A Strong Human Connection

Every day in Middle School begins in the same positive, comforting way: students gather for 30? minutes in a group of twelve with their designated Advisor for discussion and activities designed to foster bonding and a sense of belonging. On Mondays and Fridays, the emphasis is on fun, small, team-building games that instill a cooperative approach to problem solving. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday meetings review grades, attendance, and development of Habits of Professionalism. Time is available for one-on-one conversations with Advisors to help students set academic and personal goals and monitor their progress.

The Étude Group has taken the lead among Sheboygan public schools in implementing the research-based Guided Discipline approach to classroom management and reduction of behavioral issues. Our philosophy is to treat every student with dignity and trust, guiding rather than telling them how to behave, creating an optimal environment for learning. Classrooms are organized to be inviting and inclusive of every student. Our teachers are trained to listen rather than to lecture; they are experienced in discussing problems, discouraging negative attitudes, and defusing confrontations. Clarity in communicating expectations and consistency in applying standards encourage students to make responsible decisions and turn desirable behaviors into everyday routines. Missteps are addressed via conversation, support, and mild but meaningful consequences, with parental involvement as appropriate, rather than through traditional and widely ineffective sanctions. We are committed to a restorative - not a retributive - approach.

Every Wednesday, Town Hall assemblies bring all Middle-School students together for 30 to 45 minutes of community-building interaction. Each week, a different Advisory group takes charge of setting the agenda and administering the meeting. It’s an opportunity for the celebration of achievements and announcement of upcoming events, when students share their work, raise and resolve problems, and take part in collaborative activities - a practical demonstration of The Étude Group’s commitment to the principles of democracy.

The Étude Group believes that democracy is a lesson best learned hands-on, and the seeds we sow in elementary grades bear fruit in middle school. The size of our school is an advantage, making it possible for every student to have a voice in decisions that affect them at a personal level and as members of larger groups. At the beginning of the academic year, each class agrees on goals and guidelines for behavior, with review and any needed revision every quarter. The concept of student-led collective decision making is central to our weekly Town Halls, in which all middle schoolers participate. It extends into after-school clubs, which students set up and organize, recruiting teachers ad hoc for support.

The PATH  - Providing Access to Healing - program makes counseling services available to all students who require them, throughout the Sheboygan County School District. Mental health professionals visit schools to deliver onsite therapy at no charge, offering individual sessions to identify and address anxiety, depression, and more serious conditions. Improvements can be seen in academics, discipline, and social behaviors. The Étude Group strongly supports the work of PATH, which reinforces our mission to support the whole person, regardless of income or family circumstances