Delta Woods Middle School
4401 N.E. Lakewood Way
Lee's Summit, MO, 64064-1984
Dr. Bryce Johnson, Principal at time of Nomination
Mr. Damon Weatherspoon, Current Principal
Blue Springs School District R-IV
To provide students with the skills, resources and environment to acquire knowledge, explore a variety of life opportunities, and become productive, responsible citizens.
- Black/African American: 13%
- White: 70%
- Hispanic: 7%
- Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 1%
- Asian: 4%
- Two or more races: 5%
Delta Woods Middle School students collaborate in the outdoor garden.
Being a bridge from elementary to high school, middle school offers a path students can cross into adult roles in American society: it's a challenging bridge for educators to build and students to cross. The DWMS faculty have constructed a path that offers students multiple ways to earn a high school diploma, earn college credit in high school, and participate in career internships and certification programs. Our focus on teaching key life skills, such as communicating effectively, researching and problem-solving, and collaborative decision-making offers students opportunities to succeed educationally and professionally.
Our core courses emphasize essential literacies, from English language to numeracy and interpersonal communication. We reinforce the literacies and skills in exploratory courses such as Project Lead the Way, in which students design and build robots and develop technology for automation, and broadcasting, in which students create scripts and videotape newscasts highlighting community events. Our students apply and hone these workplace and life skills in courses ranging from their core classes to classes in nutrition and cooking, digital media, and modern world languages.
Because understanding how to use these skills in an increasingly diverse environment is also essential, DWMS prepares students for the local and global work environments in which they will live and work by providing lessons in their advisory course on mental health, respect for others, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The challenges educators and students face today are myriad and complex, but working collaboratively, DWMS teachers and students have built the bridge to success.