Middle School Curriculum

Middle School is a time of tremendous growth and development for students. We recognize that our students have a wide range of unique characteristics and needs, and that their growth is dependent on experiences that provide emotional, social, physical, and intellectual support. These experiences will allow them to develop a sense of self as well as a sense of belonging within their community. 

The Middle School program is based on the academic abilities and social needs of young people. Our Middle School curriculum is skills-based, interdisciplinary, and experiential. Students are taught and assessed on both subject content and on broader student skills. Instruction connects to students’ lives, engages them in critical thinking, and helps them form a strong foundation of skills, knowledge, and work habits while promoting respect, growth, personal responsibility, and self-awareness. We live in a world where creating solutions requires a complex set of skills. We know that Middle School students learn best from experiences that are real and relevant to their lives. Our interdisciplinary approach encourages active learning, open and supportive student/teacher relationships, cooperation, and problem-solving.

Ultimately, our goal is to help students to come to a better understanding of themselves as learners and as people. 

We believe every student is a “math person” and has the ability to understand the world through a mathematical lens. The Middle School math program combines content exposure with critical thinking about the underlying concepts. Units reinforce key mathematical concepts in authentic ways that apply to students’ lives. Often the math is integrated with other subjects, built into a project designed to deepen concepts and demonstrate its relevancy. With intention, learning spirals through earlier concepts, applying more complex layers, and building students’ strategies for solving problems. Our Middle School program hosts students in heterogeneous classrooms, serving students with a range of mathematical backgrounds and abilities. The Middle School math program develops students’ foundational understanding, upon which students can pursue high school math with confidence.

The English Language Arts and History programs in the Middle School are designed to help students to a deeper understanding of past, present, and future human interactions in the context of their relationships with one another, the environment, and other organisms. Students are asked to consider the human experience through multiple lenses, learning to critically examine their own perspective while striving to understand the perspectives of others. As students explore engaging content and thematic units by examining a wide variety of texts (including primary and secondary sources, and contemporary works of both fiction and non-fiction), they work to hone their writing and critical reading abilities.

The Middle School Science curriculum is an applied science program where students engage in biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and environmental science. Each grade level is designed to reinforce the key concepts of scientific thinking, writing, and analysis. Students gather and analyze evidence, design and test hypothesis, perform experiments, and learn to write scientifically. Science is also integrated into larger interdisciplinary projects throughout the year and connects to regional environs in order to supplement the learning during outdoor trips. The goal of the Middle School science program is to deepen students’ ability to think scientifically and prepare them for success in discipline-specific courses in high school.

The Middle School World Languages program builds on the foundation of foreign language learning begun in Elementary School and it broadens offerings by introducing French. With an ultimate goal of achieving competent self-expression, the program emphasizes regular communication in French or Spanish, an understanding of grammar, learning about language and culture, and building language-learning skills. Class time focuses on oral practice, self-expression activities, cooperative learning drills, writing, reading, and listening comprehension. Language instruction incorporates multimedia technology, the writing lab, videos, and practice outside of class. By immersing students into language and culture fully, our World Language program seeks to inspire a life-long love of learning language in our students.  

Middle School artists build on the foundation laid in Elementary School. They continue to explore a variety of media (paint, sculpture, watercolors, printmaking, and more), but on a more disciplined, in-depth level through the use of themed units. Class time promotes a deeper understanding of art from personal, cultural, and historical perspectives. Art history, artists, and techniques are studied through student-designed and -executed projects and installations. There is a greater emphasis placed on individual evaluation and progress, helping determine what kind of artist each student is becoming. All students are required to keep a sketchbook, which is periodically reviewed with both the teacher and peers.

Music is an integral part of every student’s life. We believe all students are capable of understanding and creating music, that every student has some musical talent to contribute to ensemble work, and that participating in music requires a degree of student vulnerability. With these ideals as a platform, the Middle School music program harnesses individual interests and talents through a series of units, each designed to deepen students’ understanding of music as a discipline and to build upon their musical interests. The units may include songwriting, vocals, instrumental, music technology, performance, and other concepts.

The result is a program where students develop an appreciation for a range of music styles, understand music as a language, form skills and appreciation for their own musical talents, and learn to perform.

The goal of the Middle School P.E. program is to instill a positive attitude toward leading an active and healthy lifestyle, one that will enrich the quality of each student's life.

To this end, P.E. includes an intramural program designed to bolster skills and introduce team sport concepts to the students, as well as a more-traditional fitness and lifetime activities program tailored to bolster the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development needs unique to early adolescence.

Activities and games are designed to demonstrate proper sportsmanship, build positive self-concepts, instill attitudes of self-responsibility, reinforce notions of safety and risk-management, and have fun. Cognitive goals include building an understanding of the rules and regulations of various games as well as their offensive and defensive strategies. Games taught include: basketball, flag football, floor hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. Students have opportunities to demonstrate an improvement in personal fitness levels and to put into action the skills they've developed during class time.

Students undergo tremendous emotional, physical, and intellectual developmental changes during Middle School. Sun Valley Community School recognizes the importance of addressing social and emotional well-being during this time and the way it impacts learning. The school is committed to providing students with education and resources related to four overlapping topics to help guide decision-making as they enter their teenage years:

• Inclusivity and Interpersonal Relationships
• Digital Citizenship
• Substance Education
• Puberty Education

The goals of our Wellness Program are:

• To instill social norms by identifying what students are already doing well and to encourage students to continue healthy practices;
• To educate students on the science and date connected to relationships, technology, substance abuse, and puberty;
• To help students understand the connection between these topics, their identity, and their role in a community;
• To proactively provide students with skills and strategies to navigate challenging situations that empower them to make sound and healthy decisions that align with their values;
• To provide ways for students to live healthy emotional and physical lives;
• To have a common language surrounding these topics and conversations.

At SVCS, technology is an integrated part of the learning experience. In the Middle School, students are required to take one trimester of Technology in each of their three Middle School years. We focus on teaching students to act as creators with – rather than just consumers of – technology. The instructional goals of the teacher and the interests of the students are always at the core of what we do, and technology serves as a tool to enhance the learning experience. We always strive to use tools that are developmentally appropriate, relevant to the subject, and that allow for students to explore a subject in a new or deeper way. We believe that there’s a time and a place for technology, and also times where it is best to put technolgy aside and engage directly with ourselves, others, and the world around us.
 

The Outdoor Program is integrated with the Middle School academic curriculum. Please visit our Outdoor Program pages to learn more about these co-curricular opportunities.

Middle School Outdoor Program

Individual student laptops are a necessity for Middle School students. Sun Valley Community School requires that all students in grades six through twelve bring their own laptop to school each day. This allows us to ensure that all students and teachers can benefit from the many technological advancements that create new learning opportunities.

Macbooks, PCs, and Chromebooks are all currently used and supported at school with success. However, based on the cost, administrative management abilities, and programmatic needs, Sun Valley Community School recommends Chromebooks for all Middle School students.

For families who must purchase a laptop, we understand this may be a financial commitment. If you are in need of financial assistance in this area, the school is committed to supporting you by providing a Chromebook loaner for the year.