Welcome to Middle Area Learning Center!
Middle Area Learning Center's Staff members are teachers Mrs. Gibeau, Miss Williams, Ms. Lowe, Mrs. Stoeke, Mrs. Alstad, Ms. Badovinac, Education Assistant Mrs. Basten, Counselors Mrs. Stephens and Mrs. Hagman, Children's Mental Health Practitioner Mrs. Heitzman, Principal Mr. Rothlisberger, and Assistant Principal Mr. Johnson.
We are excited to begin our third year as a "school within a school" at the newly constructed Robert J. Elkington Middle School. Middle Area Learning Center's address is 1000 NE 8th Ave. Grand Rapids, MN, and our phone number is (218)327-5800 extension 1270.
The Robert J. Elkington Middle School uses a pod system where students belong to a "pod", in which all students in the pod have the same group of teachers and whose classrooms and lockers are in close proximity to one another. This is known as the middle school concept. It promotes a feeling of belonging and group identity which is very important to adolescents of middle school age. The Middle Area Learning Center is also a part of this pod system. Our pod name is "Zeta Pod". This is a Greek alphabet character. Other pods in the middle school have Greek names such as Delta and Omega.
We are very enthusiastic about continuing to incorporate a modified version of the Boy's Town Classroom and Life Skills curriculum into our school. This curriculum has proven highly successful in preparing students to meet the challenges of getting along in everyday life both here at school and outside the classroom walls.
In addition to our regular academic classes, we will, at various times during the year, have field trips, in-class celebrations, and special days to add variety and interest to our year. A big bonus to being located within the Robert J. Elkington Middle School, is that we will now have easy access to attend the special programs offered throughout the year at RJEMS such as the Veteran's Day program and Diversity Day. We also hope that our Zeta Pod students will choose to work on a committee, or perform in some of these programs. We will also have access to the school library at RJEMS, which is another added benefit to the school within a school concept of the new MALC.
In Zeta Pod we have a maximum of 45 students: one class of fifteen sixth graders, one class fifteen seventh graders, and one class of fifteen eighth graders. This allows us to give our students a lot of individual help and attention.
We have built our schedule so that students may continue with band and choir electives while attending Zeta Pod.
Program Goals: Helping our students achieve success both socially and academically is our number one goal, and helping students acquire the skills they need to be successful in a return to regular mainstream classes is our focus. Another major goal of ours is to increase the test scores obtained by students of the MALC on the MN Basic Standards tests in reading and math.
Discipline Policy: We will handle discipline issues using the Boy's Town model and the point sheets. In the event that the infraction is severe, the student may be sent to In School Detention or may be suspended at home. A contract will be written which will require a parental signature before the student will be readmitted to class in the event the student was placed in ISD for a major infraction. In the event of a Home Suspension, a meeting with the parents, student, teachers and possible other school personnel must occur before the student is allowed back into the classroom.
Dress Code: Will be the same as the Robert J. Elkington Middle School.
Attendance Policy: If a student is absent, parents should phone 327-5700 extension 1270 and leave a message. Upon return, the student should bring a signed note from their parent or guardian confirming the absence. A new attendance policy is in place for GRHS and RJEMS which the MALC also follows. The Human Resource Officer for the school tracks absences and contacts parents when students have excessive absences.
Lockers: Each student will be assigned a locker located in our area of the school. The lockers are the property of the MALC and are assigned to the students for their use. Lockers may be entered at any time, with reasonable cause, by any staff member of the MALC. Hats are not allowed to be worn in the building. CD players, boom boxes, calculator games and the like, are not allowed in school. Please leave valuables and extra money at home. Food is to be eaten only in the cafeteria during breakfast or lunch hour. There will be no eating or beverages allowed in the classroom with the exception of special party days or treat rewards.
Parent/Guardian Contact: We always welcome parental input. Parental involvement is a key ingredient to a child's success and well-being.
We're looking forward to a productive and fun year!
Criteria for Placement at MALC:
A student may be eligible to choose a nontraditional education program if they fit any one of the following criteria:
- The student is at least two grades below performance on a local achievement test
- The student is at least one year behind in satisfactorily completing course work
- The student meets one of a number of indicators of need
- The student has been referred by a school district for enrollment in an eligible nontraditional program
A student may be a candidate for referral to the MALC for a number of reasons including grade retention, below-grade performance, excessive failure in class work, or excessive absenteeism. Students with a history of acting out behaviors may better be served in a different placement.
All referrals to MALC must first go before the Robert J. Elkington Middle School Student At Risk Team or SAR. This team is comprised of an administrator, special education teachers, MALC teacher, school psychologist, school counselor, and regular education teachers. The SAR will carefully review each student's unique circumstances and determine the best placement for that student, be it MALC, an EBD classroom, to stay within the traditional classroom, or if additional assessments are needed before a recommendation for placement can be made.