Community Middle School
Encyclopedia
Community Middle School is a middle school
located in Princeton Junction or West Windsor Twp, New Jersey in Middlesex County
, New Jersey
serving students in grades 6 through 8. The school is part of the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District
, a school district
serving students from West Windsor Township
(in Mercer County
) and Plainsboro Township (in Middlesex County
).
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,121 students and 117.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student-teacher ratio
of 9.6.
The mascot of Community Middle School is the panther
. The school colors are black, red, and white.
, which serves students from ninth to twelfth grade. The district has two additional schools in Plainsboro Township and five other schools in West Windsor Township.
classes, A-B day classes (also called electives), and cycle classes.
Seventh graders get to pick one elective, and eighth graders get to pick two electives. In sixth and seventh grade, students have their electives every other day and have physical education in place of the days that do not have electives. Eighth grade students have electives opposite each other in somewhat complicated 2-day schedules.
Cycles are extra curricular classes that each student is assigned to every year. Each cycle is a fraction of the year, and each cycle is a different subject. For example, in the 7th grade each cycle is a marking period, on alternating days, and are either Technology, Health, Music, Computers, Art, or Life Skills. 6th graders have life skills, study hall, health,art, music, and computers. 8th graders have 60 day cycles which consist of Art, Music and Health.
Unlike other classes, PRISM is not a required course, even if a student is invited to join. A student may be eligible to attend PRISM classes (which are usually taken during lunch period or during a half-hour period called Flex) but may choose to not attend.
, in sports competitions for many consecutive years.
During the Science Bowl competitions, teams of students from different schools are paired up in front of an audience and are asked questions by a moderator pertaining to all areas of science and higher mathematics. The students respond by pressing buzzers. The tournaments are run in a double-elimination style.
Science Bowl is much broader than Science Olympiad and requires that students have more scientific knowledge in more areas. However, the most notable difference between the two is that Science Bowl competitions also require the construction of a fuel-efficient hydrogen fuel cell car.
There is one main coach for the SB team, and one or two additional teachers help with coaching.
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
located in Princeton Junction or West Windsor Twp, New Jersey in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
serving students in grades 6 through 8. The school is part of the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District is a regional school district in New Jersey, serving students from West Windsor Township and Plainsboro Township ....
, a school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
serving students from West Windsor Township
West Windsor Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of Census 2010, West Windsor had a population of 27,165. The median age was 39.6. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 54.9% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 37.7% Asian, 1.0% some other race and 2.6% reporting two or more races...
(in Mercer County
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
) and Plainsboro Township (in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
).
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,121 students and 117.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student-teacher ratio
Student-teacher ratio
Student-teacher ratio refers to the number of teachers in a school or university with respect to the number of students who attend the institution. For example, a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students for every one teacher...
of 9.6.
The mascot of Community Middle School is the panther
Black panther
A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...
. The school colors are black, red, and white.
Location
Community Middle School is part of a three-school campus that also includes Millstone River Elementary School, which serves fourth and fifth graders, and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School NorthWest Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, also known as WW-P North, is a four-year public comprehensive high school located in Plainsboro Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey serving students in grades 9 through 12...
, which serves students from ninth to twelfth grade. The district has two additional schools in Plainsboro Township and five other schools in West Windsor Township.
Subjects
There are four academic classes in Community Middle School (math, science, social studies, and integrated reading and language arts) each lasting approximately one hour. Lengths of periods can vary from 40 minutes to 57 minutes. The academic classes are taught by groups of 4 teachers. These teachers and about ninety students make up a team. In each team, there are four (sometimes five) teachers who teach the subjects of IRLA (Integrated Reading and Language Arts), mathematics, science, social studies, and sometimes special services for children. There are also team field trips and team days (often in which students get to watch movies or play games during most of their school day), most of which are not required by the school but are planned and taken by individual teams. In addition to the four basic classes instructed at CMS, there are also three daily classes that last 40 minutes long. These classes are World languageWorld language
A world language is a language spoken internationally which is learned by many people as a second language. A world language is not only characterized by the number of its speakers , but also by its geographical distribution, and its use in international organizations and in diplomatic relations...
classes, A-B day classes (also called electives), and cycle classes.
Seventh graders get to pick one elective, and eighth graders get to pick two electives. In sixth and seventh grade, students have their electives every other day and have physical education in place of the days that do not have electives. Eighth grade students have electives opposite each other in somewhat complicated 2-day schedules.
Cycles are extra curricular classes that each student is assigned to every year. Each cycle is a fraction of the year, and each cycle is a different subject. For example, in the 7th grade each cycle is a marking period, on alternating days, and are either Technology, Health, Music, Computers, Art, or Life Skills. 6th graders have life skills, study hall, health,art, music, and computers. 8th graders have 60 day cycles which consist of Art, Music and Health.
World languages
There are four languages taught at CMS: Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, German, and French. If students wish to learn German or French, sixth grade is the first grade in which those languages are available to students. Spanish is the sole language available to students beginning at the grades of two and three. In fourth and fifth grade, students are asked to choose between Mandarin Chinese or to continue Spanish.A-B Day Classes
A and B Day classes are electives (chosen by the student, starting from 7th grade) and physical education. There are separate classes for these time slots each day, which alternate every day from the first day of school, an A-day. For example, a student may have physical education during one time slot on an A day, but have their chosen elective during the same time slot on a B day.Cycle classes
Cycles are broken into 6 sections, each panning over 30 school days. Each student goes through all of the cycles but with their assigned cycle group (which they keep throughout the year, in exception to transfers or students entering in the middle of the year). They switch cycle in a rotating pattern. These cycle classes are required, unlike electives, which are chosen by the students.- Sixth Grade Cycles: Music, Art, Computer Literacy, Life Skills, Health, Study Hall
- Seventh Grade Cycles: Music, Art, Industrial Technology, Life Skills, Health, Computer Literacy
- Eighth Grade Cycles: Music, Art, Health
PRISM
PRISM is a program offered to students. Within PRISM, students may choose one of several different programs, including Cognetics, FPS (Future Problem Solving), NHD (National History Day), Rogate, CMPS (Community Middle School Problem Solvers) and Scenario Writing. Most of these programs are available to all grades.Unlike other classes, PRISM is not a required course, even if a student is invited to join. A student may be eligible to attend PRISM classes (which are usually taken during lunch period or during a half-hour period called Flex) but may choose to not attend.
A&E
A&E (Accelerated and Enriched) is a math program available in the WWP district for grades 4 to 8 for students who show talent and interest in mathematics. A test is taken either during the school year or over the summer, and if a student passes, he/she is accepted into A&E and takes these advanced math classes instead of regular curriculum math classes. A&E students, for the most part, learn math two grades above the normal math level. Depending on the teacher's style of teaching, students may also learn additional math lessons and skills in addition to the regular A&E curriculum. Currently, 6th and 8th grade A&E is taught by Mr. Craig Frame, while 7th grade A&E is taught by Mr. Bill Maloney.Advanced Science
There is also an advanced science class for 8th graders in CMS for students with an interest in science called ES. Like A&E, a test is taken for eligibility into the classes. This program was first launched in 2009 (testing began at the end of the 08- 09 school year) and advanced science classes began in the 2009- 2010 school year.Honor roll
To be eligible for the Honor Roll, students must attain grades in the "B" range or above. To be eligible for Principal's Honor Roll, which is a slightly greater honor, students may only receive one grade in the " B" range; the other grades must be in the A range.Competitions
CMS is an active participator in the nationwide Science Olympiad, First Lego League, MathCounts, and Science Bowl competitions. The school is more well-known for its academic achievements than its athletic achievements, having lost to its crosstown rival, Thomas Grover Middle SchoolThomas Grover Middle School
Thomas R. Grover Middle School is located in Princeton Junction in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, and serves grades six through eight. Grover's mascot is a jaguar, and its students are known as 'Jags'...
, in sports competitions for many consecutive years.
Science Olympiad
Multiple teachers, including the prior principal himself, coach the Science Olympiad team. It is a competition with more than 200 students trying out for the 15 person team. All students of all grades are allowed to take the test for the SO team. Testing consists of a first round, which tests for basic scientific knowledge in four or five basic subjects. The second round is more difficult and those who have passed the first round must select three tests from the list of tests. The second round testing is much more difficult and more refined in specific subjects than the first round of testing, and after the second round, the 15 main team members are chosen, along with some backup members, making a total of about 35 students who eventually make up the school's Science Olympiad team. In 2005 and 2007, Community Middle School came first in the nation. In 2009, the school finished in 3rd place with many medals. Daniel Liu received 2nd in Dynamic Planet, winning the highest medal on the team that year. A maximum of five 9th graders are also allowed into the team. CMS has achieved a rank within the top 10 schools in the nation multiple times in the SO competition, having come in first twice and winning in the states competition for the past nine years.Science Bowl
Science Bowl is a less widely-known but more exclusive science competition which, unlike Science Olympiad, consists of a small team of between 4 and 6 students who excel in all areas of science. Science Bowl is the only government-sponsored science tournament in the United States.During the Science Bowl competitions, teams of students from different schools are paired up in front of an audience and are asked questions by a moderator pertaining to all areas of science and higher mathematics. The students respond by pressing buzzers. The tournaments are run in a double-elimination style.
Science Bowl is much broader than Science Olympiad and requires that students have more scientific knowledge in more areas. However, the most notable difference between the two is that Science Bowl competitions also require the construction of a fuel-efficient hydrogen fuel cell car.
There is one main coach for the SB team, and one or two additional teachers help with coaching.
Accomplishments
- The Community Middle School Science OlympiadScience OlympiadScience Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year. Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals...
Team was the National Champion at the National Science Olympiad Tournament held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThe University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
in 2005. The team included some of the best and most talented students of the school, most of whom have won medals at the Regional, State, and National level. They beat out the reigning champion, Booth Middle School, who had won the National Award for nine of ten years. The Community Middle School team has also won the state title the past nine years; their most recent being in March 2009, where they set an all-time New Jersey record of 36 points. They also won the 2007 Nationals tournament held at Wichita State UniversityWichita State UniversityWichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
. On January 8, 2008, the Community Middle School Science Olympiad Team won the Regional Finals with a total of 42 points. On March 11, 2008, the Community Middle School Science Olympiad Team also won the 2008 New Jersey State Finals and will be proceeding onto the National Science Olympiad Competition held at George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
on May 30–31.
- Karen Galley won teacher of the year award honors. She also was nominated for ACS Chemistry teacher of the year.
- Daesun Yim, the 2006 National MathCountsMathCountsMathcounts is a middle school mathematics competition held in the United States. Its founding sponsors include the CNA Foundation, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The competition is designed for sixth, seventh, and eighth...
champion, attended Community Middle School and won the MathCountsMathCountsMathcounts is a middle school mathematics competition held in the United States. Its founding sponsors include the CNA Foundation, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The competition is designed for sixth, seventh, and eighth...
competition in eighth grade.
- During the year of 2006-2007, a Future Problem Solving team from Community Middle School became the first team in CMS to attend the Future Problem Solving International Conference at Colorado State UniversityColorado State UniversityColorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
in Fort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
. Every year since, a team from Community has attended the international conference, going as far as placing 5th in the middle division during the 2008-2009 school year, and most recently 8th in the middle division during the 2009-2010 school year internationally.
- During the 2007-2008 school year, the school's Middle School Science Bowl (MSSB) team came in 2nd place in the regional competition. Thomas Grover Middle School, CMS's "rival" and the other WWP middle school, came in first and Witherspoon (from Princeton) came third. During the 08-09 school year, the Science Bowl team came in 3rd place in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Grover Middle School came in fifth and Witherspoon came in 1st.
- During the 07-08 school year, a sixth grade violinist became concertmistress for multiple youth orchestras, including the Regional Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Administration
The former administration with Dr. Arthur C. Downs as Principal and Donna Gibbs-Nini and Stephanie Leroux as Assistant Principals came to an end with the Community Middle School Class of 2009-2010 after which Dr. Downs announced his retirement. His replacement as principal is Gerard Dalton.External links
- Community Middle School
- Data for Community Middle School, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...