East Middle School Prepares for New Year

Maintenance and office staff for eighth grade students attending East Middle School are already working on getting the building ready for the first day of school next month. The roof over the wrestling room addition was also repaired over the summer break.

“Our teachers and staff will be ready to welcome your eighth grade students to our building for their first day of school on Wednesday, Aug. 18,” said East Middle School Principal Keith Crocker.

Crocker said teachers have been participating in summer professional development clinics to help sharpen classroom instructional tools. “Ponca City High School hosted a summer workshop for many throughout the district to guide our teachers into returning to Professional Learning Community (PLC) activities. The focus is on teachers’ curriculum content and assessment activities that lead to effective enrichment and remediation opportunities for students,” said Crocker.

“In addition, we have several PLC teams already meeting and planning curriculum maps to meet the always growing/evolving Oklahoma State Standards. Several teachers are also reviewing an initiative called Kagan methods with a focus on student engagement and class-building structures,” he said.

“Lastly, we are ready to build those relationships with students and families,” said Crocker. “With last year’s unique set of circumstances, our staff wants to remain connected with parents and committed to team-building within each classroom to make students excited about their bridge between West Middle School and Po-Hi.”

Additional information regarding East Middle School, including dates and times for the EMS Schedule Pick-Up and Meet the Teacher Night (both in-person), will be released as the new school year approaches.

“We hope everyone is enjoying your summer and we will see you all soon!” said Crocker.