We, the staff and parents, envision Percy Julian Middle School as a school and family community that offers a set of keys for lifelong learning to all our students who are on the critical brink of adolescence. Those keys include knowledge, creativity, fitness, self-esteem, and respect for others.

In helping our students in their quest for knowledge, we will strive for the success of every child in achieving yearly standards in all core subject areas, taking innovative steps to ensure this as needed. In addition, we will offer programs and incentives for any student who wants to surpass achievement requirements in core subjects, and we will aim to expand our curriculum to cultivate excitement and active participation in learning.

We understand how creative pursuits at the middle school positively affect our students’ self-esteem, sense of teamwork, and respect for others. We will continue with our solid base of offerings in music, art, and theatre, and look to develop new opportunities for students not currently participating.

We will seek to diversify our array of physical fitness choices (intra-curricular and extra-curricular) for all grade levels, understanding how important physical fitness is to middle school students. We will be no less earnest in our vision when it comes to mental and emotional fitness in our students. Subject area clubs and competitions will continue to encourage students and contribute to their self-esteem outside of class time. To promote emotional well-being in our individual students and in our school climate at large, we will design `and implement strategies to make certain that students demonstrate respect for others.

As a school and family community, all of us -- administration, teachers, auxiliary staff, parents, students, and the Community of Oak Park -- realize we will need to work side-by-side to fulfill our vision. It will require patience, understanding, and dedication on all our parts, and we will remind and support each other in holding our vision true and steady.