Jobs for Montana graduates class teaches student initiative
Plains middle school students enrolled in the Jobs for Montana Graduates Class (JMG) aren’t attending an average class.
It may not be uncommon for an adult begin their day by clocking in at work or attending a committee meeting, but it’s not usually how a traditional middle school class begins.
JMG students met during their lunch break last Friday for the Initiation and Installation (INI) ceremony of the Reach Council. The council is made up of elected officers, which run the civic, career, social and leadership committees that plan the JMG curriculum.
Anawyn Griffin, who teaches the high school and middle school JMG programs, said this was the first time the class has taken this format, and the first time the ceremony has been held.
The new format is geared to increase student onus in learning by allowing students opportunities to practice delegation and leadership skills needed in high school and beyond.
“It puts the ball in their court,” Griffin said. “They have more drive and are held accountable for their actions, because their ideas drive and guide the show.”
The class’ goal is to ease the transition into high school, just as the senior high program eases the transition into the post-secondary world.
The ceremony itself, was an informal imitation of the high school initiation. On the senior high level, students attend a black tie dinner with their parents and school board members to announce their positions and responsibilities.
Similarly, the eighth graders were sworn into their positions in front of classmates and school district employees. The eighth grade ceremony was survivor themed and the students wore animal print hats while the room was decorated like a jungle. Attendees enjoyed snacks of brownies, chips and crackers and refreshed their palette with juice and soda.
The INI ceremony was the first of many activities students will plan, organize and hold this semester. Each committee, made of three to four students, will be in charge of three activities. The civic committee will run a park cleaning day, a highway clean-up and a school dance. The career committee will spearhead a job shadowing day, mock interviews and any field trips throughout the duration of the class. The social committee will plan a rootbeer float day, a movie day and a music day. Finally, the leadership committee planned the INI, and will coordinate leadership games and the seventh grade buddy system.
Additionally, Griffin feels this new format will help students determine their learning styles at an early age which will help them to choose between elective classes in high school. For example, each student will be required to take either business essentials, a traditional academic course, or JMG, a student driven curriculum, at the high school level and their participation in the middle school JMG class will help them to choose the class that best fits their learning needs.