G.A.T.E.

Holcomb Bridge Middle School ’s G.A.T.E. Program Discovers the Keys To Success

Faced with a socio-economically diverse student body, Holcomb Bridge Middle School administrators created its G.A.T.E. Program, aiming both to stimulate its high achievers and also bolster up those students in more need of academic focus and positive mentoring relationships. Supportive adults can make all the difference in a student’s success, by helping them set goals and make good choices through encouragement and guidance. Holcomb Bridge’s G.A.T.E. Program does just that, matching up its entire student body with their own staff as mentors. Halfway through its second year, the G.A.T.E. program, brainchild of Principal Joy Schroerlucke and Assistant Principal Matthew Vance, are pleased to see students meeting with success and finding their talents in order to meet their goals. 

G.A.T.E. stands for Gifts, Abilities, Talents, and Excellence, exemplifying the school’s motto, “Excellence…whatever it takes!”   Holcomb Bridge Middle School staff members are each matched with a group of students, or mentees. The mentor and mentees have spent the first part of the year building a relationship, so the mentor is now fully aware of the student’s interests and effective learning styles. The mentees should feel at ease with their mentor and understand that this faculty member has their best interests in mind. As the end of year standardized tests approach, G.A.T.E. mentors will have “test talks” with each of their mentees. “Test talks” are frank discussions about a students’ previous test history, identifying areas of strength and weakness. The mentor and mentee then develop an action plan for each individual student, settling upon strands of subject areas where the student should focus, or selecting targeted help sessions that the students should attend.

In addition, school administrators hosted the “G.A.T.E.way to Excellence” testpreparation “game show” to every student in the school. The game show not only provides a chance for students to practice everything they have learned and demonstrate how prepared they are, but it also ends with a goal setting session so students leave the session with motivation.And just like a game show, these students can earn chances to win prizes for accurate responses to CRCT questions as well as setting and achieving at-home and at-school goals. These prizes, gift cards for mall shopping, are what every middle schooler craves.

For academic goal-setting with their mentors, students might aim to increase reading for 30 minutes daily or attend teacher help sessions. Either a teacher or parent must sign off on their goal-setting progress. The students will be further rewarded in follow-ups which measure how well they are meeting their measurable goals, thus being entered in more drawings for gift cards.

The school recognizes that in order to raise CRCT test scores, students must understand, and put into practice, important everyday work habits to improve classroom learning and school performance. Vance says, “Our G.A.T.E. program is unique in that it takes a multi-faceted approach to preparing kids for high-stakes testing. Through its varied components, students receive academic encouragement through mentoring, students learn test-taking strategies through test-talk sessions, and through positive relationships with mentors students cultivate out-of-school strengths that directly impact learning in school.”

Ms. GATE Photo: Holcomb Bridge Middle School Principal Joy Schroerlucke discusses test-taking strategies and academic goals with her G.A.T.E. students as they prepare for the CRCT assessments in April. Goal-setting, for both home and school, with mentors is a key focus of the school’s unique multi-faceted G.A.T.E. program. From left to right, front row : Cristyn Collazo, Mrs. Joy Schroerlucke, Joshua Helfman, Alle Bryant, back row : Aaliya Brown, Brandon Hamilton 

GATE Andry Photo: Holcomb Bridge Middle School Teacher Lonnie Andry poses with two of his G.A.T.E. students, Adriana Carrillo-Pedroza and Dalia Alvarez. Faced with a socio-economically diverse student body, Holcomb Bridge Middle School created its G.A.T.E. Program, aiming both to stimulate its high achievers and also bolster up those students in more need of academic focus and positive mentoring relationships. Left to Right:  Adriana Carrillo-Pedroza, Dalia Alvarez, Mr. Lonnie Andry.