Dear Parents and Community;
I am excited to be part of the Round Lake Community of educators. I come to Round Lake with a passion to see all students perform at high levels. Dr. Jeff Howard, a professor at Harvard College, summarizes a successful education in three simple phrases:
Think you can, work hard, get smart!
Dr. Howard’s main point is that educational achievement is not a result of inborn intelligence (D.N.A.), but rather a commitment to do the hard work that needs to be done in order to be successful. He goes on to state that no one is born with a greater capacity to learn than others, but rather we choose what doors of the mind to unlock. When a person is committed to their education and their educational success, they have the key to open doors in their future that no other key can unlock. As an educational team, our goal is to open your child’s mind to be the best student they can be. Our job is simply stated, but difficult to achieve: To Get Your Child to College. We will do whatever it takes to get that job completed.
A little bit about myself, I started my career in education as a teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. During my final year as a teacher, my principal encouraged me to consider a career as an administrator. I took that challenge and was accepted into the New Leaders for New School national urban principal training program. I served a year as a principal in-residence, working side-by-side with a high-performing principal in a school of 2,000 students. This was in a Latino community on the south side of Chicago while completing my masters in Educational Leadership.
Following my residency, I accepted the opportunity to lead Lincoln Middle School in Schiller Park. While at Schiller Park, my staff was able to create and set a clearly aligned scope and sequence for each subject leading to improved ISAT test scores while making AYP in all subgroups. A group of parents also initiated a Principal’s Advisory Committee which was a group of fifteen parents that were a sounding board for school improvements honoring the parents’ voice in the change process. After two successful years in Schiller Park I look forward to joining the great work that is already happening in Round Lake.
Sincerely,
Brian K. Minarcik
Round Lake Middle School Vision Statement
I. Climate- An Exemplary School:
A - Creates an atmosphere where everyone takes ownership over the appearance of our building.
B - Provides a place where students and staff feel comfortable, safe, and accepted.
C - Invites open communication between parents, teachers, and students.
D - Acknowledges and celebrates the achievements of students and staff in learning and leadership
E - Develops the concept of community through academic and extracurricular activities.
F-Upholds the six Character Counts pillars.
II. Academic Excellence- An Exemplary School:
A - Promotes intellectual curiosity, creative thinking and challenges students to reach their full potential through the curriculum.
B – Utilizes measurable academic goals aligned with state standards to reach high levels of achievement.
C - Develops the concept of teamwork through academic extracurricular activities.
III. Staff- An Exemplary Staff:
A - Connect to students and staff, celebrates their strengths and talents, while recognizing their special needs.
B - Focuses on increased student achievement by incorporating current data, the voice and wisdom of experienced teachers and best practice.
C - Supports the school's mission, vision, values and goals in attitude and action.
D - Collaborates to improve student learning through instructional strategies, methods, and assessments.
E - Creates conditions that promote student success.
IV. Students- An Exemplary Student:
A - Accepts responsibility for their learning and their actions.
B - Sets and achieves academic goals.
C - Behaves toward other students and teachers in a manner consistent with the Character Counts pillars.
D – Involves him/herself in service learning projects.
V. Parents and Community Support- An Exemplary Parent and/or Community Member:
A - Supports the school's vision, goals and mission.
B – Involves him/herself in students’ academic and extracurricular activities.
Round Lake Middle School Guiding Principles
1. Develop multiple opportunities for home and school partnerships
2. Hold students and staff to high academic expectations in order to ensure the quality of education
3. Nurture a safe and orderly school environment by modeling positive character traits and appropriate behavior
4. Utilize diverse assessments and instructional strategies to meet the needs of all learners
5. Display consistency in clearly defined behavioral expectations and appropriate consequences
6. Increase student involvement through a variety of curricular and extra curricular activities.
