Our Mission Statement
The purpose of the Cherry Hill Middle School is to educate all students through quality programs, to ensure equality of opportunity, to meet individual needs for maximum development of each child and to provide a foundation for life long learning.
School Improvement Plan (SIP)
SIP 2006-2007 Detailed document-16 pages (pdf file)
SIP At-A-Glance 2006-2007 Plan-3 pages (pdf file)
Message from our Administration
Middle States Accreditation
Cherry Hill Middle School began the Accreditation For Growth (AFG) process the fall of 2001. First, the Principal presented the AFG concept to our School Improvement Team (SIT). There was positive feedback from this committee and the Principal invited Mr. Kenneth Kastle to attend our next SIT meeting and present the process in detail to the committee. Overwhelmingly, the SIT wanted to apply for candidacy.
During a professional inservice day in November 2001, Internal Coordinators conducted the first staff development session to give an overview and timeline of the AFG process to the entire staff. The staff agreed to pursue accreditation. The balance of that staff development day was devoted to identifying our professional beliefs about education and aligning these beliefs with the Cecil County mission statement. Soon we had a list of five statements that became the foundation of our Belief Statements.
Next, the Internal Coordinators facilitated three smaller groups of faculty and staff and began the process of self-evaluation through the twelve standards and the many indicators. This was a tedious process, but data was collected about philosophy, governing body, organization, programs, library, student services, facilities, etc. The Internal Coordinators compiled numeric averages for each indicator based upon the responses of the staff.
The Internal Coordinators located or developed locally a series of perception surveys to identify climate issues. All staff completed a Climate Survey. Approximately one third of all students in each grade completed the Student Climate Survey. With the help of PTSO volunteers, we completed a random phone Climate Survey of our parent community. From the standards data, perception surveys and belief statements, a list of strengths and weaknesses for our school was identified.
The Internal Coordinators presented these strengths and weaknesses to the staff and a lively discussion pursued in efforts to prioritize the list. Finally, we came to consensus that three areas were most important to us. Academic achievement, school climate, and communication became the goals upon which we would focus.
The remainder of the 2001-2002 school year was spent in committees developing the Action Plan. All staff participated in this process by identifying strategies and activities, means to measure these strategies and activities, timeline and resources for all goals of the Action Plan. Students and community groups were asked to provide suggestions for the Action Plan. Feedback on the draft Action Plan was obtained to ensure that it represented the perspective of all constituents of the Cherry Hill Middle School community. These efforts resulted in our final Action Plan.
Next, the Principal and Internal Coordinators drafted the first Technical Review. This review was returned with minor areas needing clarification. On July 14, 2002, the second revision was accepted.
At the opening of school the 2002-2003 school year, all staff joined one Academic Committee and one Climate or Communication Committee. Chairpersons were identified for each committee. Committees began by focusing on all strategies and activities identified for 2002-2003. Committees meet two times a month to purse the identified goals. Chairpersons report progress to the Internal Coordinators on a monthly basis. Periodically during the school year at full staff meetings, various committees are called upon to present updates to the entire staff. Appropriate committee updates are included in our monthly newsletter, on the Cherry Hill website, presented to our PTSO, etc.
Cherry Hill Middle school has many strengths as identified by the self-study and perception surveys, but we will use the developed Action Plan to make positive strides toward student academic achievement and student success in the upcoming years. This Action Plan will be reviewed and updated continuously by the responsible implementation committees, the Internal Coordinators, the School Improvement Planning Team, the administration, and the entire faculty.
In the fall of 2003, we learned that Cherry Hill Middle School had been awarded Middle States Accreditation. We are very proud to the the first and only middle school in Cecil County to be awarded this recognition.
Website Award
In December 1998, Cherry Hill Middle School was honored by receiving the School of the Month Award from School World Internet Education. We appreciate the recognition given to our web site by this organization.
The SchoolWorld 'School Of The Month' Award is open to all registered SchoolWorld member schools. Each month the SchoolWorld Teachers' Panel will select one or more of our member schools to receive this award.
Recipients of the award are judged on web page design, use of the internet, participation, assistance to other schools and other categories. Emphasis is placed on the effort of both teachers and students in internet use.
Cherry Hill Middle School in the Beginning
History and Traditions
Cherry Hill Middle School is one of six middle schools in the Cecil County Public School system. Students in grades 6-8 attend this school as a transition between their elementary training and high school education. The current physical plant opened its doors in the fall of 1968. It was the first middle school in the state of Maryland and was a model building and program for other counties in the state.
In July 1968, prior to the first opening day of school, CHMS hosted a three-week workshop to introduce the middle school concept to educators and administrators across the state. Four teachers from the Milton Somers School in Charles County commuted daily to this workshop via a Cessna Skyhawk airplane. To quote one of the fly boys, “If you have to go to school in the summer, this is the way to do it.” This workshop, funded by Maryland State Department of Education, was designed to provide leadership training for teams of key educators in the middle school concept and instructional program. The workshop provided a training practicum for teams in planning, teaching, and analyzing the most effective teaching strategies for middle school learners.
The architectural design of the building with the moveable walls encouraged flexible grouping with small and large group areas in all quadrants of the building. A full size gymnasium supports our physical education program, an after-school intervention program, after-school clubs and community athletic events. The 300 seat staged auditorium is used for small classroom productions, our annual school play, talent shows, band and choral programs, awards programs, and hosts elementary school programs as needed. The library media center is in the physical center or hub of the building that makes it accessible to all grade levels for both print and digital information. To date, we have two computer labs and one mobile laptop lab for cross-curricular use.
In October of 1978, a Wye Oak seedling was planted on the north end of the property. The seedling from the 460-year old white oak was presented to the school by the National Society Colonial Dames, XVII Century, Augustine Herman Chapter. The tree now towers about 25 feet in the air.
Technologically, CHMS has been leading the county. As early as March of 1981, we purchased our first TRS-80 computer and students learned programming in BASIC. In addition, drill and practice software applications for many content areas were added. Later we migrated to the Apple desktop computers known as GSIIs and our latest acquisitions include iBooks, iMac DVs and Airports, to enable wireless connections. In 1996-97, our school was wired for internet access as part of the TIMMS project. Although it is impossible to keep up with the rapidly changing field of technology, CHMS is proud of our integrated projects that enable students to create multimedia projects and participate in web-based learning.
Our Mascot
In 1968 when Cherry Hill Middle School opened, there was no named mascot. For obvious reasons, the school adopted red and white as the school colors. Within a few years, a local community group established a junior football league, call the Cherry Hill Cougars with team colors of green and white. Many students at our school were affiliated with the team, therefore in the early 1980s, Cherry Hill Middle School officially adopted the cougar as our mascot and green and white as the school colors. We have been called the Home of the Mighty Cougars ever since!