Schaghticoke Middle School is made up of a community of learners: students, parents, faculty, staff, administration, and citizens of the greater New Milford area. The foundation of our vision lies upon the positive reinforcement of character: integrity, responsibility, respect, and fairness. Together we will work to create an environment in which all students can reach their potential academically, socially, and emotionally under the guidance and nurturing support of the Schaghticoke community members. We will collaborate to foster an atmosphere of trust and support in order to encourage teachers and students to explore new initiatives in curriculum and assessment to improve student achievement.

The following mission statements reflect the ways we will attempt to achieve this vision. An effective middle school:

1.should create a positive self-image and sense of personal security and worth in all students;

2.should foster an atmosphere that encourages students to accept the worth of each individual, strengthen self-respect, and encourage understanding and tolerance for each person's rights and beliefs;

3.should provide a positive atmosphere which encourages students to explore and develop their own individual talents, intellectual gifts, independent thinking, and creativity;

4.should promote student responsibility and good citizenship through opportunities to acquire and to practice skills in self-control, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making;

5.should provide social and athletic activities based on the recognition of physical and emotional development of students in this age group;

6.should provide opportunities for students to achieve a sense of direction, meaning, and purpose of education which will lead to a productive life-style;

7.should provide an atmosphere which will enhance the student's responsibility toward developing good organizational skills and study habits;

8.should provide a firm foundation in basic skills which stresses, but is not limited to, collecting and analyzing information, organizing and expressing ideas, and utilizing mathematical concepts in applied problem solving;

9.should provide curricula that promotes continuous learning for a smooth transition from elementary to high school that corresponds to the developmental level and characteristics of young adolescents;

10.should emphasize the relevance of the information that is provided in the curricula;

11.should provide programs of intellectual challenge which promote academic development for students of varied abilities;

12.should promote interdisciplinary relationships among the various subjects in the curricula;

13.should improve communicating, thinking, and collaborating skills by providing problem-solving activities;

14.should provide students with the necessary developmental information to enable them to develop into self-confident and responsible adolescents and adults.

Grades: Approximately 890 students are enrolled in grades 7 and 8.

Structure: Students are organized into grade-level teams of approximately 112 students. Language Arts, social studies, mathematics, science teachers and guidance counselors share a common group of students.

Programs: A student schedule consists of the following: language arts, social studies, mathematics, science, unified arts (practical arts, music, art, technical education), world language (French, Spanish, German), health and physical education. A library of 19,271 volumes and two computer labs provides support for the curriculum. Each classroom is also equipped with an Internet accessible computer.

PTO: The Parent Teacher Organization at Schaghticoke Middle School is an important part of our community. Parents work on a variety of committees and volunteer in our school throughout the year. The PTO raises funds through fund-raisers and offers mini-grants for educational purposes. The PTO is highly valued and is important to the education of our children.

Community Service: Schaghticoke Middle School takes an active part in many community service activities including the following: cooking for Loaves and Fishes, Thanksgiving Food Drive, Christmas Food Drive, Animal Welfare Drives, Senior Citizen Luncheon and musical programs.