Teams All Stars (A) and Boom (B) support our sixth-grade students, teams Champion (C) and Dynamite (D) support our seventh graders, and teams Extreme (E) and Falcons (F) support our eighth grade students. The four core subjects covered on all academic teams are English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. Over the past five years, we have worked to design learning experiences t
hat reflect the core principles of project-based learning. We believe that students learn best and are engaged the most when they are doing authentic work. Collaborating across disciplines, teachers work to design performances and projects that involve more than one discipline. We offer many co-taught classes at Gates to meet the learning needs of students, and believe all students benefit when teachers work together as true collaborators. Classes can be co-taught by special education staff or by our math and ELA literacy teachers. Students may choose between Latin, Spanish, Mandarin, and French for their World Language requirement. We also offer exploratory courses: Physical Education, Computer Technology, Engineering, Art, Music, Health, Wellness, and Drama. We also run a wide variety of after-school clubs and activities so our students can get involved in the Gates community during the year and beyond the school day. Students eat during one of three lunches served daily. Gates Middle School has a professional and caring staff, consisting of highly skilled educators who understand the challenges of this unique age group. To support students, one school counselor assigned to each grade level. The list of other support staff include special education paraprofessionals, a METCO director, a school psychologist, a speech and language pathologist, an ELL teacher, an ELA literacy teacher, a math literacy teacher, our custodians and kitchen staff, and our secretarial staff. We continue to grow ourselves as learners and look to stay current with research and practices that best support middle schoolers. We strive to offer a challenging academic climate, but also one that puts emphasis on social and personal growth and responsibility. We highly encourage parent involvement in our school through the Gates P.T.O., teaching on Career Day, chaperoning field trips and dances, and volunteering in our Library/Media Center.
