A Common Goal: Checking In

In your experience, do all students at Birchland have an opportunity to learn and achieve in classes?

• Definitely. 100%. All the time!

• Most students are able to learn and engage during classes.

• Sometimes. It depends on the students and the class.

• Rarely. Some students probably learn and achieve, but most can't or don't.

Is Birchland a safe and healthy place to make and maintain friendships?

• Completely! Everyone is comfortable with each other and feels comfortable most of the time.

• Most of us have a good friend group. Sometimes there are problems, but we can fix them ourselves.

• Some friend groups are more welcoming than others. Not many of us are trying to make new friends.

• Friendships are challenging. It's hard to know who to trust and how to deal with conflict.

Does Birchland encourage students become independent?

• Yes, but sometimes there's TOO much pressure to do things on our own!

• We're encouraged to take risks and do things independently, but in a good way.

• Adults don't really give us enough opportunities to try things on our own; sometimes they baby us.

• Some students have more opportunities to be independent than others.

Are all students treated with the same amount of respect by other students in their classes?

• Not really. Friend groups are respectful to each other but not everyone else.

• Absolutely! I feel like I'm friends with or at least respected by everyone in my classes!

• Most students treat everyone respectfully; there are only a few instances where people who don't get treated well.

• Definitely not! Being together in classes is like swimming with sharks. It's brutal!

When you are at school, do you learn about opinions and experiences that are different from your own?

• Totally! I've learned a lot about different belief systems, values, and life experiences here at school.

• Not really. We're all different in a lot of ways but we don't really need to talk about it.

• Sometimes in classes, but in real life we don't really think about or talk about different perspectives.

• I learn more about different perspectives and experiences outside of school than inside.

How comfortable do most students feel if they answer a question incorrectly in classes?

• It's no big deal! Making mistakes is part of learning!

• It really depends on the class or the situation.

• 50/50. Some people probably don't mind it, but some are terrified!

• Making a mistake like that in public is the worst. Totally mortifying!

What's the best thing about your middle school experience so far?

• making and being with friends

• learning things and exploring ideas in classes

• interacting with so many different people throughout the day

• friends, classes, new people, iReady... what's not to love about middle school?