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Sutton Middle School Home Page
Diversity is our strength
Sutton Middle School is a City of Atlanta neighborhood school. Nestled in an oak
and pine forest beside the stables and amphitheater of Chastain Park, Sutton is surrounded
by one of Atlanta's finest residential areas. The majority of students come from six area
elementary schools including Garden Hills, Warren Jackson, Margaret Mitchell, Morris
Brandon, E. Rivers, and Sarah Smith. Others are drawn from all over the city of Atlanta.
Reflecting Atlanta's growing presence as an international city, over twenty nations are
represented by the student body. Sutton is one of the few middles schools in the country
offering Spanish, French and Japanese.
The Facility
Sutton has recently added a new wing, including a new Media Center, eight new
classrooms, additional restrooms, and a new concession stand. This expansion has occurred
without any increase in student population. In addition, through business partnerships and
the PTA, technology capabilities are being enhanced, including multimedia computers and
Internet linkage. Georgia lottery funds provided a satellite dish. The school's soccer
field is in top playing condition. The tennis courts have been renovated, and signage and
grounds are being enhanced.
Philosophy
"With open minds and open hearts, opportunity will follow," describes
the attitude of teachers and administrators at Sutton. Recognizing the special needs of
young adults - the in-between age - the focus is on helping each child master the
fundamentals, cultivate his/her imagination, and kindle a spirit for learning. While
discipline is evident in the classroom, and structure of curriculum is clear, the
"mute" button is not turned on at Sutton. This is an expressive age, and
students are encourages to blossom, each in his or her own way. Many children describe
"the freedom" of Sutton as something they clearly value.
The Faculty
The majority of Sutton's faculty members hold master's degrees or higher. About
forty classroom teachers are complemented by three Challenge (gifted program) specialists;
fine arts teachers for art, band, chorus, drama, and orchestra; language teachers for
French, Spanish, and Japanese; as well as five physical education and health teachers.
Administration includes a principal, an assistant principal, an instructional
liaison specialist, several counselors, a media specialist, an opportunity teacher for
"at risk" students, an ESOL teacher (English for Speakers of Other Languages),
several special education teachers, two special aides for speech and hearing, as well as a
part time social worker, nurse, and bilingual community liaisons.
Media Center
The new Media Center is far more than a library. It's a resource center that
enables students to move beyond the textbook to construct a world of knowledge uniquely
their own. Media specialists, teachers, and volunteers help students embark on thematic
and inter-disciplinary planning in their curriculum. The addition of three technology
stations, the Accelerated Reader Program, and a satellite dish for live up-link to special
learning events assist the learning process. In addition, an expanded fiction and
non-fiction collection of books is being built.
Beyond the Basics
Exploratory courses: In order to broaden the educational
experience of the middle school students, Sutton requires that exploratory courses be
taken by all students at all grade levels. The sixth grade rotation included courses in
French, Spanish, Library Research Skills, Drama, Conflict Resolution, and Keyboarding.
Seventh grade exploratories include Survey of Visual Arts, Teen Development, Music,
Computers, and Career Education. Eighth grade exploratories include Music, Business Lab,
and Art.
Exceptional Program: The program for exceptional children at
Sutton provides identification, evaluation, and direct services to students who are
eligible in the areas of learning disabilities, emotional behavioral disorders, and
physical and intellectual disabilities. Eligible children receive individually designed
instruction that may be delivered through a variety of instructional models.
Field Trips: Sutton utilizes the community, and the world at
large, as part of the classroom. Trips from local theater productions to Broadway, to
tours of New York, Washington D.C., the Okefenokee Swamp, the Huntsville Space Center, to
cultural tours of Quebec, Canada, and family stays in France. Each child has the
opportunity to participate in an average of five trips annually.
Counselors
The function of counselors is to provide students with individual attention and to
assist groups of teachers, parents, and students.
Counselors organize orientation activities for incoming sixth grade students and
their parents as well as orientation for graduating eighth graders. They interpret test
scores for students, teachers, and parents, and help coordinate school advisory committee
activities. They also assist with placement of students at the high schools they choose.
Partners in education
Business partners work directly with students, planning programs with faculty,
administration, teachers, and parents to accomplish targeted goals during each school
year. Partners include the Buckhead Business Association, Coopers & Lybrand, and EDS.
Their efforts are ongoing from year to year, representing hundreds of hours of
contribution from many individuals. Each partner takes responsibility for a particular
task, as part of an overall strategic plan developed by Sutton administrators and teachers
to raise achievement levels of students.
Buckhead Business Association's (B.B.A.) hallmark contribution is
the Junior Leadership Program, custom designed for Sutton.
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