Welcome to Dr. Swift Middle School!

Principal's Message:

I would like to welcome all of you to Dr. Swift Middle School.  Our school has a proud tradition and we will continue to strive to improve your learning environment.  Adolescence is a time of many changes.  At Dr. Swift you will experience caring adults who will assist you in learning about yourself and becoming the best person you can be.   Our school emphasizes academic excellence, has a strong athletic program, and will provide a diversity of learning opportunities for you. I am very excited about the new challenges and experiences that await me at Dr. Swift.  I have a wealth of experience working in a middle school, however there is so much more I can learn.   “Together We Embrace Opportunities for Learning” is very meaningful to me and is an important message for us all.  Each day we must come to school with a positive attitude, a willingness to learn and a desire to have fun.  Working with peers and teachers will lead to your greatest successes, and establishing relationships with others is important in whatever your lifelong goals may be. 

Educational research clearly states that children whose parents are involved in their education experience greater academic success.   Parents please get involved in your child’s education by providing encouragement, a quiet place for reading and work, attending all scheduled interviews, and being involved in our school either as a volunteer or by joining the Parent Council.  It is my hope that all of you will enjoy a great year at Dr. Swift.

Rob Wicker
Principal

Mission Statement:

Dr. Swift Middle School is dedicated to providing a challenging and relevant education, through innovation and cooperation between the home, school and community, to enable all students to become responsible global citizens.

Beliefs:

We believe in the development of the whole middle years child through teamwork with an emphasis on:

• academics
• learning by doing
• community building
• positive problem solving

in an environment that provides stability, consistency, and security. 

Philosophy:

The Middle School philosophy is based on research from educators and psychologists in the area of child development.  The Middle Years are a time of great change for children, not only physical, but social and emotional as well.  The Middle School program is designed to provide students with the opportunities to find out who they are and where they fit in the sometimes confusing world.  While endeavoring to help the “Whole” child develop, there is still a strong emphasis on academic growth and achievement.

The following twelve tenants of the Middle School Philosophy will guide us in providing the best learning opportunities for you.  We believe developmentally expansive middle level schools:

• Subdivide into smaller learning communities.
• Provide an adult advocate for each student.
• Are flexible in scheduling and staffing.
• Provide varied teaching and learning approaches which promote collaborative involvement, hands-on experiences and authentic assessment strategies.
• Provide a challenging curriculum which is interdisciplinary and exploratory in nature.
• Offer co-curricular activities beyond the school day.
• Intentionally partner with families.
• Initiate purposeful and planned transition activities as our students move from elementary level to  middle level and from the middle level to the senior high level community members.
• Provide a safe, inviting, caring environment.
• Provide abundant opportunities for students to achieve and maintain healthy minds and bodies.
• Employ staff members who are dedicated to teaching young adolescents and provide ongoing staff development on best practices for  young adolescents, and create opportunities for collaboration to enhance programming.
• Make decisions concerning student learning and school operations collaboratively with students, teachers, administrators, families, and community which reflect best practice and are within policies established by the Northern Lights School Division.