Alton School District - Alton Middle School

Welcome to the official home webpage for Alton Middle School! We are located in southwestern Illinois on the bluffs above the Mississippi River. Because of our proximity to the St. Louis region, we are able to offer a variety of cultural experiences associated with a metropolitan area while maintaining personal relationships with our students, families, and community through our Smaller Learning Communities model.

Alton Middle School is entering its 4th year on our campus and continues to be proud of the distinction as the largest middle school in Illinois! That designation has a lot of responsibilities associated with it. In spite of the large numbers, we are able to make meaningful connections with students and their families to create the finest learning environment possible.

The Alton School District is a leader in Illinois in establishing Positive Behavior and Intervention Systems that promote good choices and focus on affirmative outcomes for students that do. Our universal message is to “respect yourself, others, and property.”

The middle school years are often the most difficult because of the transition to an unfamiliar place, the rise of harassment (bullying), the increased work load, and the intense desire to be included in a social network. It is very important to the faculty and staff of Alton Middle School to develop appropriate social and emotional health within our students. We are piloting Peace4Kids in 09-10 and will be expanding that program campus wide in 2010-2011. Explicitly teaching children how to manage emotions, relate to others, and accept responsibility will assist in creating productive citizens for a diverse society.

Our teachers are highly qualified and ready to provide differentiated, small group, and enriched instruction for all of our students. Currently we have formal designs for responses to interventions in language arts and for behavior. Our goal is to use these designs and construct similar supports for math for 10-11.

Our vision is not possible without the support of the families that make up our community. We have high expectations for all that enter our “Houses” and make it a priority to maintain a safe and nurturing environment for everyone. Be sure and visit our parents’ club link on our website to find out how you can help us grow. Please stop in and say hi on your next visit to Alton Middle School where we are experiencing success by deepening our relationships with students, families and the community.

Keep Going!

David Schwartz

Principal, Alton Middle School