MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL
2012-13
Welcome And A Message From The Principal
I am excited and honored to be the principal at Madison Middle School. I am very impressed with the qualified teaching and non-certified staff we have at the middle school. They work hard at their job and they care about students. It is very important that students feel connected to our school. I encourage all students to participate in the sports, music and clubs that are offered at the middle school.
We do not have a lot of rules at Madison Middle School, but we do ask student to follow three basic principles:
1. Do Your Best
2. Do The Right Thing
3. Treat Others With Respect
Go Bulldogs!
Madison Middle School Mission Statement
The mission of Madison Middle School is to provide all students personalized instruction from certified faculty through diverse class offerings in a technologically enhanced environment.
ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL
Hello and thank you for visiting my web page. My name is Dr. Koch, and this is my seventh year as principal of the Madison Middle School. Before becoming the principal I was a teacher at Madison Middle School from 1991 to 1996. In 1996, I became the assistant principal at Storm Lake Middle School in Storm Lake, Iowa. In 2001, I moved to West Des Moines, Iowa and became the assistant principal and athletic director at Stilwell Junior High School.
I grew up in the "Greatest Town On Earth" Upton, Wyoming and graduate from high school in 1981. I completed my undergraduate work at Black Hills State University and earned my Masters Degree from South Dakota State University. In 2005, I earned my Superintendent Specialist from the University of Northern Iowa, and I completed my doctorate from the University of South Dakota in May of 2010.
I have three children. Nichole is a nurse in Des Moines, Kelsey is a 12th grade social studies teacher in Brookings, SD and Bennett is a wind tower specialist and climbs 300 foot towers!. We have a black lab named Rokki.
If you have questions about Madison Middle School feel free to e-mail me at cotton.koch@k12.sd.us or call me at 605-256-7717.
My Goal
My goal is to work with students, staff, parents and the community to make Madison Middle School a highly productive school that allows students to be physically fit, intellectually stretched, emotionally tied to our school and community, and socially connected to their peers.
Mr. Koch's Philosophy On Homework
I believe it is important for students to have some homework during the week. The experts say about 10 minutes a night (X) times the child's age, so if your child is 12 years old that would be about 120 minutes ( 2 hours) a night. At the middle school we will be giving homework, but rarely will it ever be two hours worth.
When it comes to homework, I have two suggestions that have worked in the past for parents, including me!.
1. Assignment Book
Your child was given an assignment book at the beginning of the year, and he/she is required to use it. Some parents are lucky and have a child who likes school and is always organized and ready to go. Some of us are not so lucky and it seems like a never ending battle with organization and homework. For those parents, I encourage you to work with your child and develop a plan that allows you to check the planner, but allows your child to feel in control of their academic responsibilities. By keeping up on the assignment book, it helps eliminate pulling an "all nighter" to complete an assignment that was to be completed over two weeks.
2. Let the Teachers Teach
One of the biggest reasons parents and children get into power struggles is homework. When you start to feel stressed out over homework or maybe you don't understand the assignment, I encourage you to put the assignment away and bring your child to school early and let the teacher do what they do best, and that is teach. Our staff is very dedicated to teaching your child and they tell students all of the time to seek them out for help. Our teachers are here from 8 AM to 4 PM. If your child is embarrassed to go see a teacher, have him/her bring a friend. Oftentimes the friend has questions too.
Middle School Philosophy
We at Madison Middle School believe that middle school education should be based on the needs and characteristics of early adolescents. Evidence from medical science, psychology, and other areas is beginning to show that middle school students are passing through a very special, very critical period of their lives. The change from childhood to adolescence is a tremendously important time of life. It is also often a terribly difficult time. Children, from age 10 through age 15, must endure more changes than they will for the rest of their lives. They are changing physically, sexually, mentally, socially, and emotionally in every way possible. There are more important changes taking place at this time than at any other time except the first year of life! Therefore, we view middle school as a transitional period, bridging the gap between elementary and secondary education.
We believe climate for learning and instructional processes are as important as the content itself. Curriculum that is student-orientated, responsive to adolescent needs and abilities, and is planned in such a way as to challenge the unlimited potential of our students will accommodate lifelong learning.
We support innovative curriculum that integrates academic, explorative, and thematic learning in a flexible setting. Such curriculum provides structure, encourages achievement, and fosters competence of individuals.
We seek progressive techniques for teaching and guidance, along with varied instructional styles, A flexible, organizational arrangement is enabling to all who strive to accomplish present and future goals.
We recognize we do not function as an entity in and of itself. We strive to encourage family and community involvement to promote a cooperative environment. Such an environment will benefit school, families, and community by providing education and opportunities for our future citizens.