“No day is ever the same here at EMS, but everyday is rewarding in its own way,” reflected Carrie Hamm, who works in the front office of Eisenhower Middle School - one of the two middle schools in Goddard Public Schools. While the middle school shares the Tiger mascot with Eisenhower High School, and both are located on the “Eisenhower Campus” on the north side of Kellogg, each school is unique in its own way. “I hope to make a difference in the lives of our students. I was fortunate enough to have several teachers and coaches that made a huge impact on me, and I want to give back,” shared Eric Armstrong, Principal at EMS.
The staff are just one of the many things that make EMS so special, with some of the most tenured staff members in the District calling EMS home. “Everyone is so welcoming! The staff truly values each new person,” shared Dawn Kimber, a Special Education teacher at EMS, and one of the newer staff members at the school. “Everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and we’re all here focused on our students. There are always going to be challenges, but we get to view them as new opportunities to serve, innovate, and improve. A positive attitude is what drives success, and you’ll find that everywhere at EMS,” continued Kimber.
One example of how EMS staff help provide a truly impactful educational experience for their students is a program called “Circle of Friends” which helps students with exceptionalities become more connected to their peers and involved in the school community. By pairing students with positive peer role models/mentors, this program provides opportunities for students of all abilities to learn, practice and improve social skills, problem-solving strategies and help build self-esteem.
“It’s tangible, the difference that our educators make within this school. The growth of middle school students is exponential,” continued Hamm. The care that is shown, in each classroom and grade level, is immediately apparent. From Mrs. Campa’s 8th grade social studies classroom that includes full costumes for historical skits, to Mr. Brown's industrial tech classes that help students become engineers or Ms. Lawson’s orchestra practices in the mornings that send the sounds of music echoing down the halls, the amount of care that the staff pours into what they do is clear as day, each and every day.
