Crossings: Grayslake Middle School
Address: 440 N. Barron Blvd., Grayslake
Phone: (847) 223-3540
Web site: www.d46.org
Number of students/grade levels offered: 807 students in seventh and eighth grades
Number of staff: 90 total employees
School mascot: Panther
When was school built? Original structure built in 1969. First addition to the building was 1991, with large gym and multipurpose room. Second addition to the building with classrooms came in 1996
An interesting tidbit: The building has been added onto twice. It once was a sixth- through eighth-grade school. This year, Grayslake Middle won an Academic Improvement Award from the Illinois State Board of Education because its standardized achievement test scores have continued to climb significantly over the past three years.
Principal: Marcus Smith
• How long there: Since summer 2005
• What is your favorite memory from Grayslake Middle School? "It's not a memory, it's a continued process. Being in a middle school, we are fortunate to be able to work with the students in a very important developmental stage of their lives. We watch them come in our building as 'kids' and watch them leave as 'young adults.' We see the mistakes that are made by middle school-aged students and have the opportunity to help them grow into responsible, respectful community members. Every time we help a student make a positive change in their lives, it is a memory worth remembering."
• What do you think is an unique aspect of your school? "The kids. They all bring diverse strengths to our building, activities and opportunities. They care about their learning community and the community that they live in. We have many curricular and co-curricular activities that our students take part in to better our community and world."
• What are you most proud of? "During the past three years, the staff of Grayslake Middle School has continued to use the academic data from various state and district assessments to determine the need for our students. We have been able to design numerous new classes that help our students learn the academic skills and content that our students will continue to benefit from in their future."
• If all school enrollments were determined by choice, what would you say to potential parents to convince them to choose Grayslake Middle School for their children? "GMS is a very positive place for middle-school students. The staff of GMS has a great understanding of how to support middle-school students not only academically but also socially and emotionally. This is proven by the numerous differentiated classes, programs, and co-curricular opportunities that we offer to our students."
• How has technology changed the way students learn over the past five years? Has that been a good change? "Technology has been a wonderful addition to the learning environment at Grayslake Middle School. Through the use of the Internet and SmartBoards, our students have been able to expand beyond the knowledge of a textbook or an in-classroom experience. We are excited about the continued opportunities to introduce the world of knowledge to our students within our building's walls."