(12 - 14 years)
The Middle School Program is designed to be responsive to the developmental needs of the adolescent, holistic in approach, and an experience that empowers as it prepares. Adolescence is best characterized as a period of physical and emotional transformation as the adolescent struggles anew to discover the true nature of self and society. At Stoneridge Children's Montessori School, we recognize that the future may seem somewhat uncertain to many of our 12 to 14 year-old students and we are familiar with the challenges that they will face as they seek secondary school placement and move from childhood to adulthood. The Middle School Program is designed to support the adolescent as he or she strives to prove his or her identity and demystify the everyday world of adult members of society through broad based, liberal arts curriculum and activities that challenge the adolescent's character, intellect and courage.
Timelines and charts are replaced with overviews of subject areas and thematic learning within the context of an integrated whole. The student accepts responsibility for this learning and is encouraged to use self-help strategies that foster independence - what Maria Montessori described as the principle of "Help me do it alone!" The academic scope and sequence of the Middle School Program is ambitious. In Language Arts, for example, the student develops confidence in self-expression utilizing the seminar, oral presentation, debates, drama, video, photography, essays, play writing, poetry, and short stories and explores related accounts of historical and scientific material through literature, utilizing components of style, genre, characterization, interpretation, and discussion. In Mathematics, the student solves problems in relation to a variety of challenges, from practical money transactions to algebraic relationships; explores in-depth numbers, properties, simple equations, higher measurement, computer calculation and graphics, geometric proofs, and algebraic equations. But, there is much more.
In addition to physical sciences, life sciences, cultural studies, Spanish, art, music, Earth education and physical education, it is a curricular goal of the Middle School Program to bring the moral and worldview of the elementary lessons that preceded it to adolescent consciousness. Great Lessons evolve into big ideas that derive from a thorough study of the humanities. Lessons in natural history and cultural studies combine with the adolescent's own social experiences and lead him or her to cross-curricular observations about civilizations and society generally. As a result of the moral relationships stressed in the Elementary Program, the adolescent can make great cognitive leaps and experience penetrating insights while integrating ideas and values with current events, home life, or community activities in a way that makes meaning in their lives and their world. Service programs such as working in a soup kitchen, farming as a community venture, and apprenticeships or internships in the workplace enhance the adolescent's ability to make causal connections and demonstrate both the responsibilities and the benefits of community life.
To this end, the Middle School class travels to a farm school in Vermont twice annually. During the two visits, students learn about civilization through its origins in agriculture, and become active participants in the care of crops and farm animals, the repair of simple machines, the construction of out buildings, sale at market, bookkeeping, accounting, and so on. And, in this manner, the Middle School Program honors Maria Montessori's vision of "Erdkinder" and provides the adolescent with knowledge of his or her capacities, assists the adolescent in the development of self-confidence, and enables the adolescent to meet the challenges of secondary school and beyond.
