Nurturing independence, relationships, and providing the bridge to high school
Our middle school students are typically between 11 and 14 years old and are working on academic standards for grades six through eight. Our middle school curriculum is designed to foster positive interactions between peers and a strong sense of self in our students. Like their lower school counterparts, middle school students thrive on lessons that provide opportunities for social interaction and hands-on learning. Our middle school students embrace privileges such as lockers, personal Chromebooks, “coffee bar” time, and overnight travel. Because their minds and bodies continue to grow, our middle students also receive unstructured recess time daily. As they grow in their understanding and implementation of our school anchors, they are afforded the opportunity to mentor our younger students.
Our graduates move on to public, private, co-ops and online schools. Our graduates often stay in touch with us and their NCCS peers. We love seeing them on their journeys through high school, college, and beyond!
Our students continue their studies in reading, writing, math, science, American history, and geography. They also spend time developing skills in art, music, physical education, technology, Spanish, and Public Speaking/Debate. They also spend time problem-solving in our maker space.
A Day in the Life:
The following are snippets from a typical day in a late middle school classroom:
8:10 am: After arriving for the day, upper school students gather in the coffee bar for a cup of hot chocolate, a game of foosball, and animated conversations to begin their day.
8:50 am: Middle school students encourage younger students and facilitate discussions on a STEM challenge, in their role as mentors.
10:20 am: In math class, several small groups of students work through solving equations, while another small group works with the teacher to solve proportions.
11:35 am: Some students play a game of pick-up soccer, while others use the time to walk and socialize, as they enjoy a mid-day recess.
1:45 pm: Using their Chrome Books, students read a current events newspaper article online, while practicing learned skills in how to navigate informational reading.