Rockets of the Month program Soaring in its Second Year

Amina, a South Milwaukee Middle School student, was struggling with a project in her English Language Arts class in the fall, but she refused to give up. Michelle Christianson, an instructional coach, noticed how, despite being frustrated, Amina was persevering. 

“When tackling a difficult topic or problem, she doesn't give up,” Christianson wrote when she nominated the 7th grader to be a Rocket of the Month. “I noticed how she had a deep determination to do well independently. Her perseverance shined as well as her smile!”

The Rocket of the Month feature is in its second year at the middle school. Students have their names and photos hung on the wall, and they get a shout-out during the announcements in the morning. A collection of the photos is also posted to the District’s Facebook and Instagram pages. In fact, the November Rockets of the Month Facebook post was the most-seen post of 2024, garnering close to 6,000 views.

While calling out student work is always great, Rockets of the Month has a bigger goal.

“Increasing our student sense of belonging has always been a benchmark for our school improvement plan,” Associate Principal Kevin Kempen, who started the program, said. 

“We understand that if students feel like they belong at their school and feel valued, they can be much more successful behaviorally, socially, and academically. We wanted to recognize our students demonstrating the five SMWay traits (Respect, Kindness, Responsibility, Honesty, and Perseverance) because these are successful skills for school and life outside school.”

Staff members throughout the building (not just teachers) are given an opportunity to nominate students. 

“We have received a bunch of positive feedback from students and teachers regarding the recognition program. We utilize a diagnostic called Panorama, which allows us to survey our students on topics such as their sense of belonging,” Kempen said.

 “Looking at our results, we are steadily improving, and this is due to the commitment of our staff to the Rocket of the Month recognition program and many other strategies we are currently implementing.”

Amina said she was surprised and proud that her work was recognized.

“It felt good,” she said, cracking a shy smile. It made her feel like a role model. “That’s why it’s important to me, and that’s why I try to do my best.”