Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School in Seekonk Named NELMS Spotlight School

Dr. Kevin Hurley Middle School in Seekonk has earned Spotlight School status by the New England League of Middle Schools (NELMS). The school’s principal is Dr. William Whalen. Dr. Whalen, along with his Assistant Principal, Ms. Alexis Bouchard, applied for the school to be evaluated for Spotlight School status. The application included gathering data about the school and submitting it to NELMS. This included school-wide accountability data, attendance rates for students and teachers, the current School Improvement Plan, the student handbook, and more, including the completion of a questionnaire and providing a report. The data showed that the school continues to make progress, especially in the areas of ELA and Science, and is committed to effective instruction. Therefore, NELMS sent a team of representatives to the school for a site visit. During the site visit, the representatives observed classes, interviewed the administration, teachers, and students.

NELMS commended the Hurley Middle School on an exemplary school climate, having a clean and attractive school facility, empowering teachers and students through a collaborative leadership model, having a supportive learning environment for all students, using the Google Platform to embed technology into instructional plans, and more. The organization also highlighted the fact that the school has innovative programs such as Lobby Hours where administrators meet informally with students and teachers in order to gather feedback from them on a regular basis. The school was also recognized for their core values; The Warrior Way—Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Responsible, Be Respectful.

Hurley Middle School offers teachers common planning time within its six-day cycle in order to work on curriculum and meet with guidance counselors regarding students. The school was also commended for the vast number of extracurricular activities it offers. Dr. Whalen stated that he is “very proud of all of the hard work that the teachers and students at the school have put forth in order to make HMS a topnotch school. This is an environment where everyone supports each other.”