Greetings from the president!

                   I learned a few important lessons during the conference this year.  First, flu shots are only good for about three months, so getting them too early is not a good thing.  The second lesson was more of a reinforcement of something I already knew; I am blessed to work with a fabulous team of people in the Idaho Middle Level Association.  I cannot thank the members of our IMLA Board of Directors enough for all the work they did to put together our annual conference and to take over my duties when I was ill during the conference.  Since I am a veteran middle school teacher, I know that teaming is essential for the success of a school and its students; I am privileged to have an excellent team to work with in both my school and with the IMLA – thank you for being there everyone!!

I hope that all of you came away from this year’s conference with useful knowledge as well.  I have heard very positive comments about our keynote speaker and our breakout sessions.  It is powerful for us to come together and share ideas and strategies.  It unites us into one large statewide team working for the betterment of all young adolescents.  With budget cuts and the emphasis on high stakes testing, we sometimes lose focus; that is why the IMLA Board of Directors chose “Getting Back to What We Believe” as the title of the conference.  We know that NMSA’s14 characteristics of successful middle schools are the best way to not only improve student achievement, but to help shape them into the individuals we want in our society.  As professional educators in our state, we need to make a commitment to return to these characteristics and to share our successes with others.  We need to work as a team to support each other and provide encouragement when times are hard.  We need the guidance that a team can provide to keep us from losing focus of what is best for our students.  I hope that is what you gain from your IMLA membership.  If you have any suggestions on how we can do a better job of making sure this is the case, please contact me or your regional representative.

Have a great finish to the school year and a restful and rejuvenating summer. 

 Sincerely,

Ace Marcellus

IMLA President 2007-2009