A MIDDLE School Plan for Bermudian Students With College Bound Dreams is the title of a textbook that has been produced by the staff of Sandys Secondary Middle School with the help of education consultant and author Mychal Wynn.

The textbook was introduced at the beginning of the current academic year. It accompanies the syllabus that is used for instruction in both the Advisory periods and the Guidance classes.

Dr. Melvin Bassett, the principal of Sandys, said the idea of writing the text emanated from discussions held with Mr. Wynn, who has designed a US version of the book, and from the development of the annual School Improvement Plan.

He explained that many of the after-school sessions held with Mr. Wynn involved teachers, parents and members of the school's board of governors as well as the Department of Education.

The discussions addressed strategies designed to combat some of the problems created by student apathy, low motivation, the lack of parent-teacher communication, and low teacher expectations. Dr. Bassett said that although there were a large number of the students who were focused and performed well, there were still far too many who were not reaching their full potential.

The Bank of Bermuda and the Dame Marjorie Bean Education Centre co-sponsored the textbook.

A Middle School Plan for Bermudian Students With College Bound Dreams is designed to help the students make an effective transition from primary into middle school. It provides a systemic approach to developing the whole child through practices and programmes specifically designed for the M1, M2, and M3 years. The book is also scheduled to be used by parents for a series of seminars being held by the school throughout the year. It will enable them to follow the process, participate, and assist their children throughout their middle school experience, as well as help them make an effective transition from the middle into the senior school.

Dr. Bassett said students would develop a seven-year educational plan that encompassed middle and senior school course selections, personal development goals, extracurricular activities, and academic goals designed to enable each student to pursue his or her respective career goals and/or matriculate into a post-secondary educational programme. Three other middle schools, Dellwood, Whitney Institute and Spice Valley, have also purchased the book and are using it in similar ways.

For those interested in purchasing a copy, A Middle School Plan for Bermudian Students With College Bound Dreams, will be on sale for a special price of $15 at the Education Conference at CedarBridge Academy tomorrow, when the author and contributing editors will be available to sign personal copies.

Otherwise, copies retailing at $19.95 are available from Sandys Secondary Middle School office.