Partnership Between
Rising Sun Middle School
Rising Sun Middle School and Maryland Materials, Inc. established their partnership based on an needs assessment that was circulated in an effort to get current feedback from the school administration, faculty, staff, community, and the administration and staff of the quarry. Based on this needs assessment, four basic areas were pinpointed as areas of emphasis for the partnership: Student Incentives, Teachers' Incentives, Great Idea! Grants, and Communication. The program was then collaborated upon and designed to meet these designated needs.
In the realm of Student Incentives, attendance, academic progress and courtesy, respect, and cooperation were focused upon. Students are awarded Gold Cards worth $.50 in the school store or cafeteria when they display extraordinary acts of courtesy, respect, kindness and cooperation. Attendance is a crucial factor in the continuing progressive education of a student. If they are not in school, they can not learn! Perfect Attendance is rewarded for the marking period with a pizza and soda party for all who earn the honor. The best is saved for last---the Hershey Park trip. All students with no E's the second marking period and no D's or E's the third marking period qualify for an expense paid trip to Hershey Park in May. History to date shows that in excess of 50% of our student body qualifies each year. A primary goal is to make the trip attainable to all; we do not want it to be an Honor Roll trip!
Teachers and staff are an equally important part of our Partnership design. Everyone needs perks, praise, and special thank yous now and then. Maryland Materials puts great emphasis here and treats us wonderfully. In August, all new teachers, their mentors, our principal and vice principal, representatives from MD Materials, and other significant guests are treated to a luncheon at Fair Hill Inn as our way of saying, "Welcome Aboard!" The returning faculty and staff aren't forgotten for they too are treated to a Welcome Back Breakfast on the first returning day each fall.
Each fall the names of all faculty and staff are placed into a drawing that is held once a month. The person chosen at random is treated to a $50.00 gift certificate at one of three restaurants chosen by faculty. No one's name goes back into the drawing poll until every member has been chosen one time. The end of the year is truly a name of celebration and celebrate we do. Maryland Materials hosts an End of the Year Luncheon at the Nottingham Inn on the final day of the academic year for all staff, faculty, parent volunteers, long term substitutes, Board members, PTSO officers, and special guests. These Teacher Incentives serve to bolster the morale of the faculty and staff and give everyone a fine send off for a wonderful summer.
Great Idea! Grants are a substantial amount of money budgeted each year to assist teachers in providing a program above and beyond the county budget limitations. Included in these grants would be professional development and any unique and meaningful student activity or materials that would not be attainable through normal budget channels. A standing committee votes on the applications. Field trips can not be funded with the exception of paying a substitute so the regular, organizing teacher could be freed up to attend the trip.
We are firm believers that Communication between student-school and parents is an absolute necessity for a student to be successful. In an attempt to reinforce that premise the partnership helps to provide a homework booklet to every student at the beginning of the school year. In this booklet students are required to list the daily and long term assignments in every subject area. Parents are then required to sign the booklets on a regular basis depending on the grade level of the student. A second goal in establishing positive community communications is the help in publishing Masterpieces, a magazine aimed at showcasing the exceptional work of the students in short story writing, poetry, essays, and artistic endeavors.
We at Rising Sun Middle School feel very fortunate and honored to have a Partner in Education who is as devoted, helpful, and understanding as Maryland Materials, Inc. We all work together with a common goal---the good of the youth of the Rising Sun Area.
A Partnership can not be one-sided or it no longer functions as a true partnership. We try to give back to Maryland Materials and its employees in as many ways as possible. The students and faculty of RSMS willingly volunteer to "man" the Open Houses that Maryland Materials hold for their employees and the community. The students take over such jobs as directing the parking, setting up tables for food service, clearing of tables when guests have finished, assisting the elderly and very young, giving directions, manning the RSMS booth, and the various duties that comprise clean-up. Our students volunteer several times a year to wash the vehicles that are used in the every day operations of the quarry operation. The faculty serves as host/hostesses for social functions held to improve public relations and to inform the community of reclamation plans. Each month a different team of teachers from RSMS provide treats for the 50+ employees of the quarry in an attempt to say, "THANKS!" In the quarterly RSMS Newsletter acknowledgment of our partnership and its value is given with each publication. Articles are written by a staff member to accompany the MD Materials advertisement in the Cecil Whig School supplement describing our partnership and what it has done that year. The RSMS Web Page acknowledges our Partners In Education and tells what they do for our school and visa versa.
As you can see, we truly are Partners in Education and we are proud of it.
Partnership Liasons: Debbie Schertz and Judy Close