On a recent visit to Washington D. C. I was struck by the symbolism of light and darkness evident in famous monuments. Two of them, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Vietnam Veteran Memorial are striking in their differences. King's life exemplified light and the war in Vietnam lay in shadows.

We walked the city of Washington D.C. in the dark of night. It was nearing midnight when we arrived at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. monument. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a light in the darkness. It was one of my favorite places. The beauty gives one pause to reflect. His statue stands in the center and his words surround him. "Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope."

Katie VanDam pauses below to reflect on the powerful words spoken in Norway in 1964. We still have the audacity to hope this today. Katie is illuminated by his words as his words illuminate our spirit. Though the night was dark, the words burn brightly.

The following quote represents the sum of Dr. Martin Luther King's work. Light drives out the darkness of the night and love triumphs over hate. The essence of King is light and love.

At night, there is no light at the Vietnam monument. It is as dark and mournful there as the time in history that it represents. From conflict overseas to the struggle at home, Vietnam symbolized a time when this nation was torn apart. Representative of the history, the lights neither illuminate nor reflect. Seeing clearly is virtually impossible. It is silent and dark. Black granite stands in stark contrast to the white statues nearby.

Families looking for loved ones need a flashlight at night. Darkness is prominent theme in this national park. Even at night, the reflection of the reflection of the self is almost clearer than the names one comes to find.

This walk through D.C. after dark moved and inspired me to more peace and more patriotism.

I am struck by how much light and how much darkness our nation has endured.

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Level Reform awarded Whitehall Middle School it's prestigious Schools to Watch award this year, but those of us who have been there for a while know this award belongs to many people. The journey so far has been arduous and at least 15 years in the making. While we are proud to accept the award and look back at all we have done, we also recognize we have much left to do. Some of the recognition belongs to people who helped shape the vision of current staff. Some people molded students and staff from their roles as custodian, counselor, nurse or paraprofessional. Some people taught us what a middle school student needs in order to learn. Some people held fast to the right way to help students even when the right way got very difficult.

We recognize this incomplete list of former staff who exemplify why WMS continues to be so unique year after year.

Thank you

Bruce Baxter, Mary Mieras, Tiffany Nolan, Dawn Berry, Bill O'Brien, Robb Zoellmer, Jodi Romine, Rhonda Gregory, Mike Hill, Pam Schwallier, Lissa Weier, Lee Voorhees, John Furlogh, Dale McKenzie, Ed Bailey, Sharon Berlin, Dale Viles, Jim Neuman, Mike Rohen, Kathy Hector, Cliff Sandee, Cara Thaler, Joan Rolewicz, Pete Bennett, Carol Biederman, Andy Hogston, Carl Stamm, Ronda Danielson, Connie Thomas, Macy Taranko, Marcia Zielinski, Jennifer Grow, Steve Markel, Sharon Brandt, Joyce McCarthy, Bill Kneer, Ilene Bosma Hovey, Rich Bayne, Courtney Hansen, Larry Curtis, Jim Decker, Sandy Beaman, Amy Urban, Greg Russell, Linda Decker, Steve Musick, Jan Klco, Erin Numerick, Vicky Fisher, Janie Mitchelson, and Marsha Butzer.



We accept this award as we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and paved the way to greatness while walking beside us. These people may not recognize the influence on our staff and this award, but we do. Like the butterfly flapping its wings on the other side of the world, they have created a hurricane of achievement and support in Whitehall Middle School.



We believe it is a moral imperative to mentor, shape, and inform our future staff, community and students on strong middle level practices so that this torch continues to burn.

The 2013-14 staff of Whitehall Middle School

The presentation above illustrates the journey of a middle school in Whitehall, Michigan as it moves toward a Schools To Watch designation. The designation indicates a stamp of approval from the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform and emphasizes the commitment our school has to continuous improvement in four areas: academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity, and organizational structure. We are proud and humble to have earned this prestigious recognition. Whitehall Middle School uses  #worthwatching to showcase our community.