their goals with teacher support throughout the school year.  We work with the Schuler Scholar Program and the AVID program at Mundelein High School in order to identify eighth grade students for support in their college and career pursuits throughout high school. Eighth grade students participate in a career exploration project in which they choose a career of their choice and research important information to share with their peers. This unit allows for students to use their strengths to find something they are passionate about to incorporate in their futures. 

Students have choices in each of their classes to engage in hands-on learning experiences that encourage students to take ownership of their own learning. These projects are a way to track students’ progress over the course of the school year, in addition to using them as student learning artifacts during parent-teacher conferences.

We are committed to doing a fantastic job of fostering inclusivity and student engagement! The Student Ambassadors group is a great way to ensure every student has a voice in shaping their school environment. We also offer wonderful clubs like Club Coexist, Theatre Club, and The Elle Project to provide representation and connection for students.

Inviting students to collaborate with teachers during lunch and free periods demonstrates a commitment to building strong relationships and supporting individual needs. Additionally, having students lead their own Parent-Teacher conferences is an empowering opportunity that encourages ownership of their learning journey. This holistic approach not only nurtures student involvement but also helps create a vibrant school community where everyone feels valued.

We at West Oak Middle School strive to maintain a strong parent to school partnership with our students’ families. Clear, concise, and regular communication is shared that is not only aligned with a child's academic needs and progress, but also their physical, social-emotional, and technological needs as well. Along with this, we meet the needs of our students and their families through regular food and winter coat drives and we also offer students and families an entirely free school store. Family needs are identified and individually addressed by our Community Liaison and our Parent Needs Assessment. 

Throughout the school year our staff regularly contacts parents through phone calls and emails to not only communicate academic progress, but also areas of concern with students. They also contact parents to give positive feedback about how they are progressing based upon our “Wolfpack Qualities” based upon teaching our students executive functioning skills and what respect is and looks like. Parents are also contacted and encouraged to participate in restorative circles and conferences to address challenges their child is facing. All of these examples allow for our school to establish trust and commitment to building and supporting all of our students, families, and community.

Diamond Lake School District 76 employs a full time Community Liaison with the target of strengthening the home/school partnership, and providing needed educational wellness, resources, and support to students and families. Through this role, we are continuing to establish a strong connection with our community while also providing volunteer opportunities for both our staff and students. These opportunities include: A Back to School Supply Drive, Thanksgiving Coat Drive, a Holiday Drive, a Spring Basket event, and mobile food pantries. District wide, we have been able to involve parents and students in various family nights that bring the community together.  To further student involvement in their community, students may participate in “The Elle Project” after school. This group is named after a student who passed away and focuses on volunteering in the community to make the world a better place. Our National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) students volunteer throughout the school and community to develop and strengthen their citizenship skills.  Our Coexist Club goal is to help all feel welcomed and included. We have been able to partner with The Mundelein After School Coalition to provide positive activities in the community and Stevenson High School’s Catalyst group to discuss topics of Drug Prevention.  We are continuously looking for opportunities to foster additional community partnerships with schools and organizations around us.

West Oak Middle School understands that the children we serve have interests that extend farther than the classroom and we offer a number of ways to better connect with our school. We believe that the more students are involved inside and outside of the classroom, the more positive an experience and a better connection is made with our school. We currently offer four sports seasons that include co-ed and individual sports such as volleyball, basketball, cross country, soccer, wrestling, cheerleading/poms, and track and field. Other clubs and activities that students are able to participate in are Scholastic Bowl, NJHS, Spelling Bee, The Elle Project, Club Co-Exist, Theatre Club, Sewing Club, Art Club, Broadcasting Club, Yearbook, Board Game Club, Cosmetology Club, and Sign Language Club. Our goal is for students to explore their interests, expand on their talents, meet new people, and to form deeper connections with our school and to grow school pride.