Middle School Curriculum

Middle School is a unique time in adolescent development.  Students are transitioning into adolescence and working with this age group requires that we support students' academic and social well being.

 

6th grade 

 

In the 6th grade, we support our students with this transition by providing them the additional structure of the AVID elective class.  This class focuses on strengthening the executive functioning skills of our students while they take on the additional responsibility of managing a greater academic course load.  6th graders have an opportunity to take classes in all 4 major art disciplines of Drama, Dance, Music and Visual Arts.  

 

 

7th grade

 

Our 7th grade students develop their voice as artists through the selection of both an Art major and Art minor.  This focus on the arts allows students to develop their self-confidence and capacity for self-expression.  We expect students to develop their artistic craft with the same vigor as their academics.   

 

8th grade

 

As we prepare our students to transition to high school, our focus is to provide them with the best guidance around choosing the right high school and finishing their middle school experience strong.  Our counselors, teachers and advisors support students to develop a strong portfolio to apply for high school.  In addition, our 8th graders have the opportunity to finish their middle school careers strong by taking Regents courses in both Math and Science.  

 

Community Service 

Integral to our philosophy of developing students for the 21st century is the expectation that our students also engage in service learning.  Service learning is an opportunity for students to learn educational standards through tackling real-life problems in our community.  We expect our students to give back to our community as they develop their understanding of civic education and good citizenship.  

 

PRIDE Periods

 

Built into our schedule is an opportunity for students to get exactly what they need.  These "Pride" periods are a set time each week, where students go to different teachers for additional academic support or to attend enrichment sessions, meet with an advisor, make up class assignments for days missed or take part in other extracurricular activities.  Our goal with Pride periods is to give students more tailored academic support and express their agency by exploring their interests.