Schools take top awards

Sembach Middle School was recently recognized for achievement as an Advancement Via Individual Determination demonstration school. The school has been recognized each year since 2001.
Kaiserslautern American Middle School and Kaiserslautern American High School joined SMS in this year’s distinction, which makes the Kaiserslautern and Sembach Complex the first complex to receive this national distinction.
National recognition is granted to a select number of schools that meet definable criteria.
All middle and high schools in the Kaiserslautern District, and in the Department of Defense Educational Activity, have AVID programs.
“The best life-skill a teacher can give a student is the ability to know how to gain knowledge,” said Elizabeth Quinn, SMS AVID teacher.
AVID targets those in the academic middle, focusing on learning strategies, supporting students as they take rigorous classes and having students go on to be successful in college.
All demonstration schools have a site team which includes one teacher from each department, with the goal of “AVIDizing” the school. This means that the strategies students learn in the AVID class are also used in all classrooms.
AVID study skills and strategies include Cornell note-taking,, notes organization and assignments a special notebook, the Socratic seminar methods, and tutorials.
Success of the program is contingent on excellent tutors from the community.
“This year I made the honor roll three times in a row which I’ve never done before,” said Joy Dudley, KAMS AVID eighth-grader.