Albion Middle School

Albion Middle School
Location
2755 East Newcastle Drive, Sandy, UT 84093  United States
Coordinates	40°34′21″N 111°50′57″W / 40.5724046°N 111.849044°W / 40.5724046; -111.849044
Information
Principal	Joanne Ackerman
Grades	7-9
Enrollment	930 (2012-13)
Color(s)	Purple and Silver
Mascot	Knights
Website	http://albionmiddle.canyonsdistrict.org/

Albion Middle School is located in Sandy, Utah. Albion, located near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon, is part of the Canyons School District. Albion operates on a traditional nine-month, 180-day school calendar. School hours are from 7:50 a.m. to 2:50 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays; Fridays are “late start” days that begin at 9:25 a.m. Late start days allow Albion teachers to work collaboratively on best teaching practices with fellow teachers, teachers from other schools in the district, and district facilitators.

Albion has approximately 930 students, and they consistently score among the top middle schools in the state on national and state tests.^[1] Twenty-two teachers at Albion have master’s degrees. Joanne Ackerman, Albion's principal, was Utah's 2009 Middle School Principal of the Year.^[2] Amy Olsen, an Albion math teacher, was voted Burt Brothers "Teacher Who Does It Better" in 2010. She received a two-year lease on a 2010 Nissan Rogue and $1,000 prepaid Visa Card for classroom supplies as prizes.^[3]

A hot breakfast, lunch and dinner is served daily in the school cafeteria. Service is quick and efficient with two lunch periods and five serving lines available each day. Bus service is provided for all students who live two miles or more from the school.

Curriculum

Besides the core subjects of language arts, math, science, and social studies, Albion offers many electives including art, vocal music, band, orchestra, percussion ensemble, dance, advanced dance, debate, speech, CTE, keyboarding, woods, engineering, PE, and health. Albion offers foreign language classes in French and Spanish.

Albion has honors classes in biology, mathematics (Algebra 2), and language arts. AP World Geography classes are also offered. Albion has two teachers in its special education department; the counseling department consists of two counselors and a school psychologist. Students have the opportunity to compete in debate, science and history fairs, world language competitions, writing and art competitions, and intramurals.^[4]

Activities

The following activities are available at Albion Middle School:

• Advanced Orchestra—consistent superior ratings the district music festival
• Basketball—9th grade boys and girls
• Basketball-intramurals
• Book Club
• Book Fairs
• Chess Club
• Computer labs (4 classroom labs, 4 mobile)
• Cross-country intramurals
• CTE Restaurant and Pre-school
• Dance and Advanced Dance
• Debate
• Geography Bee
• History Fair
• Jazz Band
• Knight of the Quarter
• Math Tutoring
• National Junior Honor Society
• Peer Mentoring
• Percussion Ensemble
• Renaissance Fair
• Science Bowl
• Science Fair
• Science Olympiad
• Soccer intramurals
• Stage Crew
• Student Art Show
• Studentbody Officers
• Study Skills groups
• Symphonic Band—consistent, superior ratings at District Music Festival
• Track intramurals
• Ultimate Frisbee intramurals
• Volleyball intramurals
• Vocal Music
• Wood shop
• World Language Classes/Events
  • French classes attend French Language Fair at BYU and have lunch at La Caille
  • Spanish classes have food demonstrations and salsa dancing
  • World Language Week celebrated

Library-Media Center

The Albion Library-Media Center contains more than 12,000 items. The library contains fiction, non-fiction, reference, graphic novels, magazines, newspapers, and audiobooks. The library computer lab contains forty computers. The computer lab was funded by a $37,000.00 federal LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) grant, Utah School Land Trust funds, and Jordan School District.^[5]

Land Trust funds from the Utah Legislature make it possible for the Library Media Center to extend its hours from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays, and 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Students are welcome to use the library computer lab and other library facilities for homework, group projects, and individual study. Albion faculty provide math tutoring Monday-Thursday in the library. Monday and Wednesday afternoons, honor society students from Brighton High School also provide tutoring. In May 2011, through PTA funds and Book Fair profits, the library purchased eighteen Kindle e-book readers. The Kindles are available for student circulation.^[6] A library website also provides assistance to students as they research. ^[7]

Technology

Albion utilizes Skyward, an on-line computer program, to record grades. Parents can access students’ grades from any computer with Internet service from the school web page with a user name and password. Albion Middle School has four computer labs and four mobile labs that can be used in any classroom. The library has forty computers for student use before, during and after school. Students using a variety of programs can research topics, create presentations and reports, participate in web assignments, and practice their computer skills.

All students in Canyons District participate in the online MY ACCESS writing program and complete the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) computerized assessment. Computers are also used for end of year CRT testing and other testing throughout the year. All Albion teachers have websites, and teachers use technology to enhance student instruction. Teachers integrate technology in their classrooms through the use of computer labs, document cameras, SMART student response systems, SMART board, and video and digital cameras. Teachers also use iPads and Apple TV in instruction.

Renovation

Albion Middle School began renovation in June 2011 after a Canyons School District bond election passed in 2010 funded the project.^[8] The renovation included enclosed classrooms, additional windows and skylights, a student commons area, improved office area and air-conditioning throughout the school.^[9] In May and June 2011, equipment and furniture were moved to Cottonwood Heights Elementary, where Albion students were housed for the 2011-2012 school year. Four classes and a computer lab at Butler Middle School and four portable classrooms were also utilized during this year. ^[10]

Return to Renovated Albion

Students returned to the renovated school at the beginning of the 2012 school year. Air-conditioning, windows and skylights, enclosed classrooms, new interiors and furniture have made Albion a modern up-to-date school. Projectors and sound systems are in every room to aid in teacher instruction. The main office area was placed at the front of the school, and a new student Commons was constructed. A ribbon-cutting for the renovation was held on 16 August 2012. ^[11]

Reconfiguration

Albion, as part of the Canyons School District will go through reconfiguration at the beginning of the 2013 school year. Ninth grade students will be moved to the high school, and sixth grade students will be moved to the middle school. Significant boundary changes have accompanied the reconfiguration process. ^[12]

School Community

Residents in the school community are supportive and have high regard for quality instruction and activities that enrich educational opportunities for their children. Albion has an active School Community Council that provides a link between the community and the school.^[13] PTSA members and school volunteers regularly help with registration, bulletin boards, display cases, enrichment activities, book fairs, student activities, and other school services.^[14]

References

External links

Official website