An emphasis on arts education has helped Gulf Middle School go from a triple D school to a C school, according to the most recent statewide school accountability report.
“Students were not scoring high enough on standardized tests like the FCAT, or the FSA,” said principal Jason Joens, which resulted in poor marks for three years in a row.
Joens started at GMS towards the end of the 2014/2015 academic school year. When he started, he said the morale of the school was low. Students didn’t feel inspired to do better.
Gulf Middle is one of the poorest middle schools in Pasco County, with about 86 percent of students receiving free or reduced lunch.
“We address the basic needs of the students,” Joens said. “Making sure we have structures in place, to feed them, to make sure they have clothing, but mostly what’s happening is a feeling of belongingness or being a positive part of our school.”
Joens said there are many ways to help students take ownership of their school. He held a contest for students to help rebrand the school from the Bears to the Buccaneers. The current logo was designed by a student. Buildings were repainted. Students, teachers and volunteers helped landscape the courtyards.
“The ideal middle school is where students are involved in positive action in the school,” Joens said.
The new principal also introduced fine arts to the middle school. Joens hired a drama teacher, a dance teacher and a music teacher.
“The fine arts have allowed students to blossom,” he said.
Peter Nason, Gulf Middle's new drama teacher, has more than a decade of teaching experience. He said the tools learned in theater class translate to other classrooms.
“It helps them come out of their shell,” he said. “They start volunteering more … It gives them confidence that will help them in life.”
Antonio Papanikos, an eighth grader, said he’s felt that firsthand.
“Now in class I’m always participating a lot more because Mr. Nason gets you out of that shell,” he said.
Eighth grader Renaldo Calienes has witnessed the change.
“When I was in sixth grade, it was bad,” Calienes said. “Fights going on after school.”
Now, Calienes said he’s excited for new students coming into Gulf Middle.
“It has significantly improved from what it used to be,” he said.
Sixth grader Beau Mercier didn’t even want to attend Gulf Middle School.
“Everybody thought it was a really bad school,” he said. “You wouldn’t get any good teachers.”
He thought of transferring to a different middle school. But after just a semester, Mercier said he can’t wait to come to class every day. He’s even considering branching into local theater.
“Mr. Nason said he would help me get headshots,” Mercier said. “I want to go into the Tampa Bay theater when I get into seventh grade or eighth grade.”
And that’s what Joens is trying to achieve with all his students.
“The purpose of Gulf Middle School is that all Gulf Middle School kids are life, career and college ready,” Joens said.