Key Curriculum Components

Interdisciplinary Training
Interdisciplinary training will be incorporated into the middle school by providing developmentally appropriate themes that span the curriculum. Such themes will include multiculturalism, environmentalism, diversity, and current events. Each department will be expected to incorporate the highlighted theme into their curriculum, and the 8th period (extracurricular period) will also highlight the specific themes. All themes will contain developmentally appropriate, cooperative learning experiences, and teachers will be expected to discuss their curriculum plans and student progress in monthly staff meetings. Family Diversity Day, which occurs once per school year, will be a recurring theme in the school’s interdisciplinary training. Each class will produce a class project reflecting diversity awareness, which will be highlighted during Family Diversity Day.

Advisory Programs
It is important to address the varying needs of the students, especially those that span beyond academics. The advisory period for students will occur during homeroom time, Period 1. This period will be utilized to examine current events and life issues concerning the students, as well as issues relating to their school performance, and upcoming life events. During advisory period, students will create, monitor, and assess weekly achievement goals under the monitoring of the homeroom advisor. The advisory period will allow students to hear school-wide and community messages. The advisory period is important because it provides each student with at least one teacher/role model to speak with concerning their life outside academics. It is also a key component in the role of communication between school and home, and is developmentally appropriate, because middle school students often experience many physical, mental, emotional, and academic transitions that can be addressed throughout the advisory period.

Varied Instruction
Varied instruction will be incorporated into the curriculum by providing response based teaching, under the presumption that not all learners are alike. Special Education programs and resources are readily available, complete with the appropriate assistive technology, as well as gifted programs and resources for the gifted students. ESL teachers are available as well. Tutors are available to assist students who may need further instruction. Instruction will also be varied to incorporate the variety of developmentally appropriate learning styles, including, kinesthetic, verbal, visual, and auditory. To ensure that the school is doing everything that it can to vary its learning styles, technology is incorporated into every classroom, including assistive devices for students with disabilities and special needs. Student feedback and assessment will be reviewed to ensure that instruction is varied.

Exploratory Programs
Exploratory programs are added to the curriculum, and highlighted during the last period of the day, every Friday. The exploratory programs meet the unique needs of middle school adolescents, and will be considered integrated learning experiences that incorporate skills that are taught in the core courses, with real-life skills. This will foster peer/peer and student/teacher relationships in a controlled setting, and provide time for the students to participate in an activity of their choice, as directed by faculty. Such developmentally appropriate activities may include yearbook committee, school newspaper, athletics, school magazine, music appreciation, etc.

Transition Programs
The Middle School transition program is designed to turn risk into opportunities for growth, and address the needs of young, adolescent middle school students. The programs will be designed to meet the needs of students by addressing key issues and themes throughout adolescence such as self esteem, social skills, high school readiness, and more. Health classes will address many of the questions that adolescents face concerning the changes that their bodies are undergoing, as well as self-esteem issues and body concerns. Daily morning advisory periods address school, life, and community concerns, as well as providing an adult mentor for the students to look up to, to answer questions about life to come after middle school. Exploratory programs prepare the students to make choices toward their interests, as well as enhance social skills. School clubs also provide the students with resources to expand themselves beyond academics, and incorporate skills that will be needed in high school and beyond.