The New Middle School Naming Process

Update: The School Board voted unanimously to change the name to the Dorothy Hamm Middle School

• Signage for the building, website and other materials will be changed over the summer.
• The new name – Dorothy Hamm Middle School – will go into effect at the start of the 2019-20 school year.

On June 7, 2018, the School Board adopted a revised policy for Naming of Facilities Policy describes:

• The criteria for naming facilities
• How APS manages requests to Rename Schools/Facilities

The revised Policy Implementation Procedures (PIP) describes:

• The membership of naming/renaming committees
• The process for the committees

Naming Committee Membership Defined by PIP

• One parent from each of the schools that have had (or may have) their attendance/boundary zone redrawn to create the new attendance/boundary zone.
• Committees for the Montessori school and Wilson site building will be composed of parents, teachers and staff including representatives from AMAC (Montessori) or (HBW PAC and Stratford Program).
• One representative from each civic association whose attendance/boundary zone falls within the newly-established attendance/boundary zone of the school being named.
• Two teachers from each of the schools that will see their attendance/boundary zones redrawn to create the new attendance/boundary zone for the school being named.
• One representative from the community at large who is not affected by the school being named.
• One student who will attend the school (if that building is a high school).
• Principal of the school being named
• One staff liaison from School & Community Relations

Each member is charged with soliciting input from their corresponding affiliated school and neighborhood groups.

• New MS Naming Committee  (updated 9/24/18)

What to Expect Throughout the Naming Process

• Meeting schedules will be posted on the Engage section of the APS website
• Interested members of the community may attend meetings to listen
• Each committee member will be charged with soliciting input from their corresponding school, neighborhood or community groups
• Minutes of meetings will be posted on the Engage section of the APS website
• Community input may be solicited via:
  • School or Civic group meetings
  • PTA meetings
  • Input/Surveys From: Students, Parents, Community
  • Engage with APS emails
  • Other input as received

Participating in Community Engagement Strategies and Activities

Community engagement will be, in part, a responsibility of the committee members to solicit recommendations and input from their corresponding constituent groups.  Engagement may include:

• Reach out to the member that is associated to your group to ask questions or share your ideas
• Minutes from the committee meetings will be posted online
• Ask a committee member to talk with your group or share the meeting summaries with your group
• Participate when opportunities arise for the community provide feedback (through surveys or other opportunities
• Share information on your organization’s listserve or email group
• Use the Online Feedback Form on “Engage with APS” – select the initiative from the drop-down list to submit your comments and input (all comments will be shared with the full committee

Timeline for the New Middle School Naming Process

SCR Staff Liaison & Principal Team