MS Curriculum

C/A middle schoolers enjoy a progressively challenging curriculum that emphasizes project-based learning, thematic units, and cross-curricular design to enhance comprehension. Numerous field trips and at-school experiential lessons, such as simulating scaling Mt. Everest or depicting a book in a wall mural, bring textbook learning to life and help students internalize learning and demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of modalities. Both class structure and the school day are designed to provide exciting, grade-level lessons and teach the skills and academic foundations needed to be successful in high school. Accommodations are embedded and directly taught throughout the curriculum. Remediation of basic skills is also continued on an as-needed basis through our Writing and Language program and Visual Learning Lab. And all students meet with their advisors twice a day, once mid-morning to stay on top of grades and homework assignments, and again at the end of the day to monitor packing of study materials and assignments to finish at home. Advisory time is designed to teach and help build executive functioning skills.

The Director of Academic & Student Programs collaborates with HIgh School department chairs to enhance curriculum development to ensure continuity from Middle to High School. Other highlights include:

• Course objectives based on the Virginia Standards of Learning.
• Five levels of math courses to meet the needs of all incoming students; Middle School graduates are prepared for either Algebra I, Geometry, or Alegebra II upon entering high school.
• Students new to C/A are introduced to keyboarding, assistive technology (such as Inspiration, Kurzweil, text-to-speech programs, and audio books) and other web-based resources in a technology course.
• A six-eight week team building curriculum fosters healthy working and social relationships among Middle School students. Concepts such as effective communication, non verbal communication, and how to maintain relationships are learned during teambuilding exercises and are consistently reiterated during school to help students apply the concepts in day to day interactions.
• Art is incorporated in all subjects.
• Continually evolving curriculum with a great emphasis on a variety of technology resources, including the use of electronic organization in Writing.
• Select textbooks and literature are made available in e-book and MP3 or CD format when possible.
• Students learn to research topics on the internet, and often take virtual tours or online quizzes.

Students use both a textbook, novels, and a variety of primary and secondary sources to master content and learn to draw inferences and conclusions. A lecture format is not used in class. More commonly, students are presented with a ten-minute mini-lesson, then expected to apply information during an interactive activity. Class discussion is a regular part each lesson. Middle schoolers are regularly assigned homework, quizzes, tests, and projects and enjoy frequent hands-on and interactive learning opportunities. Individual learning differences are taken into account when planning coursework; lessons may be differentiated either for enrichment or to accommodate a student who needs support in a particular area. Just as important, Middle School students are introduced to a variety of tools and learning strategies so that they can eventually make an informed choice as to what works best for them.