Teams
Life at GMS is designed to be small and intimate to help meet the individual needs of each child. In order to make this purpose come alive, GMS is divided into three teams per grade level. The nine teams embrace the idea that all children can learn and the experiences presented to them are constructed to help each student attain his or her fullest potential.
During a student's life at GMS, he or she will experience three teams, one at each grade level. These heterogeneously mixed teams are a vital part of GMS. Students can expect to see some familiar faces as they travel through GMS. Teams are created each year with the purpose of meeting the individual student's needs.
Parents are permitted to request a teacher for a child, but not a team placement. Throughout the years, the teachers on the teams at GMS have changed and selecting a teacher rather than a team ensures the student will have an opportunity to be taught by the selected teacher.
Sixth Grade Teams
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The Voyagers (Team 6-1): As a team, we strive to create life-long learners in a safe environment. We believe in meeting the needs of all students through a variety of creative ideas and strategies. As a team, we emphasize teaching and modeling responsible, respectful behavior in addition to academic advancement. 6-1 students will have the opportunity to participate in a "Wax Musem" following an in-depth biographical research project. Learning will extend beyond the classroom as students travel to the Merry Lea Environmental Center for exploration of the wetlands & to Amish Acres to experience a play. With us, learning is a voyage!
- The 6-2 team works to provide a safe, supportive, and academic learning environment. Students will work on activities that develop their individual talents and allow them to grow intellectually. We believe sixth graders learn best in a structured environment. We value accountability while having fun learning the strategies and techniques needed to improve the future of each student.
- Team 6-3 is an academic team called the Griffins. In Greek mythology the Griffin was a creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. In Greece it was the guardian of gold and treasure. The 6-3 teachers feel that the children of the Goshen community are today's "gold and treasure".
In September the team holds a drawing contest to see which student can draw the best Griffin. The winning drawing is then printed on Griffin dollars which are given to the students throughout the year for incentive rewards and jobs well done. At the end of each school year the students can spend their Griffin dollars at an auction of various items purchased by the Griffin teachers.
The Griffin team has several field trips planned for the 2007-2008 school year. The Griffins go to Merry Lea Environmental Center each spring on a field trip. Students explore water for macro-invertebrates, learn how to check water quality in several other ways, and during hikes learn about the history and nature of that area in northern Indiana.The Griffin team consists of seven teachers: Mrs. Libby Morrical, Mrs. Leslie Snyder, Mrs. Lisa Younghans, Mr. Lenny Krebs, Mr. Richard Schrock, Mr. Ron Weirich and Ms. Nicole Molitor.
Seventh Grade Teams
- The Navigator team, Team 7-1, will work with the parents
to give each student the best education we can provide. We are confident
our students will have a fun and successful year. We do several exciting
team units and we welcome parental involvement. Our field trips include
going to live theater performances, two movies to support the technology
animation and graphics, and an economic unit to University Park Mall.
During the economic field trip, students will be using skills learned
in Math class to purchase items. They will be given a piece of paper
with their spending limit. They will have to make purchases and calculate
sale’s tax,
while staying within their budget. When we return, they will be making
circle graphs of their purchases.
The key to a positive school year is support and communication between the home and school. Students at this age face emotional, physical, social, and intellectual changes, but very few have a reference point to base in-school decisions. We want to establish a non-threatening environment your child will feel comfortable in. The school needs to provide a strong support base and we are all willing to attempt to facilitate if problems occur.
- Team 7-2: Welcome to Team 7-2! We are excited about the 2007-2008 school year and eagerly await meeting the class of 2013! Some of the events and activities which lie waiting for the incoming 7-2 students include studying the five major religions, producing a "Me Magazine" through reading and writing workshops, studying about diseases and performing dissections, and enhancing math skills through interactive math games.
We will also be taking at least two field trips during the school year. In the past, we have visited local zoos, the Morris Civic Performing Arts Center, and Science Central in Ft. Wayne.
We hope everyone has a fun and safe summer vacation and look forward to another great year in the fall here at Goshen Middle School.
- The GMS Enterprise team, Team 7-3: Welcome aboard the 7-3 GMS Enterprise team. We feature a high academic curriculum with a focus on implementing organizational skills. Our field trips provide cultural experiences and physical activity, with a strong academic foundation.
We are in the process of planning many group activities and exciting educational experiences.
Science will have new text books with an emphasis on geology; astronomy, and ecology, with a touch of environmental science. Language Arts will continue to use reading and writing workshop as our literacy framework. Social Studies focuses on world history, world geography and an introduction to economics. There will be a special emphasis on current events. Math will continue to work on basic skills while introducing new concepts using algebra and geometry.
We look forward to meeting you and having a good year.
Eighth Grade Teams
- The Golden Eagles (Team 8-1): Team 8-1 consists of a core group of six teachers. Every student will have Mr. Ulfig for History and Mrs. Kurtis for Science. Students may have Mrs. Shreiner or Mrs. Herschberger for English and Mr. Lloyd or Mr. Yoder for their Math classes. Team 8-1 is somewhat unique in the amount of male teachers on the team.
As a team 8-1 puts a special emphasis on responsibility and respect. We strive to teach these through our procedures and classroom environments. 8-1 students will experience opportunities this year. Among these are a poetry coffeehouse, a civil war reinactment, and possibly a field trip to Warren Dunes on Lake Michigan.
- The 8-2 Pioneers: The Pioneers work hard exploring the worlds of Pre-Algebra, Algebra, U.S. History, the physical sciences, and English. Some major areas of study include Historical Fiction, the Holocaust, the American Revolution, the Constitution, Geometry, Statistics, Genetics, Alternative Energy Resources, and Physics. These units include projects, essays, in depth research, and presentations.
While taking our learning voyage, we also contribute to the community by adopting a family leading up to winter break and having community service as a requirement of U.S. History class. We venture out into the field with trips to Bonneyville Mill for a Civil War reenactment and other hands-on experiences. In addition, with an overall positive performance on 8-2, students experience an incentive trip one evening in the spring to a South Bend Silverhawks game.
- Warp5 (Team 8-3): The Warp5 name means that we travel
at warp speed through the five areas of study - English, mathematics, science,
U.S. History, and life skills.
Students are given tickets as rewards for following procedures, participating in class, and academic success. These tickets go into the “purple pumpkin.” Every Monday team members pull five tickets from the pumpkin. These students are given a treat. At the end of each grading period additional tickets are drawn for prizes at an award ceremony. At this time, each teacher gives Quality awards, which are for students who may not necessarily have the highest grades, but who work hard to do their best, are helpful to others, respectful, and all around a quality individual. Those students with the highest academic percentage are also given awards.
In December Warp5 had the Make a Difference unit. The objective is to allow students the opportunity to participate in the community through service at agencies throughout Elkhart County. It culminates in a field trip where all of our students go to different community service agencies to work for those less fortunate. We also, as a team, adopt two families from the Salvation Army Adopt-a-Family at Christmas. The students are responsible for all the planning, fundraising, and shopping.
The Frontier Survivals Skills unit is in May. The objective is to cooperate and problem-solve in the small community through a wilderness experience. Students participate in a day of survival in the wilderness, aka, the woods east of the school. Here each team must diplomatically work together to apply skills learned in science and democratic ideals learned in U.S. History to build a shelter, build a fire, cook an egg in an orange peel, and create water collection systems, all of which must survive the coming “storm.”