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of 6-8 middle schools 6th grade students will learn in self-contained classrooms At Winship and Zane, sixth-grade students will be taught in self-contained classrooms with access to tech-nology, science, and leveled math opportunities, physical education, music, and electives. 6th-grade students will be better prepared for 7th-grade environment 6th-grade middle school students will be better prepared for the challenges they'll face in 7th-grade such as moving between classrooms, rigorous standards, and a new environment. 6th-grade students will be taught independently from 7th and 8th-graders in a structure similar to what they currently have, but with additional opportunities. 6th-graders will not be attending a six period day program with 6 different teachers. 6th-grade students will experience a gradual and smooth transition to 7th-grade throughout the entire year in preparation for the additional academic requirements of the 7th grade. At this time, transition from 6th to 7th-grade consists of two school visitations, a parent night, a two-hour orientation, and summer school LEAP (orientation) for some. 6th-grade classroom instruction will benefit 6th-grade teachers will be able to work together closely to plan and coordinate classroom instruction to better meet student learning. Furthermore, 6th-grade teachers will be able to communicate with 7th-grade teachers on a daily basis to better articulate the curriculum between grade levels. With the elimination of 5th/6th-grade combination classes, 6th-grade instruction will be able to better address California standards. Students in need of intervention can be identified sooner and their needs addressed during these critical middle school years. 6th-grade students will have access to additional learning opportunities In a middle school setting, 6th-grade students will have access to expanded technology, science, and math opportunities as well as music, sports, and after-school enrichment and intervention programs. Middle school students will be better prepared to pass California's new High School Exit Exam Facing state promotion/retention requirements in elementary school and needing to pass California's new high school exit exam, middle school students are literally caught in the middle. With a three-year expanded and well-coordinated curriculum, 6-8 middle school students will be better prepared to meet upcoming challenges such as the high school exit exam. 6-8 middle schools are educating more students than 7-8 junior highs Educators are finding that the middle school concept works to better address the needs of the 11 to 14-year-old student. This is evidenced by increasing middle school numbers in California and the nation. California school and enrollment totals show that there are 706 6-8 middle schools educating 684,467 students — compared to 341 7-8 junior highs educating 281,134 students. The state trend is toward 6-8 middle schools. |
 SIXTH-GRADE TEACHERS Who will the sixth-grade teachers be?
Winship Middle School teachers are: Karen Isaacson (Lincoln); Sheri Jensen (Grant); Diane Parrott (Marshall); Tony Pitre (Lafayette); and Kristin Sobilo (Worthington).
SIXTH-GRADE SCHOOL DAY What time does school start and end at Winship and Zane?
CLASS SIZE How many sixth-grade classes will be at each school?
CAMPUS ORIENTATION Will there be an orientation program for incoming sixth-graders and seventh-graders?
PARENT INVOLVEMENT What are some suggestions for parents on how they can become more involved at the middle school?
MIDDLE SCHOOL BENEFITS What would be the advantage of going to the middle school for sixth-grade instead of staying at a K-6 school?
TRANSPORTATION Will there be transportation?
FACILITIES What are the differences between Winship and Zane?
SPORTS Do Winship and Zane have playgrounds?
TECHNOLOGY What is happening with technology at Winship and Zane?
SPECIAL NEEDS Will there be special day classes?
SAFE SCHOOLS How do you deal with gangs at the middle schools?
MEDICAL Isn't there a Hepatitis B shot for middle school?
LIBRARY Are librarians ordering books for sixth-graders?
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board’s
facilities plan to maximize the district’s resources to benefit
student learning. The two schools had previously been structured
as two-year junior high schools.
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tarting in September, sixth-grade
students will have increased learning opportunities and begin to be better
prepared for the challenges of high school when they start school at Winship
and Zane Middle Schools. The new 6-8 middle school alignment has been seriously considered by Eureka City Schools since 1984. That was the year California's Department of Education published the groundbreaking middle school study Caught in the Middle. Winship's principal Kim Cobine explained, "Caught in the Middle presented guidelines and concepts of what an exemplary 6-8 middle school should look like. We have studied it and dreamed about it and tried to figure out how we could make it work in our district." The middle school alignment has been discussed extensively with staff and school community over the last five years during Winship and Zane's strategic planning sessions as a way of improving student learning. As part of a district-wide facility and 6-8 grade realignment plan, Eureka City Schools' Governing Board voted in favor of the new 6-8 middle schools at its January 10 regular meeting. Cobine detailed the positive effect a 6-8 middle school will have for students. "There are benefits for all three grade levels. For our sixth-graders, they'll still be in that protective environment of a self-contained classroom they currently enjoy at the elementary school," said Cobine. "The sixth-graders will transition into the school culture slowly without having to deal with six different teachers and numerous homework assignments. By the time they're in seventh-grade they'll really be able to focus on the seventh-grade curriculum right off the bat." Middle school students are now faced with higher academic standards including more rigorous courses such as algebra. The three-year middle school experience will better prepare eighth-graders for high school, according to Cobine. "We believe that by having students on our campus for three years we can communicate and work together with students and families to help prepare students for that high school experience. With the state-mandated high school exit exam, we feel we're really responsible for doing everything we can to get the kids ready for high school." Educators have found that the middle school concept works to better address the needs of 11 to 14-year-olds. California public school enrollment totals show that there are 706 6-8 middle schools compared to 341 7-8 junior highs. Only 14 California schools offer the old junior high 7th to 9th-grade alignment. Middle school students are also facing new state-mandated guidelines on promotion and retention. Currently, teachers and parents work together throughout the school year on individual learning plans for students who are not at grade level to ensure that those students are prepared for the next grade. Zane principal Catalina Nocon spoke of this increased pressure. "Within two years, our students are being faced with two critical pieces in their education - promotion/ retention and the high school exit exam. Trying to work with students and parents for two years, it feels as if they aren't spending quite enough time here."  By being on a middle school
campus, sixth-graders will also have access to expanded academic, enrichment,
and after-school opportunities."I know that students at this age level like to try new things, and the types of electives that we have here at Zane are going to excite sixth-grade students. We have a fantastic art and music program. If you look at our school, there's artwork everywhere. Our music teacher, Mr. McCay, is already giving me ideas as to how he sees the sixth-grade students becoming a part of the music program," said Nocon. Nocon mentions other opportunities. "We'll offer Spanish as an elective. I see sixth-grade sports teams happening here. We've got incredible technology tools at Zane... three computer labs, video production, digital cameras, scanners, and the Internet." "There's excitement with sixth-grade teachers about coming over to the middle school. Our current seventh-grade teachers are saying that it'll be nice to collaborate with sixth-grade teachers to know exactly what students have learned in the previous year. They'll be able to plan interventions earlier in the school year. It will bring more consistency to student learning." Both the Winship and Zane campuses are on 30-acre parcels, so space for the new sixth-grade is not seen as a problem. Cobine mentions, "We're projecting our enrollment next year to be 520 students. Two years ago our enrollment was 510 with just seventh and eighth-grade. We will not be overcrowded." Nocon adds, "We have about 200 students coming from our elementary schools and we are hearing that there are students from other districts that are interested in coming over too. At Zane, we've dropped in enrollment from last year by 90 students and this has freed up some classrooms." Both principals agree that the sixth-grade's physical environment will be unique. "We want the sixth-graders to have their own unique physical place at Zane and know who each other is. Their classrooms will not be spread around the campus. I want sixth-graders to feel comfortable," said Nocon. May 2001  
Middle school teams plan for exciting school year By Sheldon J. Reber, Director of School and Community Relations W hen Winship and Zane 6-8 Middle Schools open this fall on September 4, sixth-grade students will find a welcoming staff and an exciting range of new educational opportunities. On January 10, the governing board of Eureka City Schools approved a facilities and grade-realignment plan that included moving the district's sixth-grade students to the Winship and Zane campuses starting the 2001-2002 school year. Staff at both schools, along with district support, have been hard at work planning for the new middle schools. Since January, both schools have held teacher collaboration and facilities planning meetings, fifth-grade classroom visits, and parent information nights at all eight Eureka City elementary schools. Sixth-grade teachers for Zane Middle School include Kathleen Dimick from Washington, Martin Goddi from Washington, Sarah Maninger from Washington, Garett Montana from Jefferson, Joan Novak from Washington, Linda Parker from Marshall, Ken Pinkerton from Worthington, Cathy Westphal from Washington, Janet Lopez from Alice Birney, and Kathy DeSpencer from Marshall. Winship Middle School sixth-grade teachers are Karen Isaacson from Lincoln, Diane Parrott from Marshall, Tony Pitre from Lafayette, and Kristin Sobilo from Worthington. Winship teachers have been busy planning a full standards-based science curriculum for sixth-graders every day. Winship principal Kim Cobine is excited about the new opportunity. "Our sixth-graders will be actively involved in hands-on science projects, they'll use technology, and learn science vocabulary¯ so that when they go into the seventh-grade science program, they're more prepared." Cobine sees Winship's sixth-grade science class as a critical piece of the school's yearlong transition program. "The sixth-grade students will have visited all four science labs and get to know four different seventh and eighth-grade science teachers. They will have expanded a little beyond their sixth-grade common area." Sixth-grade students at Zane will also benefit from learning science in a lab setting. "Our sixth-grade teachers have been meeting with our seventh and eighth-grade science teachers as well as teachers throughout the district to make sure that the science instruction is challenging, intellectually stimulating, and exciting with fun learning activities," said Zane principal Catalina Nocon. Winship's standards-based sixth-grade math program will be leveled to offer opportunities to all students regardless of where they may be in math. Cobine explained, "We may have a group of sixth-graders moving quickly through the math curriculum, so instead of holding them back, we'll offer additional enrichment activities. Then we'll have a group of students moving right along, and for those students who need an extra boost, we'll offer math intervention throughout the school year." Winship's sixth-graders will have a math block "that will be up to one-hour-and-twenty-minutes long, which is really remarkable in public schools," explained Cobine. "We are really taking the state standards seriously by doing everything we can to prepare our students for algebra in the eighth-grade." Zane sixth-grade teachers have been collaborating with seventh and eighth-grade teachers to develop standards-based math instruction. "Reinforcing basic math skills, offering interventions throughout the day, working with students in small groups, working with parents to help them work with their children in math, and extending the time for math instruction are being incorporated in the 6-8 math program at Zane," according to Nocon. Understanding algebra is important because starting in 2004 all high school students will need to pass the algebra portion of California's new High School Exit Exam in order to receive a diploma. Along with curriculum planning, designing the facilities of the new middle schools has been discussed with staffs and the district. Eureka City Schools will be placing two double-wide portables behind Winship's science building and near the school's gym to accommodate the four sixth-grade classes. "It's a great location¯the windows will look out onto our redwood forest," said Cobine. Nocon talked about Zane's facilities plan for sixth-grade students. "One of our buildings, currently two very large classrooms, will be split in half, and one of those rooms will be a science classroom where sixth-graders can get hands-on experience in a lab setting." Zane will also be receiving two portable classrooms located nearby, "so that the sixth-graders will have their own area within the Zane campus," said Nocon. There will be a total of eight sixth-grade classes at Zane. Nocon and Cobine have also been busy observing other North Coast middle schools and out of the area schools. In March, both principals attended the California League of Middle Schools annual conference in San Diego. "We toured several 6-8 middle schools in San Diego. One of the smallest had 1,300 students. We had opportunities to talk with many of the students and get their feedback on being in a middle school. I was pleased with how very natural the interactions between the sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders were," noted Nocon At the middle schools conference, Delaine Eastin, state superintendent of public instruction, released the new middle schools handbook Taking Center Stage. The publication, a result of three years of research by a task force composed of leading California educators, provides "recommendations for charting a course for middle grade education in the 21st century." A strategy and resource-rich document, Taking Center Stage examines school culture, classroom organization, accelerated learning opportunities, safe school environment, and "specific knowledge and skills teachers and principals need in order to work effectively in a standards-based middle school." Closer to home, the Winship and Zane teachers have toured Crescent Elk Middle School, Sunny Brae Middle School and McKinleyville Middle School. For Nocon and her sixth-grade staff, these visits were very valuable. "We talked with McKinleyville and Sunny Brae teachers and listened to their ideas about the instructional needs of middle school students. They shared with us their challenges and successes. I hope we can visit those schools again." Sixth-grade students can also look forward to extensive after-school programs at both middle schools. Winship and Zane have Community Learning Centers (CLCs); after-school enrichment programs, math and reading intervention help, and recreation opportunities for students. Parents and community are encouraged to get more information and updates about Eureka's 6-8 Middle Schools by contacting Winship's principal Kim Cobine at 441-2487 and Zane's principal Catalina Nocon at 441-2470.
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