Middle School Philosophy

Philosophy 

Our middle school is designed to cater to the specific needs of students in the middle grades.  Though our 7th and 8th grade students are technically part of the 7-12 high school, we make every attempt to establish ourselves as a school within a school.  We run our own schedule, organize separate meetings, and celebrate successes unique to middle school students.  We very much try to adhere to the middle grades philosophy put forth in the document Middle School is not a Building, published by the middle grades task force in 2009 and recently updated in 2020.  To access this document in its entirety please follow the link below:

GMUMS Structure & Staffing

The Middle School consists of two grade-level teams, a mix of various elective teachers, and a guidance counselor dedicated primarily to middle school students.  The grade level teams consist of the four content area teachers at each grade level (7th and 8th), who meet on a daily basis to collaborate on curriculum and assess the needs of our students.  It is an invaluable use of time that both strengthens and focuses our efforts on student achievement and well-being.  It is truly a team approach to the pursuit of meeting the needs of our students.

The seventh grade team includes Suzette Chivers (Social Studies), Sharon Jonynas (Language Arts), Angela Hutchins (Science), and  Theresa Buskey (Mathematics).

The eighth grade team includes Andy Jackins (Social Studies), Anne Gardner (Language Arts), Brett Mastrangelo (Science), and Linda Ewens (Mathematics).

Janet VanAlstyne and Justin Osier provide special education services to middle school students. 

Landen Elliott-Knaggs is our Middle School Guidance Counselor and Brett Mastrangelo serves as the Middle School Coordinator.