Our Middle School program builds on the students’ skills that they have cultivated through their 5 years in the Elementary program.
As students grow through their Middle School years, the teachers work with them to hone their specific skills within each individual subject area while bringing in cross-curricular connections as applicable.
There is particular emphasis on students learning through investigation, research, and real-life connections that can be made in all subject areas, to help the students achieve a solid understanding of the subject matter that they study. At the same time, students also learn important study skills such as note-taking, proper organization of materials, and how to study for periodical exams, all of which are important as they transition through their higher years of learning.
While the students get accustomed to seeing more teachers for shorter periods over the course of their school days, teachers avail themselves to the students during break and lunch periods and before and after school to help students in any way possible, both academically and socially. Our teachers are here not just to help our students grow academically, but also to help them transition into their new role as responsible adolescents.
Our Language Arts program uses anthologies, individual books, and short stories as a basis for in-depth analysis of various writing styles and techniques employed by different authors. The writing curriculum combines free-writing, directed writing based on class literature study, and written literature response. Vocabulary and grammar study are also integrated into the program with the expectation that students employ their newly learned skills into their writing pieces.
Our Social Studies program is also integrated into our Language Arts studies. Students read news articles and literature related to current events and write responses to their learning, and compile larger geographically and socially related projects. They explore targeted time periods spanning the history of the US. Additionally, there is strong emphasis on geography study, familiarization with and utilization of geographical maps, atlases, etc., as well as familiarization with locations worldwide.
Our integrated math curriculum is specifically designed for Middle School students. Concepts are introduced and built upon repeatedly over the course of the three-year program. Rather than studying an entire chapter on one subject and leaving it until the following year, all concepts under the five strands of mathematics (Number Sense and Operations, Measurement, Geometry, Algebra, Data Analysis and Probability) are incorporated so that the students constantly review and build upon the material over the course of their Middle School years. Students learn to problem solve, reason, communicate their thinking, and make connections as they integrate their knowledge of the mathematical concepts over time.
Middle School Science is a study of Life, Earth, and Physical Science through a combination of hands-on projects, lab experiments and text-based learning. Students study the scientific method and learn to explore and question within the confines of a religiously secure environment.