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Montessori Middle School



Montessori Middle School of Evergreen

Introduction

Our middle school is a combination of high quality academic offerings and experiential education. The students' self esteem is fostered through academic success as well as internships and service projects in the community, participation in school businesses, physical adventure outings and the leadership opportunities available to them in a small school. After years of education emphasizing independence and initiative, they are expected to be accountable for their learning and behavior while still having the support and encouragement of a caring faculty and student body to buoy them through the challenging and vulnerable middle school years.


Philosophy

The Middle School design is an integration of current research in human development, successful methodologies in education, and the Montessori philosophy. The mission of our program is to provide opportunities for adolescents to be self-confident and gain self-knowledge through academic and experiential learning. We stress the importance of belonging to a community, learning to be adaptable, being academically competent and challenged, and creating a vision for their personal future; thus, to empower early adolescents.

In the spirit of the Montessori philosophy, the Middle School program seeks to be developmentally responsive. The notion of respecting people for where they are in their development and utilizing their unique developmental stage in order to support the unfolding process of growth is a basic foundation of Montessori educational design. Thus, a knowledge of the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development of adolescents and the implications for the learning environment is requisite.


The Developmentally Responsive Program

With the characteristics and needs of the adolescent in mind, the school structure, curriculum, and teachers offer a responsive environment.

The school structure offers an intimate learner-centered environment with low student/teacher ratios and student-parent-teacher partnerships. This is a small community where everyone is valued and has the opportunity to make meaningful contributions. There are many opportunities for peer and cross-age teaching.

The curriculum includes learning-to-learn strategies and interdisciplinary themes. Students have personal learning plans and long-term projects. There is meaningful and challenging work, activities for self-expression, self-knowledge, and self-assessment. There are many opportunities to use their abundance of energy through work and play.

The curriculum fosters a sense of community and social interaction with peers. Students learn about economic independence and perform school and internship projects. Through service and self-reflection, students may find their personal vision to guide and nourish them through life.

The teachers act as facilitators for learning and as advisors to the students. They are creators of a positive climate for learning and psychosocial development. The teachers help to link school and home through communications with parents. They build a bridge between our school and the community, local and global. They are role models and caring advisors who assist each student in his/her personal journey.


Academic Curriculum

Language arts, humanities, science, computer studies and foreign languages are presented to students by grade level. Mathematics is taught by level without regard to grade. Language arts assignments including literature, expository and creative writing, grammar, vocabulary, spelling and communication are linked to other studies whenever possible. Humanities focuses on history, civics, current events, human developmental periods and thematic units including such studies as media, world religions and learning about learning. Inquiry, observation and scientific method are the emphases of the science program that covers the areas of biology, chemistry, earth science, ecology, health and physics. Sixth year students study Latin, while 7th and 8th year students who have demonstrated a proficiency with English take Spanish. The computer program emphasizes keyboard skills, spreadsheets, database, graphics and layout, publishing and the use of the Internet as a tool for inquiry and research.


Experiential Curriculum

Realizing that middle school is a time for finding one's place in the world and dealing with relationships, our experiential program is designed to build the student's self esteem and help them feel valuable and competent in a variety of settings and activities. The students take part in these activities in mixed age groups and have some choice in the internship, mentorship project, specials and thematics activities in which they participate. Monday afternoons from 2:00 to 4:00 students take a "special" class from a choice of fine arts offerings. Most of each Thursday is devoted to physical adventure such as rock climbing, hiking, softball, etc., and thematic classes including, but not limited to, musical theater, cooking and nutrition, debate, yearbook and studies of other cultures.

Community service and involvement takes place through service projects and internships. Sixth year students spend twelve afternoons each year working in a classroom within the school. Seventh and eight year students spend a similar amount of time each year working at a business or service organization in the community.


Middle School Trips

Each year the entire middle school takes a five to ten day trip to one of three locations: Yellowstone National Park and the Teton Science School, Seacamp in San Diego, and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center or Canyonlands Science School. Winter months find the students taking a one-night, cross country hut trip. Each spring the eighth year students spend a week together on a trip to a nearby state. Field trips to places that coincide with studies or for service projects are taken several times each year.



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