Featured School
Stacy Middle School
The culture of Stacy Middle School is what makes it stand out within the Milford, Massachusetts, community. Different viewpoints, abilities, cultural beliefs, and educational philosophies are always taken into account during its improvement initiatives, resulting in a school community that takes great pride in who it is and what it stands for as a public middle school. At Stacy Middle, it is important that each child, and adult within the walls of the school be given the opportunity to reach for his or her own standard of excellence and achieve it in the most equitable environment that can be provided. Achieving that individual excellence has a gratifying result, “pride, a sense of accomplishment, a renewed belief in the individual ability to succeed.” This culture of which Stacy is so proud cannot be found on a piece of paper or in a book, but it can be felt when one walks through classrooms, down hallways or in the cafeteria and library.
The original Stacy School was built in 1916, resulting in a building that is architecturally interesting. The school community takes pride that it is well maintained and the fact that it blends old and new elements. As was in the past, and continuing into the future, Stacy Middle School reaches out to the community to live out the promise of the Mission Statement of the school. The community, led by a supportive parent organization, School Council and school committee consistently reaches back. Dialogue relating to equity, excellence and mutual support is often the focus of interaction among the various constituencies, and the school continues to grow and improve because of this “Community Handshake.” This cooperative effort takes work, but, more importantly, trust and faith. Collaboration of this magnitude has allowed Stacy Middle School to move forward effectively into the 21st century.
The educators at Stacy Middle School work to guide their students through developmental changes and stages by being aware of each individual’s interests and personal experiences. We work to consider each child’s individual needs and make sure they are being provided with sufficient content knowledge to progress through each transition period they encounter and, at the same time, social and civic skills to enable them to mark that progress according to societal norms. Stacy Middle as a school, in its clusters, within its classrooms, works consistently to address the overarching question, “What do we need to do as a team to provide the right supports so that all students find excellence at the level they can achieve it?” The commitment to the team concept empowers staff to have meaningful dialogues that facilitate and enhance their knowledge about what each child brings so that when the opportunities present themselves, students can be successful.