About Our School
Riverbend Middle School overlooks the scenic Iowa River and houses approximately 200 students in grades seven and eight. Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, we will be welcoming our 6th graders to the Riverbend Middle School.
Riverbend Middle School provides a safe environment through which early adolescents grow intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially. Social skills and positive reinforcement are emphasized because students at this age are making the transition from childhood into adolescence.
Riverbend Middle School offers a wide range of courses designed to provide experiences that allow students to explore their constantly changing interests, identity, and aptitudes, and to broaden their horizons. Students participate in technology, family and consumer science, health, introduction to agriculture, art, industrial technology, media, guidance, career exploration, and physical education.
Co-curricular activities are also available at our middle school. Students may participate in band, chorus, student lighthouse team, student council, and publications. Seventh and eighth grade students may also participate in extra curricular athletics: football, volleyball, cross country, wrestling, basketball, track & field, softball, and cheerleading. Activities at Riverbend Middle School include science club, art club, girls' group, FFA (agriculture organization), guys' group, technology team, chess club, book club, yearbook, FCCLA (family and consumer sciences organization) and dance team. All students are encouraged and expected to be involved in at least one activity. Most students participate in multiple activities here at Riverbend.
Riverbend Middle School staff and students believe that activities and athletics provide opportunities for student achievement in areas other than the traditional core subjects, giving every student a chance to succeed and even to excel. It is also our belief that students who participate in activities are more connected to school, and students who are more connected to school are more successful in school.
Riverbend Middle School boasts a competent, caring staff who are committed to preparing students for their changing position in the world.
Middle School Beliefs:
School should be a place where close, trusting relationships with adults and peers create a climate for personal growth and intellectual development.
Every student in the middle grades should learn to think critically through mastery of an appropriate body of knowledge, lead to a healthy life, behave ethically and lawfully, and assume the responsibilities of citizenship in a pluralistic society.
All young adolescents should have the opportunity to succeed in every aspect of the middle school program, regardless of previous achievement or the pace at which they learn.
Decisions concerning the experiences of middle school students should be made by the adults who know them best.
Teachers in the middle school should be selected and specially educated to teach young adolescents.
Young adolescents must be healthy in order to learn.
Families and middle schools must be allied through trust and respect if young adolescents are to succeed in school.
Schools and community organizations should share responsibility for each middle school student's success.
Riverbend Middle School is also a "Leader in Me" school, incorporating the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" into our daily operations. Students apply the 7 habits to their personal lives and their lives as students. Riverbend students also have the opportunity to step up as leaders through a variety of classroom and school-wide leader jobs.
"CADET Time" is a 30-minute time period during the school day dedicated to academics. Students may use this time to complete late or missing work, make up work, receive additional instruction from teachers, continue to work towards growth in academic areas, read, and/or pursue individual enrichment activities or projects.
Riverbend Middle School is also a 1:1 school. We rolled out our 1:1 chromebook initiative during the 2013-2014 school year.
Don't forget to provide Riverbend with your Email address. There is a space on the district registration form for an Email address, so please fill that out. If you would rather call or send your email address to Riverbend specifically, that would be great too. Mr. Burchfield and Mrs. Wubbena can be contacted at jburchfield@ifacadets.net and bwubbena@ifacadets.net. Communication is important with middle level students; don't hesitate to call or email. (RMS building announcements are emailed to parents daily and are also available on this website ... be sure and get on the email list.)
Characteristics of Exemplary Middle Schools
(Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century ... Carnegie Corporation)
A consensus has emerged among today's middle level educators about what a good middle level school is like. The following characteristics are most commonly identified.
A philosophy based on the unique needs and characteristics of the early adolescent.
Educators knowledgeable about and committed to teaching the early adolescent.
A curriculum balanced between the cognitive (subject-centered) and affective (student-centered) needs of the early adolescent.
Teachers who use varied instructional strategies.
A comprehensive teacher advisory program.
An interdisciplinary team organization at all grades.
A flexible block master schedule.
A full exploratory program.
Both team planning and personal planning time for all teachers during the school day (according to NMSA... 70% of all middle schools have cooperative planning time).
A positive and collaborative school climate.
Shared decision-making where the people closest to the "client" are involved in the decision-making process.
A smooth transition process from elementary to middle school and from middle school to high school.
Intramurals, interest based mini-courses, clubs, and social events.
A physical plant that accommodates teams and provides spaces for both small and large group meetings.
A commitment to the importance of health and physical fitness for all students on a regular basis.
A commitment to involving families in the education of early adolescents by not only keeping them informed of student progress and school programs but by giving them meaningful roles in the schooling process.
A positive connection between school and the community through student service projects, business partnerships, and full use of community resources within the school curriculum.
Consistent use of cooperative learning strategies in the classroom.
An emphasis on the use of higher order thinking skills and hands-on instructional strategies.
The involvement and empowerment of students wherever possible to do so.
*These middle school characteristics become specific elements to be evaluated.