Middle School

7th grade through 8th grade (ages 14-15)

Our Middle Schoolers have been provided all of the tools necessary to be successful in their 7th and 8th grade years of school. Academically, adding onto the Upper Elementary 3-year integrated classroom, emphasis is placed on communication, collaboration, planning, and other non-cognitive skills that are key to long-term academic and life successes.

• Project-based learning where individuals or small groups can learn by doing-- developing their own hands-on, cross-curriculum projects, organizing and planning its completion, learning and analyzing the outcomes using critical thinking and analysis.
•  Real & relevant experiences, like internships in the workplace & class-managed business enterprises, are developmentally essential to adolescents as they strive to understand their role and influence on the world.
•  The Arts, opportunities for creative expressions in frequent music and art classes, are valued.
•  Physical activity throughout the day, because movement is important to growing bodies, developing motor skills, and a means of improving mental focus.
•  Community-building and conflict resolution take place of peer conflicts and unhealthy cliques.
•  Life skills that were once in schools, but gradually replaced with high-stakes testing have a place here. Personal finance, simple carpentry and engineering challenges, cooking, sewing, and gardening promote confidence, collaboration, and independence. (As a testament to our commitment, we have a kitchen in the classroom!)
•  Field trips (at least monthly) to museums, historical sites, technology centers, and natural environments including unique kayaking and camping make classroom lessons come to life and provide adventures that this age thrives on.
•  Opportunities for service learning, putting young people in touch with community leaders, business people, and involved citizens—empowering them to make a difference. Recognizing one’s ability to help others is a strong motivation for personal growth and building block for self-confidence.
•  Experiences in nature, because the next generation can only be prepared to make their world better if they are at home in the world. Research has proven that nature improves mental and emotional health.

Our graduates continue to impress us as they transition into public schools, traditional private schools and move on into higher education to pursue degrees in their passions!