NELMS News

Welcome to a new school year! It is an exciting time for all of us in Middle Level education. NELMS has some great things planned for you in a wide variety of areas. Let me elaborate!

Change at the Top!

Gerry Quatrale has joined the NELMS staff as our new Assistant Executive Director for Professional Services. Gerry’s position is the result of Lyn Healy’s decision to become a Middle Level Principal in New Hampshire. We will miss Lyn and her ideas, laughter, and many skills, but we also welcome Gerry. He has for thirty five years, been in public education most recently as the Superintendent in Haverhill, Massachusetts.  He has been a teacher, Assistant principal and principal and will coordinator the School Based Professional Services for NELMS.  Gerry brings a strong passion for young adolescents and a deep understanding of middle level education to the NELMS team. 

NELMS web site – Renewed & Refreshed!

Our website at www.nelms.org has many free resources, details about professional development, and information about advocacy at the middle level. Look for more changes as we transition to on-line registrations and personal account management all to better serve you, our members.

·   More links and professional materials.

·   Bookstore with great professional books discounted 10% to 20% off list & 50% discounts for closeouts!

·   NELMS events.

·   Spotlight School visitation information.

·   Professional research and resources for you, including the new Newsletter Resource Center with article and briefs to meet your newsletter needs.

·   Special parent and teacher sections.

·   Coming soon our “members only” section.

·   NELMS Journals: unlimited copies of the Fall, Winter and Spring issues.

·   Position Statements including the new “Grade Configuration” and “Middle Level Licensure".

We really need your e-mail address in order to ease communications and ensure that you are receiving all the member benefits you deserve.  If you have difficulty “doing” email at work, why not give us your home email. It is safe and we never share email addresses!

Other NEWS

We have made a number of enhancements to existing programs and have designed new activities to better meet your needs.

QUALITY Conferences and Activities focused on the Middle Level offers you a wide variety of choices. We have new and relevant topics including a new conference for administrators called Leading in the Middle. We offer Professional and graduate credit with expanded locations all over New England.

ADVOCACY:  We have continually advocated for you and for middle level learners but we have dramatically increased our efforts of late. We send monthly articles to superintendent and school board associations for use in their newsletters to educate the decision makers about our work. Our outreach and collaboration continues with state middle level, principals, superintendents, and curriculum associations and we are strengthening relations with state departments of education as a major priority. We will continue hosting the New England Middle Level Symposium for policy makers.

STEPS to Middle Level Literacy:  Improve literacy across the curriculum with this dynamic professional development opportunity exclusively designed for middle schools. We offer two options; school wide reading strategies for all educators and literacy leader training for five of your leaders.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:  Our school-based professional development continues to adhere to the NSDC standards for quality professional development and has served hundreds of schools in our region. We can help you implement and sustain individually designed action plans with a variety and highest quality presenters, coaches, and facilitators. We offer reasonable rates for everyone and real money-saving rates for members.

MID LINES:    The teacher newspaper, containing teacher tips, classroom strategies and ideas, up-to-date middle level news and information on state and national organizations sent to all middle level staff four times a year. Look for your copy soon in your school and insist that it be placed in you mailbox so that you will not miss any important information.

26^th ANNUAL CONFERENCE - MARK THE DATE! It will take place March 25-27, 2007 in Providence, RI.  See www.nelms.org for details and look for the brochure in November.  Look for great topics and a variety of sessions as well as member rates that include bundle and whole school special packages.

With your skills and dedication and with the multifaceted support of NELMS, together we can make a real difference in the lives and learning of young adolescents!


Poll: Many believe NCLB harms or has no effect
Fifty-eight percent of Americans say the No Child Left Behind act has harmed or had no effect on schools, while slightly more than 25% believe it has been beneficial, according to a new Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll. Some analysts have criticized the poll's methodology, but others say the survey reflects the public's frustration with the NCLB program.   U.S. News & World Report (8/23)

New England League of Middle Schools, 460 Boston Street, Suite 4, Topsfield, MA 01983; Email: nelms@nelms.org