The Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) and SET SEG School Insurance Specialists announced that Reuther Middle School was one of five schools from Oakland County to be awarded an Education Excellence Award. According to the MASB release, “In the face of complex education challenges and limited resources Rochester Community Schools kept the focus on student achievement to create an innovative solution to address their needs.”
The Education Excellence awards honor the top three local school district programs in each of eight categories and the top three intermediate school district programs for a total of 27 honorees. Entries are judged by an independent panel of state education specialists. Each school or district will receive a trophy and a metal street sign proclaiming it an “Education Excellence Winner.” Winners will move on to round two judging to determine “Michigan’s Best” and the recipients of a cash prize to help further the goals of the programs.
The programs will be honored Tuesday, May 17 at a luncheon hosted by MASB and SET SEG School Insurance Specialists, the exclusive sponsor of the awards. The luncheon is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the Eagle Eye Golf Club in Bath. School board members, administrators, teachers and other school personnel will be on hand to celebrate this achievement. All media are welcome to attend, but please check in at the registration desk.
Reuther won in the Category: Health and School Safety: The Support Toward Achieving Transition Center (STAT). In the fall of 2007-08, a committee consisting of Reuther Middle School staff and administration was created to focus attention on the increase of behavioral problems in the school and the impact on learning in the classroom. Office referrals requiring disciplinary action were increasing and not deterring students from following the district’s code of conduct. The program uses a systematic approach of incorporating consistent strategies, which promote positive student behavior while decreasing and/or eliminating displays of inappropriate behavior. Instead of relying entirely on disciplinary procedures to correct inappropriate behavior, students receive individual attention from intervention specialist Patrick Leau, who was instrumental in the application process. With the support of an interventionist, students learn how to exhibit the necessary behavior, social and academic skills required of young adults to be successful in the school and community. As a result, the school has seen a reduction in the number of student referrals to the Support Toward Achieving Transition Center.
Congratulations to Reuther Middle School Principal Cheryl Gambaro, Assistant Principal Eric Williams and the Reuther staff.
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