Curriculum Overview

The Middle School consists of sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. There are four homerooms in each grade, but five sections of each academic class. Most classes are located on the Middle School floors and a few co-curricular classes in other parts of the facility. Fortunately, no child needs to leave the building to get from one end to the other.

Numerous changes, which must be addressed by young adolescents, occur in middle school: scheduling, areas of responsibility, and diversity of program and faculty. Great differences in developmental levels of maturation exist among this age group. The Middle School program, therefore, seeks to challenge all while supporting such differences in social, physical, emotional, and intellectual growth.

Each day begins with a traditional homeroom period that includes our morning devotions and Pledge of Allegiance. Throughout the curriculum a respect for cultural diversity is encouraged. Students develop a respect and consideration for others in regard to religion, race, nationality, and ethnic origin; respect for authority; and appropriate manners, behavior, and dress. Each Middle School student also reaches out to others by participating in community service on and off campus. Students are building their foundations to be tomorrow's citizens and leaders.

Students continue to develop written, computational, scientific, and computer skills; are provided with various inquiry strategies; and are exposed to broader sources of knowledge. The curriculum is designed to encourage intellectual curiosity through critical thinking, independent insight, and inter-disciplinary activities. A major component of our goal to develop well-rounded students is each child's exposure to the fine arts and physical education. We hope to instill an appreciation of foreign languages, art, music, drama, and literature as well as a strong, healthy body.

To provide optimum instruction and challenge advanced and regular placement based on classroom performance, teacher recommendation, and standardized test scores are available in English, math, and science. Each grade in Middle School follows a sequentially designed curriculum with an emphasis on English. Social Studies in sixth grade centers on a geography course while our seventh and eight grades complete a two-year study of U.S. History. Foreign Language is a daily academic subject in middle school, with students selecting from among Spanish, German, French or Latin.

Earth Science, Life Science, and Introduction to Physical Science are the three science courses studied in Middle School. The math curriculum concentrates on strong computational and problem-solving skills culminating with either a full year of algebra or geometry in eighth grade. Whenever possible teachers plan inter-disciplinary activities in order to provide the students with experiences that utilize their many talents and interests.