Henkle Middle School encompasses grades five through eight on a campus adjacent to Columbia High School. The school’s well-rounded program of academic, artistic, and extra-curricular offerings helps all students develop to their fullest potential.
One of the great joys for our staff is to watch our HMS children grow both academically and socially during their four years. Teachers and paraeducators work as “Professional Learning Communities” to do “whatever it takes” to help our students. As a result, students do work closely aligned with state and national standards in language arts, mathematics, reading, science, and social studies, including history, geography, and civics. They’ll do that work in a variety of ways, through engaging projects, hands-on laboratories, writing to learn and learning to write, with mathematics manipulatives, lots of reading, and more. Students take increasing ownership over their learning, reflecting upon their work, creating goals, and monitoring their progress. The stimulating and challenging program results in HMS students typically making further gains in their academic learning than their statewide peers by the time they exit our school, according to statewide assessment data. By the time eighth graders exited in 2008, they had surpassed their peers in both mathematics and science and had nearly caught their peers in reading. These achievements occur despite the fact that the district has significantly higher percentages than the state of students who face particular challenges such as poverty and the learning of English as a second language.
In addition to the “basics,” students also receive a strong program in the arts. Beginning in fifth grade, students take music and visual arts. Nearly 30 percent of fifth and sixth graders also choose to take band. Seventh and eighth graders continue to have band and visual arts as electives, and they can also join in the always-popular musical drama productions. Some of the other electives for seventh and eighth graders include science enrichment, Spanish, academic games, debate, creative writing, and “Shakespearience.” Fifth and sixth students receive at least 100 minutes per week of health and fitness all year long, while seventh and eighth graders average more than 200 minutes a week in health and fitness.
Henkle Middle School offers a wide variety of extra-curricular, leadership, and enrichment options. From organized sports to academic clubs to informal lunchtime groups, activities at Henkle help students find interests, develop friendships, and move forward with their individual skills. Sports include football and volleyball in the fall, basketball and wrestling in the winter, and track and field in the spring. Students may also take ski trips, join Knowledge Bowl, serve as student government leaders, and participate in yearbook. Peer Mediators, Student Ambassadors, and the Idea Company provide students with even more ways to develop their leadership skills.
Extended learning programs play a vital role in the Henkle experience. Project Open Door (POD), open Monday through Thursday until 5:15 p.m., provides extra assistance and extra fun. At POD students have a place to finish homework, receive tutoring, take field trips, and join many enrichment, artistic, and recreational activities. A summer program, called Project Summer Fun, offers academic and creative enrichment as well as field trips. Project Open Door has a strong, positive impact on students’ academic learning and upon their work completion, according to achievement data and survey information.
Henkle Middle School actively recruits and
welcomes parents, grandparents, and community members to join its team as
volunteers. More than 2,600 hours of
volunteer time is logged at school functions every year. The school’s Parent Teacher Organization
(e-mail address: henklepto@yahoo.com) offers strong enthusiasm and
support.
