Morrill

Principal: Randy Gallegos

Assistant Principal: Jerry Stanley

Enrollment: 996

Mission Statement
The mission of Morrill Middle School is to provide our students with the education to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that foster an enjoyment of learning, a respect for themselves and others, and the ability to become responsible citizens.

Morrill Middle School is an educationally progressive center of learning. Teams, teamwork, and group achievement are three elements that help to make Morrill a unique and dynamic school. We pride ourselves on enhancing the whole child in all of our educational and extracurricular activities. Every member of the Morrill School team (students, staff, parents, administration and community members) plays an intricate role in helping to address the needs of our most precious gift, children.

Teaching and Learning Teams
Morrill is a pioneer in the team approach to teaching and learning. Teaming provides a small school atmosphere where students and staff can learn together. The curricular teams also provide a family atmosphere for students and staff, while allowing teachers to plan together weekly and coordinate classroom standards, curriculum units and study trips. Group conferences, team newsletters, team discussion of student needs, and parent/teacher contact also promote successful learning. The Morrill staff is always available to listen and help each student.

School Services/Electives
At Morrill, the teachers work hard to make learning fun and worthwhile. There is a commitment from our staff to provide opportunities for all students to succeed. In addition to their academic teams, all students have access to a varied elective program, an after school sports and recreation program, counseling services, and three technology centers. Morrill features several additional support programs that help students provide a continuum of community service, training students for future leadership roles, and assisting students with gang intervention strategies. The Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program, algebra and geometry classes, the Homework Center, and the California State Leadership Academy (CSLA) have greatly contributed to student success. The library is also available to students needing to finish homework, do research or gather information for school projects. It also provides Internet access and acts as the technology media center for the school.

San Jose Parks and Recreation provides Morrill students after school clubs and activities. Activities include art, bowling, cooking, sewing, weight training and table tennis. These activities keep students involved and provide them with a place to go where they can learn life skills that will help them be productive citizens in the 21st century.

Parent Involvement
Parents and community members play a major role in the success of every student. The Morrill Booster Club is but one forum used by parents to actively support the school’s programs. The Booster Club provides direct support to the staff in the planning of school-based extracurricular activities. The School Site Council works with the staff and administration in setting goals, determining student programs and selecting areas of academic focus.

Student Communication Using Technology
Morrill Middle School provides many technological resources for students and staff. Access to the Internet provides students with an "information freeway" which allows them to explore and gather new knowledge. The Morrill site technology plan focuses on all students using a variety of media as a communication tool to support student learning and achievement. New technological approaches to keyboarding and video editing have proven very popular with students.

Reading Program
Each year, every student in the state of California is given the same standardized test, the Stanford 9. This test evaluates students in several important academic subject areas. We at Morrill are particularly concerned about students who score below grade level in reading. In an effort to make sure that every student at Morrill has the opportunity to succeed, we have established a reading program specifically designed for students who score at or below the 25th percentile in Total Reading on the Stanford 9.

Outside Agencies at Morrill
We have several community agencies that work on campus to provide violence prevention, intervention strategies, and services to our students. The agencies that are on campus are:

• Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI)
• California Youth Outreach
• Filipino Youth Coalition (FYC)
• Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation, Inc (VIVO)
• Ujima Adult and Family Services, Inc (UJIMA)
• Mexican American Community Service Agency (MACSA)

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program
The school level AVID program is a regularly scheduled, elective, college preparatory class for disadvantaged students with academic potential. The students who are identified for the program are enrolled in college preparatory/core curriculum classes. These classes provide the foundation for and become precursors of the advanced course sequence the students will encounter in high school. Tutors (ideally former AVID students) from area colleges and universities are trained to use specific teaching methods and materials to work with the middle level students.

The college tutors, along with exemplary high school tutors, if available, work with AVID students both individually and in learning/study groups, assisting them in all academic areas to make progress commensurate with high school and college expectations. Guest speakers from educational institutions and the business community visit the AVID classes. Ongoing home contact, i.e. quarterly letters, regular telephone calls, quarterly meetings for AVID parents, and a Parents’ Advisory Board, are vital to the success of the program.

School Climate and Safety
Administrators, counselors, specialists, teachers, support staff, parents, community members and students work together to provide a safe and appropriate learning environment for students and staff. At this time, Morrill Middle School is the only middle school in the district to have adopted a student uniform policy. This has been very successful and helps students focus on learning.

We strictly enforce the district’s Zero Tolerance Policy and our school site Code of Conduct. We have two counselors available to assist students in developing conflict management strategies that emphasize peaceful problem solving and decision-making skills. Morrill’s staff strives to meet the needs of all students and has a "kids first" attitude.