Be Responsible. Be Respectful. Be an Oriole. 

Thank you for your interest in O. J. DeJonge Middle School!  We take pride in being educators who are committed to providing a top-notch academic experience for each of our students.  Our school’s vision is more than just words to us; it is the culmination of rich and meaningful work involving our entire faculty on what middle school students need, why we teach and the importance of every curricular area to the development of our students.  We pride ourselves in offering a broad and rich curriculum, as well as a growing complement of co-curricular groups and organizations that provide a comprehensive and meaningful education for students.  Please click on links located on this page to see our course offerings, co-curricular groups, 8th-grade camp overview and other information about the student experience at OJMS.                                                                    

Our Vision

The O. J. DeJonge Middle School community inspires learning through inquiry, relationships and self-awareness in an experience-rich environment that promotes independence and responsibility.

Professional Learning

Teaching is a critical, complex and rewarding endeavor.  It is arguably the most important job in the world.  O. J. DeJonge Middle School teachers strive to inspire their students, but even the most reflective and dedicated teachers need support to continue developing and refining their practice.  To that end, our faculty is committed to engaging in professional learning opportunities that result in actual improvements in teaching and learning.  We participate in multiple professional development sessions each month for teachers to learn of new research-based practices, share what they are trying with their colleagues and have professional conversations meant to increase their reflectiveness about their practice.  Much of this work occurs on Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Days, and we are truly grateful for our own community's support that allows us to take several days throughout the year for learning with colleagues.  Additionally, we have on-site instructional coaches with us each week who model new techniques, observe and provide feedback and co-teach with our instructors to improve performance and get the learning results we want for our students.  We are proud of our educators' dedication to the constant refinement of their craft.

O. J. DeJonge Middle School welcomes new Assistant Principal, Abby Schaperkotter   

Abby recently served as an assistant principal at Grant Middle School in Marion, Ohio.  Grant MS is a large middle school serving approximately 1,200 students in grades 6-8.  In her role as assistant principal, she served as her building's NWEA coordinator, PBIS chair, instructional leader, master scheduler, and disciplinarian for 8th-grade students.  Prior to serving as an assistant principal, Abby served as a Grant Coordinator and an At-risk program director for 4 years, while in that role she created a community food pantry which was housed at the school.  Abby has classroom experience teaching Social Studies (Economics, US/World History, Psychology, and Sociology) at the high school level.

A native of Charlevoix, Abby attended Grand Valley State University where she graduated with a double Major in History and Social Studies and a Minor in Physical Education.  She has a Master's in Educational Policy and Leadership from The Ohio State University.