When students arrive at Washburn Rural Middle School this fall, they will encounter more than just the usual changes that come with a new academic year. In addition to advancing to a new grade level and adjusting to new schedules, students will be stepping into a reimagined middle school experience. In the 2025–2026 school year, WRMS will transition from the long-standing model of four teams per grade level to a two-team structure for each grade. This significant change includes updated team names and restructured teaching staff, reflecting a broader effort to realign the schools’ mission and identity.
Many people are questioning if the new teams are worth the process, Principal Mike Haire said.“With 6 teams coming into the middle schools and currently 8 team names, it was the opportunity to come up with a new school mission statement, a new Mantra, and to rebrand our teams with new team names as we have new teachers coming into the middle school, some teachers on one team merging with another team, and to just create an overall new identity for WRMS,” said Principal Mike Haire.
While reducing the number of teams may appear to limit options, the purpose is to create a stronger sense of community and collaboration. Larger teams will allow teachers to work more cohesively across subjects and offer a more connected experience for students. “This has added a ton of excitement to the teachers, which will carry over into the student impact next year,” Haire noted. One of the most anticipated aspects of the new model is the introduction of brand-new team names. The previous names are being retired, making way for a fresh set of names that are intentionally chosen to reflect the school’s evolving values and the dynamic learning environment they aim to cultivate.
While WRMS logos have now been released, the WRNMS logos are still in the design process. The WRNMS logos will soon be announced in May.
The new teams for WRMS will be:
6th grade teams:
7th grade teams:
8th grade teams:
Essentials and office staff:
