Message from the Principal

Welcome to Cedar Grove Middle School!

I, along with our faculty and staff, am excited to see our returning 7th and 8th graders and to welcome the fresh faces of our incoming 6th graders.  It is our hope that you all have remained safe and healthy over the summer and we are looking forward to Growing the Grove again this upcoming school year, leading to increased success for all of our students.  Over the past three years, Cedar Grove has either exceeded or met statewide growth expectations and we hope to do so again this year!

We want Cedar Grove to be a place where you, the students, are at the core of every decision, a place where faculty can excel in their chosen profession, and a school that your parents/guardians can proudly say their children attend. As it has been since my arrival seven years ago, high expectations, ruthless equity, and building a strong school culture are at the core of every decision we have made, and we will continue to be intentional with these during the 2024-2025 school year. Together, along with our community of stakeholders, this vision will become a reality as we prepare our students for high school and beyond, whether college or career.  

To be successful, a school must be a family. The Bulldog family consists of students, parents, teachers, and staff. By working together and focusing on the success of every student, we can help everyone better understand priority standards in the curriculum and provide positive educational experiences needed to prepare them for the years ahead. We pledge our support and dedication to meeting your needs. Working together, we can and will have a successful school year.

We will continue to enhance on an already strong PBIS program and strengthen our Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) model, which focuses on direct interventions and supports that address student and family needs. Along with these models, we will continue to offer many opportunities for increased student success, both academically and emotionally.  With our focus remaining on Reading and Math Proficiency, we want to be intentional in our use of Academic and Content Vocabulary, and be intentional in our use of Higher Order Thinking Questions to drive core instructional decisions.  All of this should correlate to increased student proficiency in all core subject areas while using specific interventions to address individual student needs. 

As the school year begins, please make sure you know how to ask for help. We are here to help you academically, socially, and emotionally. Remember “The Golden Rule”, striving to treat each other the way you would want to be treated. Respect and kindness go a long way and Cedar Grove can only be as effective as what we practice while focusing on learning, growing, and maturing.  

The Bulldog faculty and staff look forward to having you at the Cedar Grove Resort this year and we are eager to show you how great being a Bulldog can be.

With Bulldog Pride,

Justin M. Hayes, Principal