Middle-School Program: 6-8
Introduction | Language Arts | Mathematics | Science
Social Studies | Religious Studies | Social & Emotional
Introduction
Middle school teachers have very high expectations for their students regarding their academic careers and social, emotional development. The primary expectation is that all students take an active role in their learning. By promoting a good quality work ethic, study techniques and active learning, we cultivate an understanding in our students that they must be fully present to learn. Ethics and values are not only infused into the everyday curriculum, they are a core part of our belief in how to help adolescents become mature, positive, active members of their community. This includes preparation on basic work ethic, self-reliance, and the high demands of academic excellence. Through fostering these principles, we are providing a strong foundation for our students in the continuation of their academic careers and life ahead.
The teachers understand that not all students learn at the same pace or in the same way. We strive to provide students every possible opportunity for success. Students who are able to achieve at a higher level have the ability to extend their learning in many areas, such as taking mathematics courses above grade level including Honors Algebra I and Honors Geometry, for high school credit. Students may also take Spanish I for high school credit. Teachers provide assistance to students through help sessions during the day and after school. Additional resource support is available beyond the classroom to students who are eligible.
We offer a strong academic program focused around respect, responsibility, leadership and moral values in a risk-free environment. These qualities prepare students for what life presents. It teaches them to choose their words, actions, and behaviors carefully. It allows them to hold themselves to a higher standard and enables them to take an active role in their academic careers. Most importantly, it raises their expectations of the people around them and encourages them to instill a sense of “no less than your best” attitude in themselves and others while still accepting others for who they are.
The proof of this belief is seen each year as our students graduate as 8th graders and transition into the area’s toughest high school honors programs and boarding schools. Each year we help students and parents through the process of choosing and applying to the variety of programs available in our area. By knowing our students so well, we are able to acknowledge where we feel they will be best suited and can gently encourage them to strive higher.
Overnight Learning Expeditions: 6th & 7th grade alternate each year between a Science and Social Studies overnight expedition. 7th Grade leadership overnight trip. 8th Grade plans each year for their overnight trip. Past 8th grade trips have included: Washington, DC and Boston, MA.
[top]
Language Arts
The ultimate goal of the language arts program is to build strong reading and writing skills within each student. This is accomplished by exposing students to a wide variety of literature, by practicing writing to different audiences and for different purposes, by embracing creativity and curiosity, by encouraging students to push themselves to improve in those areas outside of their “comfort zones” and always put forth their best effort.
Over the course of the year, each grade reads many works of literature, both classical and contemporary, fiction and non-fiction, short stories and novels, poetry and plays, and so on. Novels, for the most part, are assigned to be read at home and during students’ free time during the day. Short stories are read throughout the year, both at home and in class, independently and in groups.
Everything that is read for class is discussed and broken down so that students can better understand WHY and HOW authors write, and the role literature plays in our society. Students experience the writing process in varying degrees throughout the course of the year, brainstorming, drafting, and revising their work. They practice writing to different audiences and for different purposes. Past years’ assignments include: Illustrated African Folk Tales intended for a 5-year old audience, How-To articles for an adult audience, Persuasive/Opinion Articles, Creative Short Stories, Poetry Compilations. At the base of all the writing is a heavy emphasis on the writing process and the traits of good writing including basic skills, punctuation, grammar and spelling. One-on-one conferencing is key in the student’s development as a confident, effective writer. All students have a Language Arts portfolio which documents growth in all Language Arts areas (K-8).
Materials/Texts: Prentice Hall Literature Anthology – Penguin Edition; Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop; Pearson Education Everyday Spelling; Great Source –Write Traits. Novels historically read: Greek Gods, Phantom Tollbooth, True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Treasure Island, The Giver, Watsons Go to Birmingham, Tangerine, Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, Outsiders, Tom Sawyer, as well as various biographies, non-fiction and Shakespeare works
[top]
Mathematics
The backbone of the Early Middle School Mathematics Program is the Saxon Mathematics Program. Saxon Math is unique because the entire program is based on introducing a topic to students and then allowing them to build upon that concept as they learn new ones. Topics are never dropped, but are instead increased in complexity and practiced every day, providing the time required for concepts to become totally familiar. This incremental approach to math differs from most traditional programs which are “chapter-based”. In these traditional texts, students are presented with and expected to learn an entire mathematical concept in one day. The homework for that day consists of twenty or thirty problems, all of which deal with that concept. The topic is then only reviewed prior to a test, if at all. Saxon textbooks, however, divide concepts into smaller, more easily grasped pieces called increments. A new increment is presented each day and students work only a few problems involving the new material. The remaining homework consists of practice problems involving concepts previously introduced. Thus, every assignment (and every test) is a cumulative review of all material covered up to that point.
Students also participate in Communication Math which develops problem solving strategies and has students thinking, speaking and writing about the strategies they use to solve mathematical problems. All students have a math portfolio that documents growth in all mathematical areas (K-8).
High School Honors Credit Courses
The main goal of our Upper Middle School Mathematics program is to continue to foster a love of mathematics paralleled with the intense building of a strong understanding of Algebra and Geometry skills in a risk free learning environment. This goal is achieved by providing classes at the upper spectrum for students to take. We believe in teaching students where they are developmentally rather than chronologically and emphasize the importance of supporting and challenging students as needed in any direction. We work hard to challenge all of our students to become mathematical thinkers and to reason beyond the surface of problems and encourage students to seek math outside of the classrooms. We work to build a strong vocabulary with our students that enrich their understanding of future concepts. Finally we aim at increasing their understanding of the practical side to mathematics and how it applies to our everyday lives.
Problem Solving Competitions
Each year students participate in various local, state, and national competitions such as MATHCOUNTS, The Florida Mathematics League and the Continental Mathematics League problem solving competitions. These competitions provide students with higher-level application questions involving all topics in mathematics. During the year we work through the numerous problem solving techniques including communication math where students are required to write essays on how to solve problems.
Middle School Mathematics Courses: Saxon Math 6/5, Saxon Math 7/6, Saxon Math 8/7, Prentice Hall Pre-Algebra, Prentice Hall Honors Algebra 1, Prentice Hall Honors Geometry
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Science
Major Units of Study: Processes that Shape the Earth, Astrophysics, Environmental Science, Sustainability, Cell Biology, Frog Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, Physics, Electricity & Magnetism
The middle school science program works to nurture young scientists by addressing curriculum standards in a lab environment. Attaching concepts to real world situations reinforces this objective. The ultimate goal of our program is to promote and foster scientific inquiry in all of our students. That is, get them thinking like a scientist – being inquisitive; asking wonderment statements and seeking answers to the questions they pose. The National Science Education Content Standards define inquiry as the process in which students begin with a question, design an investigation, formulate an answer to the original question, and communicate the investigative process and results. Through activities and class experience our students will feel comfortable and confident in lab situations and be able to demonstrate an ability to use lab equipment. There is always an underlying theme that will instill awareness of our environment and how to preserve it. Our children are our future!
Texts/Materials: Prentice Hall Science Explorer Series
[top]
Social Studies
Topics: Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, Ancient China, Asia, Renaissance, Reformation, Exploration, Latin America, North America, Post Civil War Era, Twentieth-Century Events, Government, Historical Documents, Constitutional Interpretation, Justice System, Civic Responsibility
History and Social Studies emphasize the interdependent nature of humanity. It is crucial that our students know about people, places and their impact on our global community, learning to draw upon the experience of the people and events of previous times. Through real world experiences and hands on projects, students will obtain the skills to become informed citizens. Students move from learning about themselves and their own culture to exploring the geography and histories of world cultures. Through this study of cultures, students will come to celebrate and appreciate the worlds’ diversity. Through discussions, primary sources and novel ties the student is drawn into cultural awareness. Our program incorporates as many elements as possible into the social studies curriculum, utilizing language arts, music and art, as well as a wealth of community resources.
With an increasing emphasis being placed on world affairs and politics, it is critical for students to gain knowledge of a global society, as well as their own continent, country, state and city. Geography is a major theme throughout middle school. Students will gain an understanding of global positioning, the five themes of geography, as well as practical map skills. The National Geographic Council breaks geography into 5 main categories, which they refer to as the Five Themes of Geography: Location, Region, Human/Environment Interaction, Movement, and Place. Each grade will take time exploring each of these categories on a global and local level.
Texts/Materials: Western Hemisphere, Eastern Hemisphere, Prentice Hall’s Our American Nation, Supplementary Materials
[top]
Religious Studies
Judaism is both a religion, as well as a civilization made up of an entire culture. One goal of the Religious Studies program is to ensure that students learn about the Jewish religion and culture. This will provide all students with an appreciation of the beauty and significance of Jewish heritage and practices while respecting religious and cultural diversity. Our school is committed not only to the acquisition of Judaic knowledge, but also the development of universal values, enlarging the human spirit, and the growth of the individual. The program integrates these ethics and values, such as Tikun Olam (repairing the world), Tzedakah (acts of charity), and G’milut Chassadim (compassion and respect toward others) into the overall curriculum.
The program integrates Jewish history, holidays, literature, current events, music, art, and dance into the overall curriculum. Every effort is made to draw connections for all students to the themes brought up in Religious Studies. Middle School students participate in Religious Studies Core Curriculum twice a week. In addition, the students choose a Religious Studies elective either “Living Judaism” or “Comparative Religion”.
Core Curriculum includes: Anti-Semitism; “Not standing idly by”; Practical Jewish Values; Jewish short stories; 5 Books of Moses; Holidays; Immigration to Israel; Jewish History (300 CE-Current Day); Holocaust Studies
Living Judaism Curriculum includes: Sight Hebrew Reading; Prayer Reading; Hebrew Conversation; Torah Calligraphy; Writing Short Stories in Hebrew; Torah Service; Services
Comparative Religion Curriculum includes: Study of Mennonite, Amish and Quakers; Introduction to Philosophy of Plato, Spinoza and Augustine; Sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
[top]
Social/Emotional Advisory Program
Our advisory program consists of multi-aged groups of middle school students that meet once a week with a specific teacher. During the advisory time, students will have the opportunity to work on five areas of growth.
- Community: Teambuilding and communication skills, personality indicators, leadership opportunities
- Achievement: Learning styles, study skills, test prep, accountability, goal setting, reflection of term grades
- Respect: Tolerance and understanding, communication skills, conflict resolution
- Exploration: Additional topics of interest to students or deemed necessary by teachers
- Social Responsibility: Community service, bully prevention, personal responsibility, personal safety, civic responsibilities
[top]
Middle-School Program: 6-8
Introduction | Language Arts | Mathematics | Science
Social Studies | Religious Studies | Social & Emotional
Introduction
Middle school teachers have very high expectations for their students regarding their academic careers and social, emotional development. The primary expectation is that all students take an active role in their learning. By promoting a good quality work ethic, study techniques and active learning, we cultivate an understanding in our students that they must be fully present to learn. Ethics and values are not only infused into the everyday curriculum, they are a core part of our belief in how to help adolescents become mature, positive, active members of their community. This includes preparation on basic work ethic, self-reliance, and the high demands of academic excellence. Through fostering these principles, we are providing a strong foundation for our students in the continuation of their academic careers and life ahead.
The teachers understand that not all students learn at the same pace or in the same way. We strive to provide students every possible opportunity for success. Students who are able to achieve at a higher level have the ability to extend their learning in many areas, such as taking mathematics courses above grade level including Honors Algebra I and Honors Geometry, for high school credit. Students may also take Spanish I for high school credit. Teachers provide assistance to students through help sessions during the day and after school. Additional resource support is available beyond the classroom to students who are eligible.
We offer a strong academic program focused around respect, responsibility, leadership and moral values in a risk-free environment. These qualities prepare students for what life presents. It teaches them to choose their words, actions, and behaviors carefully. It allows them to hold themselves to a higher standard and enables them to take an active role in their academic careers. Most importantly, it raises their expectations of the people around them and encourages them to instill a sense of “no less than your best” attitude in themselves and others while still accepting others for who they are.
The proof of this belief is seen each year as our students graduate as 8th graders and transition into the area’s toughest high school honors programs and boarding schools. Each year we help students and parents through the process of choosing and applying to the variety of programs available in our area. By knowing our students so well, we are able to acknowledge where we feel they will be best suited and can gently encourage them to strive higher.
Overnight Learning Expeditions: 6th & 7th grade alternate each year between a Science and Social Studies overnight expedition. 7th Grade leadership overnight trip. 8th Grade plans each year for their overnight trip. Past 8th grade trips have included: Washington, DC and Boston, MA.
[top]
Language Arts
The ultimate goal of the language arts program is to build strong reading and writing skills within each student. This is accomplished by exposing students to a wide variety of literature, by practicing writing to different audiences and for different purposes, by embracing creativity and curiosity, by encouraging students to push themselves to improve in those areas outside of their “comfort zones” and always put forth their best effort.
Over the course of the year, each grade reads many works of literature, both classical and contemporary, fiction and non-fiction, short stories and novels, poetry and plays, and so on. Novels, for the most part, are assigned to be read at home and during students’ free time during the day. Short stories are read throughout the year, both at home and in class, independently and in groups.
Everything that is read for class is discussed and broken down so that students can better understand WHY and HOW authors write, and the role literature plays in our society. Students experience the writing process in varying degrees throughout the course of the year, brainstorming, drafting, and revising their work. They practice writing to different audiences and for different purposes. Past years’ assignments include: Illustrated African Folk Tales intended for a 5-year old audience, How-To articles for an adult audience, Persuasive/Opinion Articles, Creative Short Stories, Poetry Compilations. At the base of all the writing is a heavy emphasis on the writing process and the traits of good writing including basic skills, punctuation, grammar and spelling. One-on-one conferencing is key in the student’s development as a confident, effective writer. All students have a Language Arts portfolio which documents growth in all Language Arts areas (K-8).
Materials/Texts: Prentice Hall Literature Anthology – Penguin Edition; Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop; Pearson Education Everyday Spelling; Great Source –Write Traits. Novels historically read: Greek Gods, Phantom Tollbooth, True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Treasure Island, The Giver, Watsons Go to Birmingham, Tangerine, Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, Outsiders, Tom Sawyer, as well as various biographies, non-fiction and Shakespeare works
[top]
Mathematics
The backbone of the Early Middle School Mathematics Program is the Saxon Mathematics Program. Saxon Math is unique because the entire program is based on introducing a topic to students and then allowing them to build upon that concept as they learn new ones. Topics are never dropped, but are instead increased in complexity and practiced every day, providing the time required for concepts to become totally familiar. This incremental approach to math differs from most traditional programs which are “chapter-based”. In these traditional texts, students are presented with and expected to learn an entire mathematical concept in one day. The homework for that day consists of twenty or thirty problems, all of which deal with that concept. The topic is then only reviewed prior to a test, if at all. Saxon textbooks, however, divide concepts into smaller, more easily grasped pieces called increments. A new increment is presented each day and students work only a few problems involving the new material. The remaining homework consists of practice problems involving concepts previously introduced. Thus, every assignment (and every test) is a cumulative review of all material covered up to that point.
Students also participate in Communication Math which develops problem solving strategies and has students thinking, speaking and writing about the strategies they use to solve mathematical problems. All students have a math portfolio that documents growth in all mathematical areas (K-8).
High School Honors Credit Courses
The main goal of our Upper Middle School Mathematics program is to continue to foster a love of mathematics paralleled with the intense building of a strong understanding of Algebra and Geometry skills in a risk free learning environment. This goal is achieved by providing classes at the upper spectrum for students to take. We believe in teaching students where they are developmentally rather than chronologically and emphasize the importance of supporting and challenging students as needed in any direction. We work hard to challenge all of our students to become mathematical thinkers and to reason beyond the surface of problems and encourage students to seek math outside of the classrooms. We work to build a strong vocabulary with our students that enrich their understanding of future concepts. Finally we aim at increasing their understanding of the practical side to mathematics and how it applies to our everyday lives.
Problem Solving Competitions
Each year students participate in various local, state, and national competitions such as MATHCOUNTS, The Florida Mathematics League and the Continental Mathematics League problem solving competitions. These competitions provide students with higher-level application questions involving all topics in mathematics. During the year we work through the numerous problem solving techniques including communication math where students are required to write essays on how to solve problems.
Middle School Mathematics Courses: Saxon Math 6/5, Saxon Math 7/6, Saxon Math 8/7, Prentice Hall Pre-Algebra, Prentice Hall Honors Algebra 1, Prentice Hall Honors Geometry
[top]
Science
Major Units of Study: Processes that Shape the Earth, Astrophysics, Environmental Science, Sustainability, Cell Biology, Frog Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, Physics, Electricity & Magnetism
The middle school science program works to nurture young scientists by addressing curriculum standards in a lab environment. Attaching concepts to real world situations reinforces this objective. The ultimate goal of our program is to promote and foster scientific inquiry in all of our students. That is, get them thinking like a scientist – being inquisitive; asking wonderment statements and seeking answers to the questions they pose. The National Science Education Content Standards define inquiry as the process in which students begin with a question, design an investigation, formulate an answer to the original question, and communicate the investigative process and results. Through activities and class experience our students will feel comfortable and confident in lab situations and be able to demonstrate an ability to use lab equipment. There is always an underlying theme that will instill awareness of our environment and how to preserve it. Our children are our future!
Texts/Materials: Prentice Hall Science Explorer Series
[top]
Social Studies
Topics: Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, Ancient China, Asia, Renaissance, Reformation, Exploration, Latin America, North America, Post Civil War Era, Twentieth-Century Events, Government, Historical Documents, Constitutional Interpretation, Justice System, Civic Responsibility
History and Social Studies emphasize the interdependent nature of humanity. It is crucial that our students know about people, places and their impact on our global community, learning to draw upon the experience of the people and events of previous times. Through real world experiences and hands on projects, students will obtain the skills to become informed citizens. Students move from learning about themselves and their own culture to exploring the geography and histories of world cultures. Through this study of cultures, students will come to celebrate and appreciate the worlds’ diversity. Through discussions, primary sources and novel ties the student is drawn into cultural awareness. Our program incorporates as many elements as possible into the social studies curriculum, utilizing language arts, music and art, as well as a wealth of community resources.
With an increasing emphasis being placed on world affairs and politics, it is critical for students to gain knowledge of a global society, as well as their own continent, country, state and city. Geography is a major theme throughout middle school. Students will gain an understanding of global positioning, the five themes of geography, as well as practical map skills. The National Geographic Council breaks geography into 5 main categories, which they refer to as the Five Themes of Geography: Location, Region, Human/Environment Interaction, Movement, and Place. Each grade will take time exploring each of these categories on a global and local level.
Texts/Materials: Western Hemisphere, Eastern Hemisphere, Prentice Hall’s Our American Nation, Supplementary Materials
[top]
Religious Studies
Judaism is both a religion, as well as a civilization made up of an entire culture. One goal of the Religious Studies program is to ensure that students learn about the Jewish religion and culture. This will provide all students with an appreciation of the beauty and significance of Jewish heritage and practices while respecting religious and cultural diversity. Our school is committed not only to the acquisition of Judaic knowledge, but also the development of universal values, enlarging the human spirit, and the growth of the individual. The program integrates these ethics and values, such as Tikun Olam (repairing the world), Tzedakah (acts of charity), and G’milut Chassadim (compassion and respect toward others) into the overall curriculum.
The program integrates Jewish history, holidays, literature, current events, music, art, and dance into the overall curriculum. Every effort is made to draw connections for all students to the themes brought up in Religious Studies. Middle School students participate in Religious Studies Core Curriculum twice a week. In addition, the students choose a Religious Studies elective either “Living Judaism” or “Comparative Religion”.
Core Curriculum includes: Anti-Semitism; “Not standing idly by”; Practical Jewish Values; Jewish short stories; 5 Books of Moses; Holidays; Immigration to Israel; Jewish History (300 CE-Current Day); Holocaust Studies
Living Judaism Curriculum includes: Sight Hebrew Reading; Prayer Reading; Hebrew Conversation; Torah Calligraphy; Writing Short Stories in Hebrew; Torah Service; Services
Comparative Religion Curriculum includes: Study of Mennonite, Amish and Quakers; Introduction to Philosophy of Plato, Spinoza and Augustine; Sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
[top]
Social/Emotional Advisory Program
Our advisory program consists of multi-aged groups of middle school students that meet once a week with a specific teacher. During the advisory time, students will have the opportunity to work on five areas of growth.
- Community: Teambuilding and communication skills, personality indicators, leadership opportunities
- Achievement: Learning styles, study skills, test prep, accountability, goal setting, reflection of term grades
- Respect: Tolerance and understanding, communication skills, conflict resolution
- Exploration: Additional topics of interest to students or deemed necessary by teachers
- Social Responsibility: Community service, bully prevention, personal responsibility, personal safety, civic responsibilities
[top]
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