Marston University HOUSES

 
HOUSES
Common Teachers with Common Students
 
Marston Middle School’s master schedule has been constructed so that there are two HOUSES
at each grade level.  A HOUSE is defined as a set of core teachers (English, Mathematics,
Science, and History) who share the same group of students. Advisory, SLIC, ESL, Physical
Education and Elective teachers are not assigned to a HOUSE.
 
HOUSE teachers share a common preparation period in order to accommodate collaborative
planning and conferencing about student needs or planning common activities.   
 
At the beginning of the school year, each HOUSE will publish for parents and students how
they will function this school year.  Each HOUSE will act as a learning community that agrees
to interact with students and parents in common ways which may include:
  • homework policies and schedules;
  • classroom management plans; 
  • discipline guidelines; 
  • sharing tutoring duties; 
  • class procedures; 
  • note taking systems; 
  • Jointly presented Back-to-School Night; 
  • Jointly presented parent education activities; 
  • Shared Target Students; 
  • Planning learning community field trips; 
  • Implementing student recognition events; 
  • Assignment of students to Intervention & Exploration Advisory Program Activities; and 
  • Reorganization of class composition within the HOUSE for optimum learning.
Because specific HOUSE teachers and classes have common ways of operating, students and
parents should experience much more consistency from one class to another in the expectations
for academic and social behavior.