The middle school years, often characterized as the “moody times,” are amazingly upbeat in this Florida school that uses relationships to nurture the bottom, grow the middle, and stretch the top. The caring staff makes certain that every child has a meaningful connection with an adult. Though Florida is the Sunshine State and some tourists tout Sarasota as an earthly Paradise, geography alone does not explain the sunny outlook that permeates this large middle school located in a residential section of the city. Parents rave about the commitment of the staff. SMS does not leave those caring relationships to chance, however. A many-layered plan is in place so that no child is ever isolated and each one has a connection with at least one adult.

Read more about Sarasota in the 2010 NSOC book: “Building Relationships in an Age of Discovery.”

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