Middle School Program

Each group begins the day with a morning meeting that focuses on community building and helps to orient for the day. In middle school, morning meeting is often a time for students to talk with the group about themselves, their relationships, and the values that are important to them. It is also a time to focus on their leadership role in the school.

The whole school gathers for morning meeting on Monday mornings. We greet each other, make announcements, and discuss issues and make decisions that affect the whole school.

Middle school students participate in a math class best suited to their personal level. Students who are ready undertake high school algebra and geometry. At the pre-algebra level, we work from the Connected Math program for concept development, draw on a range of supplementary resources to build skills and fluency, and undertake integrated math and science projects to apply math thinking. At the algebra and geometry levels, we work from the University of Chicago math program.

Through the year, we engage in a series of intensive inquiries in the areas of science and social studies. We integrate academic study and hands-on experiences to inspire curiosity and foster understanding.

In social studies, we focus on historic time periods and themes, current events, citizenship, and social issues. We utilize primary documents, news sources, commentary, literature, film, guest speakers, and field visits. Students explore ideas and communicate their thinking through class discussion, expository writing, research projects, oral presentations, debate, drama and the arts.

In science, middle school students explore topics in the areas of biology, human anatomy, environmental science, earth science, chemistry, physics and current issues in science. Classes are active in nature and involve students in hands-on lab and fieldwork, experiential projects, content reading, critical examination of controversial issues, writing that develops analytical thinking, participation in scientific research, and service learning projects.

Students at Red Cedar are part of a strong literary community. Students see themselves as readers and writers. They read between 25 and 50 books a year, talk about books in and out of class, plan what they will read next, and pass books from hand to hand. Students write many pieces and in a range of genres over the year. We publish their work regularly in anthologies within the school community.

The morning English class includes a writer's workshop on most days, and book talks and book discussions. In the afternoon, all students read independently for a half hour, and then we read aloud to each group.

In our writer's workshop, we focus on a shared genre for a period of time. Within this, students each decide what they will work on. The genres we cover include poetry, memoir, short story, personal essay, nature writing, letters, book review, and journalism. The workshop begins with a brief lesson on some aspect of writing. Models of good writing are shared and analyzed (from published literature and from writing within the group). Students then write quietly for thirty to forty minutes. During this time the teacher confers individually with students or meets with a small group. The workshop concludes with an opportunity for further input or time for students to share their work with each other.

Students all work initially on drafts of writing to develop their ideas. Within each genre study, students each choose one or two pieces to work into a finished piece, and then focus on the art of revising a piece to bring it fully alive. Students edit their work for punctuation, grammar and spelling.

Middle school students have the opportunity to gain an introduction to Spanish, or to accomplish high school level I of Spanish by the end of 8th grade. The class focuses on conversation, study of grammar and vocabulary, exploration of the cultures, arts and current issues of Spanish speaking countries, skill building games, and creative projects.

The whole school reads for a half hour each day. Students choose most of the books they read within overarching parameters. These ensure that they read from a range of genres over the year, including contemporary fiction, classical literature, memoir or biography, and historical fiction. Students read a few books, and numerous short pieces, in common with the rest or part of their group over the year.

Students are expected to read for a minimum of a half hour at home each day in addition to the reading they do at school. We often give book talks to expose students in each group to noteworthy books. During the reader's workshop, the teacher confers individually with students. Middle school students write a literary letter-essay in response to one of the books they've read every three weeks and the teacher responds to these letters, forming on ongoing literary dialogue. Book groups are formed as students read and discuss a book in common. Pieces of literature are also read and discussed as part of the social studies class. Our goal with our approach to reading is to help students become avid, skilled, discerning, and lifelong readers.

We continue to set aside time most days at the middle school level to read aloud. This shared literary experience provides a rich, common context for discussions about life. It also provides a point of reference for talking about the art of writing and literature.

We play sports and games that develop physical stamina and strength, and which encourage cooperation and friendly competition. Games include soccer, ultimate Frisbee, touch football, capture-the-flag and wiffle ball.

Each older student in the school is a year-long 'mentor' to a younger student. We set aside a half-hour each week for the partners to work together on projects and play games.

In addition to integrating the arts into our social studies and science inquiries, we explore the arts in afternoon classes, Thursday Workshops, our annual Arts Immersion week, and our annual short plays performances.

On Thursday afternoons, all students participate in on-going workshops that last about four weeks. Students give input into ideas for the workshops, and choose among workshops for each session. Workshops are offered in the arts, handcrafts and living arts, and outdoor adventure. Many workshops take place outdoors. Examples of workshops include theater, building in the outdoor classroom, woodworking, screen printing, birding, sculpture, pottery, hiking, mountain biking, jazz ensemble, tracking and wilderness survival skills. In the winter, the whole school participates in our ski program on Thursday afternoons.

Once a week each group gathers for a class meeting to talk about interpersonal issues affecting the group, and to plan group projects and trips.

Students help to clean and take care of the school. Each person is responsible for an end-ofday chore.

Middle school students are given an hour to an hour and a half of homework each night. Homework includes reading, writing, project work for social studies or science, and math.

At the end of each 6 – 8 week inquiry, students share their learning with the school community, including other students and their parents. This can take the form of oral presentations, visual displays, multi-media presentations, writing, art and handwork, and the performance of dramatic skits, poetry and dialogues.