Swift Middle School offers a comprehensive academic program for all students. At each grade level, a strong focus is placed on academic studies, including instruction in English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, and Reading. Within each of these disciplines, students are placed in courses according to past performance, achievement tests, and teacher recommendation. Students who fall below the remedial level on all or part of the Connecticut Mastery Test receive assistance in their regular class or in a mastery class.

In addition to the basic course of study, all students participate in the Unified Arts Program. Students may also participate in strings, band, and choral programs. In seventh grade, students may begin the study of world languages (French and Spanish), based on meeting specific criteria. Co-curricular activities, including interscholastic sports, are also provided for our students.

Please contact your child’s school counselor if you have any questions regarding your child’s placement or achievement.

Both the seventh and eighth grade English programs are built upon four major areas - grammar, literature, composition, and vocabulary (spelling). Although each area is important, the focus is placed upon grammar and composition.

All students are given the same basic curriculum with consideration given to individual ability. The central objective of the English program is to improve the student’s ability to communicate by providing the grammatical tools with which to work and the literary models to study and imitate.

The seventh grade students are involved in the study of world geography. The program encompasses two major areas of study: the physical geography of the earth in general and the cultural and physical geography of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The main goal of this course is to provide the background information to enable the student to understand the complex global society in which we live.

In eighth grade, students study the history of the United States from its Colonial Era through the early twentieth century. They will also study the social, political, and economic developments and principles of the American experience that will show howmany of our values as a nation are deeply rooted in America’s past.

The mathematics program for both seventh and eighth grade recognizes the individuality of the students. The seventh and eighth grade programs offer various levels of math with emphasis ranging from basic arithmetic concepts to a study of algebra. The objectives of the program include a master of the basic fundamentals of arithmetic and a knowledge of informal geometry and geometric concepts.

In addition, the eighth grade program includes an Algebra I course for the accelerated students. The students enrolled in this course receive high school credit for Algebra.

The primary goal of the reading department is to improve reading skills of all students participating in this program. Teachers employ a variety of teaching methods and approaches to achieve this goal. A secondary goal is to develop, foster, and encourage the growth of personal reading. The reading staff will integrate written and oral communication skills within the total language arts program.

Several approaches and methods are used to best suit the needs of individual students. Multimedia approaches using basal readers, enrichment materials, kits, cassettes, films and filmstrips are employed at all levels of instruction.

Seventh and eighth grade students are taught at various levels of instruction as determined by means of reading test scores and/or by teacher recommendation.

Each reading class begins with a Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) period, ten minutes in duration. Students are encouraged to bring in their own recreational reading material which should be of appropriate level and interest. Students and teachers alike, read silently for ten minutes and then record material read on a personal reading chart.

In eighth grade, students who qualify for a World Language may study either Spanish or French for the entire year. Upon successful completion of 8th grade course, students receive a high school credit. The main objective of this course is designed to help students attain the novice level of proficiency in the five basic skills. The textbook, practice and activity book, audio, video and computer programs provide the diversity of activity necessary to stimulate and encourage the students to use the language in natural, real life situations, thus enabling them to gain a feeling of accomplishment and success in the language.

Two major goals of the middle school science program are to develop the scientific literacy skills necessary to understand the problems and make informed decisions related to science in today‘s and tomorrow’s world and to develop an understanding of the methods of science by utilizing hands-on activities.

In the seventh and eighth grades, the areas of Earth Science, Life Science, Physical Science and the Human Body are addressed.

All grade seven students are exposed to the following curricular areas: Family Consumer Science, CMT Enrichment, Studio Art, and Multimedia Resource.

In Family and Consumer Science the seventh grade students will explore the areas of nutrition, (which covers adolescent diet and basic health), consumer education, the areas of personal and household purchases and the intelligent use of consumer information. Food preparation experiences stress technique and principles necessary for skills in cooking.

CMT Enrichmentclasses will help the student develop strong critical thinking and problem solving skills through creative and exicting experiences.

Studio Art classes are offered three times per week to both seventh and eighth grade students. These classes provide students the opportunity to explore the major concepts of art through many different types of media.

Multimedia students are scheduled into the library media center to learn how to research topics using the Internet, CD-ROM, and additional multimedia resources. Students will learn how to prepare reports by using Powerpoint and/or Hyper Studio programs.

All grade eight students are exposed to the following curricular areas: Technology Education, Computer Education, Studio Art and CMT Enrichment classes.

The Technology Education program for the eighth grade students includes drafting, graphic arts, and plastics technology. Students are introduced to basic mechanical drawing principles culminating with a unit in Computer-Assisted drawing. In graphics a comparison of letterpress printing and desktop publishing offers students up-to-date methods using the Macintosh computer system. The plastics technology unit explores the manufacturing processes of injection molding and rotation molding and offers comparisons of various plastic materials.

The Computer students are scheduled into the computer lab where they will explore concepts including how to type, edit, save, and print text. Skills including copying and moving text and discovering the various applications and tools are introduced by creating fun projects.

The Studio Art classes are offered three times per week to both seventh and eighth grade students. These classes provide students the opportunity to explore the major concepts of art through many different types of media.

CMT Enrichmentclasses are taught to both the seventh and eighth grade students. These classes will help the student develop strong critical thinking and problem solving skills through creative experiences.

In Physical Education we accomplish our aims and objectives by offering a wide variety of activities. Seventh grade physical education is offered in the Unified Arts rotation. Eighth graders are offered physical education two times a week. An adaptive physical education program is offered to students with special needs.

Health education classes are taught in conjunction with both physical education and relevant curricula. The Health Education curriculum is designed to help students express their feelings, become more self-confident, and to become more assertive in making positive healthy life decisions. Topics include Decision Making Skills, Bonding, Personal Safety, Community Health, Consumer Health, Positive Self Image, Communication Skills, Peer Pressure, Refusal Skills/Assertive Behavior, Health and Wellness, Substance Abuse and AIDS education.

Full Chorus meets one period per week during school and is open to both seventh and eighth graders. The curriculum affords the students the opportunity to study of many different kinds of vocal works, participate and be part of a large organization, and to perform in the annual winter and spring Concerts. Individual chorus sections meet throughout the week as scheduled.

The General Band meets one period per week during school. It may be elected by any seventh or eighth grader who plays a band instrument. Individual band sections meet throughout the week as scheduled.

The String Ensemble is composed of seventh and eighth graders who meet as a group one period per week.

Swift offers special services for special needs students, including psychological testing, counseling, and speech and language instruction by speech pathologists. Special education is offered to the hearing impaired, visually impaired, intellectually disabled, learning disabled, emotionally disturbed and other health impaired students. 

Guidance

Guidance is a service available to students, to teachers, and to parents. Students have conferences with a counselor for some of the following reasons: to monitor academic progress, to improve communication with teachers, parents or peers, and for other personal reasons. Each student has a designated school counselor. An important role of the counselor is to listen and clarify situations in such a way that choices are explored and final decisions are those of the student and the parent.

The school counselors have the opportunity to teach developmental guidance to our seventh and eighth graders. Among the topics covered are making good decisions and career opportunities.

The school counselors are available to all parents of students attending our school. Any parent wishing to have a conference with a counselor may call for an appointment or stop at the school.

The goal of Swift Middle School’s guidance and counseling program is to guide and encourage the students to strive to attain their fullest potential in order to gain personal, academic, and social success.

School Psychologist

Swift has the services of a school psychologist available. The school psychologist administers psychological exams with parental approval and is also available for counseling of students.

The Crisis Intervention Team consisting of our school psychologist, school counselor, nurse, and principal are in place to help students who may be experiencing personal problems of a serious nature.

The school psychologist is also a member of the Watertown Intervention Strategies Team. This team develops strategies for students having academic difficulties or behavior problems.

Special Education Resource Teachers

The goal of the special education program is to provide a resource setting for those students diagnosed with special needs. A specific program of study is formulated to meet the individual needs of the student in the basic areas of reading, language arts, mathematics, behavioral control, and understanding of self. In addition, the support teachers and regular classroom teachers collaborate to understand the student’s strengths and weaknesses on a regular basis.

Depending on the disability, a student may be placed in either a resource classroom for academic subjects or receive services in the mainstream. Parents of these students are kept fully informed of their child’s placement through the Individualized Educational Plans.

Individual work is planned to meet specified needs of each child. Work is presented in the form of teacher prepared materials, use of programmed materials (auditory and visual), use of regular classroom texts, and review of notes taken in regular classes. In some cases, a modified grading process is designed by the PPT team in order for the student to be successful.

Speech Pathologist

Swift has the services of a speech pathologist. This speech pathologist deals with any problems the students may have such as language, articulation, voice, stuttering,etc. This service is provided on an individual basis. In addition, a teacher for the hearing impaired is also available at Swift.

Planning and Placement Team

The purpose of the Planning and Placement Team is to develop a plan for evaluation and a plan for action if the student needs special servicing. The parents of the student referred are automatically members of the Planning and Placement Team and must approve of the evaluation procedure and any plans developed as a result. The other participating members of the team are the school administrator, school-psychologist, the student’s regular classroom teacher, and a special education teacher. Specialists, such as the school nurse, school physician, reading teacher, speech teacher, and Chapter I teacher may be utilized as resource members. The purpose of this team approach is to bring all knowledgeable personnel together to develop an appropriate educational plan for that student to be successful.

Identification of a student as eligible for special education services begins with a written referral. That written request may come directly from the parent/guardian or directly from the school’s Intervention Strategy Team. Either route requires that a request be in writing. A forty-five day clock "ticks" from the date of receipt. By or before the 45th day, a meeting of staff and parents will have been called to review the evaluations done by school staff, a decision arrived at regarding eligibility for services and a program designed, ready to be implemented on the forty-fifth day if the child is declared eligible. Parents are encouraged to pick up a copy of their rights at the main office.

HEALTH SERVICES

Swift has a registered nurse available on a full time basis. The nurse oversees the administration of medications and administers emergency first-aid when accidents occur. The nurse takes care of illnesses that come up during the day and notifies parents of such events. The nurse conducts vision and hearing screening, checks height and weight of students, and notifies parents of findings. Recommendations are made when appropriate. Emergency care card information is maintained in the nurse’s office and needs to be kept current throughout the school year.

HEALTH AND RELATED ISSUES

It is the responsibility of the school nurse to clear all excuses for illness and injuries from physical education. Excuses will be restricted to those who warrant it for a valid medical reason, as determined by the nurse from the medical history or a written note from a doctor.

If a student is to be excused from physical education for a prolonged period of time, a written medical excuse from a doctor indicating the problem must be submitted to the nurse. The student will be re-admitted to gym class only when written permission from the student’s doctor has been received by the nurse. A parent’s note will not be sufficient. This policy also applies to our school’s interscholastic sport programs.

Parents are urged to report all contagious illnesses such as strep throat, chicken pox, mononucleosis, contagious rashes, etc. to the nurse.

Please remember that students often have food allergies that may be airborne as well. Please consult the nurse prior to sending classroom snacks to school.

While the number of cases of head lice and scabies are minimal, parents should be aware that this problem can arise in any family and in any school. It can happen to anyone, anywhere! It’s not a sign of poor hygiene. It needs to be treated quickly since it spreads quickly. If this situation occurs, it is necessary to contact your doctor and the school nurse.

REMEDIAL READING PROGRAM

Students are recommended for participation in the Remedial Reading program when deemed necessary. Student participation this Study Skills class is based on test scores, teacher recommendation, and/or parental concern.

The program designs instruction to help readers approach their potential through intensive individualized instruction.

LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER

Swift has a library media center staffed with a full-time library media specialist and library clerk. The library media specialist is a teacher who conducts research classes for all seventh and eighth graders.

The library media center is equipped with the Internet Cafe and a variety of educational materials and provides students with a comfortable, congenial atmosphere for study, research and pleasure reading. The media center is available to the students during their study periods and after school. In addition, subject area teachers often schedule library time for their students to work on research projects. The library media center is open daily until 3:45 PM for student use of materials (i.e. computers, reference materials and multimedia resources).

INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS

Our interscholastic sports program at Swift Middle School offers the following options: Fall - Soccer, Cross Country and Field Hockey; Winter - Basketball, Cheerleading; Spring - Baseball and Softball. Students who participate in sports will be required to pay a fee of $110 per sport, per season.

In order to earn the privilege of participation in all interscholastic sports, students must pass academic classes and meet behavioral and attendance criteria.

The academic performance of each student will be reviewed each marking period prior to the beginning of each sport. Daily academic performance, progress reports, attendance and report cards determine a student’s continued participation in the sport. If a student fails two (2) or more subjects, continued participation in the sport will be forfeited.

Students who have a medical excuse from a doctor excusing them from participating in physical education classes are not allowed to participate in interscholastic sports, until the school nurse has received a medical release from the doctor.