WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL: Albemarle Middle School

Published 3:29 pm Monday, August 17, 2020

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Welcome back, Albemarle Middle School Bulldogs!

As we plan for a school year like no other we have seen in the past, our focus will still
be to ensure:

Every Bulldog, every day is finding a way to feel connected,
Every Bulldog, every day is being challenged by new learning experiences,
Every Bulldog, every day knows they have a believer they can turn to.

Chris Jonassen

Spring of 2020 challenged staff and students to find a new normal for learning, connected us in new ways and our believers to push very hard from a distance. What we have learned most
through this process was how much we appreciate the expertise of our teachers and staff in
how they delivered experiences for our students so they could continue to grow and learn.

Even in these unprecedented times and circumstances, the AMS staff experienced tremendous growth and received much support from the caring community of Albemarle. It was not always easy or simple but together, we did it. The saying, “It takes a village,” never held more truth.

Normal is such a simple word and it is our goal at AMS to not only find our new normal, but to use this time as a learning experience that will forever impact the learning environment of AMS.

All staff have been engaged in attending workshops and trainings to better support and blend
the various learning options for all students. Our fall will not be our typical normal. Our learning will not only continue to be great, but it will thrive. We cannot wait to move into our new school year and deliver great lessons through the Stanly County Schools’ commitment of utilizing a structure called Canvas.

All staff have been busy learning new ways to build impactful and purposeful lessons by attending numerous trainings and workshop over the summer. AMS is providing a blended delivery of instruction with some students continuing with remote learning while others will be on an A/B schedule.

The students participating in the A/B schedule will be returning to AMS and will see many of the improvements the staff have worked hard to make happen so that every Bulldog is proud of their school. We have landscaped, cleaned, waxed and overall beautified our much-loved school building. Our building looks amazing thanks to many who have worked hard over the summer.

At AMS, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards so that there will be no shortage of opportunities for our Bulldogs to feel challenged on a daily basis with high quality instruction and to have a wide variety of options to stay connected to their school and friends.

Believers come in all shapes and sizes, and at any point in time. There will be believers by our
students every day, with relationships built over time both in person and through distance. It is our mission to make sure every Bulldog knows that when they need a believer, AMS will
provide. Without our community support we would not be able to connect and challenge our
students as much. A special thank you to our Albemarle community organizations for being
our believers.

While the 2020-2021 school year is not a typical start, AMS is prepared. We welcome all
Bulldogs, including our fifth graders from East and Central elementary schools. We look forward to an amazing year of collaboration with our feeder schools and their families.

Contact: chris.jonassen@stanlycountyschools.org or 704-961-3400.