Our Mission:
The community of Palm Desert Charter Middle School collaborates to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which students pursue academic excellence, environmental stewardship, and social accountability as global citizens.
Our Core Values:
P - Professionalism
R - Respect
I - Integrity
D - Determination
E - Enthusiasm
Our Story:
Palm Desert Charter Middle School, formerly Palm Desert Middle School, converted to a charter school at the beginning of the 2008/09 school year. We have a Governing Council comprised of certificated and classified staff, parents, and community members who oversee school operations, revenue, and curriculum. The principal and business consultants are non-voting members of the Council.
PDCMS, home of the Panthers, is a dynamic educational community focusing on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math) curricula for adolescents in grades six through eight. PDCMS has twice been named a California Distinguished School and was selected, out of hundreds of other middle schools across the country, as an Intel School of Distinction in Science. More recently, it was named one of California’s Gold Ribbon Schools.
Challenging core subjects are augmented by award-winning elective classes, including Band, Art, Robotics, Foreign Languages, Broadcasting, Color Guard, and Home Economics. The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program teaches students vital skills for success in college and career. Our school provides one-to-one technology for students in addition to a wide variety of programs and activities to meet their educational needs. The City of Palm Desert has provided a grant for an after-school program that offers academic support and enrichment classes under the direction of administrators and teachers. In addition, we strive to provide opportunities to ensure that our students have the social skills needed to make contributions as effective citizens in our communities. Intervention programs, such as KARE (Kindness, Advocacy, and Respect & Excellence), assist students experiencing personal hardships.
The enthusiastic and dedicated teachers and staff are among the most important components of student success at PDCMS. They model Panther PRIDE for all students and staff members. In addition, PDCMS believes that communication between home and school is the key to a successful middle school experience. Parents can stay informed by subscribing to weekly Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) emails. The PDCMS website also provides up-to-date school news and information. Our shared support agreement signed each year by students, parents, and teachers reinforces our commitment to provide an optimal learning environment and identifies expectations for teachers, parents, and students. The mutual respect and responsibility of our students, parents, and staff and solid academic programs have earned us great success and Panther PRIDE!