Middle School Program

When Montgomery lower school students transition to middle school, they have a solid foundation of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The goal in middle school is to expand on these basics and guide students as they read more sophisticated literature and learn to infer increasingly complex ideas. Students continue to develop as writers through drafting, revising, and editing. Focusing on the traits of effective writing, students create evidence-based responses to literature that reflect analytical and argumentative discourse. Classroom discussions allow students to further express their ideas and provide teachers with opportunities to provide individualized feedback and guidance.

Montgomery middle schoolers transition from the lower school Singapore Math curriculum to a more traditional approach—preparing students for more advanced studies in high school. The primary goal is to develop confident problem-solvers who have the tools to express mathematical thoughts with abstract symbols.

Two sequences ensure that students are challenged just the right amount as they stretch to reach their highest level of achievement. Students can move between sequences based on demonstrated understanding of classroom content.

Sequence I
Grade 6: Pre-Algebra
Grade 7: Algebra IA
Grade 8: Algebra IB

Sequence II
Grade 6: Pre-Algebra
Grade 7: Algebra I
Grade 8: Geometry

Middle schoolers are introduced to the seven social sciences (geography, history, political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, and psychology) with increasing levels of conceptual content. Through a combination of texts, current events, lectures, and discussion, students explore both historical and contemporary issues. Research, writing, and public speaking skills are practiced and honed through interdisciplinary projects that connect content across courses of study and help develop an understanding of world cultures. While seventh graders study a culminating unit on Diplomacy and the United Nations as well as Europe, the Middle East and Russia, eighth graders examine the turning points in American History that have shaped our unique American identity as the "City on the Hill," such as The Declaration of Independence, World War I, and the Roaring Twenties.

The study of science helps us understand and give meaning to the universe around us. By learning and practicing the processes by which discoveries are made and proven, Montgomery middle schoolers roll up their sleeves to observe, ask questions, suggest testable explanations, make predictions, test the predictions, and use the results to make new predictions. Experiments in the lab help students practice this process, while advancing both analytical and critical thinking skills. Taking full advantage of our 60-acre campus as a lab, students relate scientific inquiry to their immediate surroundings and come to understand the world around them in a very personal way. In each grade, students are introduced to sequentially more complex concepts in the natural, physical, chemical, and biological sciences.

Grade 6: Hydrology and water conservation; earth science; biology
Grade 7: Conceptual physics (motion, forces, and energy);  intro to matter: solids, liquids, and gases;  Periodic table; cells and organ systems.
Grade 8: Conceptual physics (electricity and magnetism); chemical interactions; waves, sound and light.
 

Following a foundational introduction of Spanish in grades PreK–4 and the option of French or Spanish in Grade 5, middle school students may choose to continue their study of either language in Grades 6–8. Regardless of a student’s point of entry, an integrated review process allows those new to world language study to achieve grade level proficiency quickly.

Whether studying French or Spanish, students work toward written and verbal fluency in a sequentially ascending program that includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing practices. Language study is complemented by cultural explorations that develop students’ global perspectives through an understanding of hispanic and francophone customs, traditions, history, current events, etc.

With a character education program that crosses all grades and all disciplines, Montgomery students have multiple experiences that align with their developmental readiness. 

• The middle school advisory program includes dedicated time to consider seventh and eighth graders’ most pressing issues. This shared experience supports student growth with both peer and adult affirmation. 
• The culminating eighth grade Design for a Difference project is a year-long study of a person or organization that is making a difference in the world. Students draw on their entire Montgomery experience to fully understand and demonstrate what it means to have impact. 
• Hands-on service learning projects connect classroom studies to improving the lives of others and are concrete demonstrations of how every student can make a difference.
• Twice weekly non-sectarian Chapel programs, presented by both faculty and students, focus on topics that foster ethical and moral discovery. (read more)
• During daily family style lunches, rotating groups of faculty and students share meaningful guided conversations and healthy meals. (read more)
• Montgomery’s school counselor meets regularly with classrooms and advisory groups to discuss relational topics like friendship, loyalty, and generosity.

The middle school physical education program is designed to further develop skills learned in the lower school. Units that relate to specific sports as well as activities that incorporate cooperative team building activities and lifetime sports give students a varied experience while also preparing them for competitive sports. As students challenge themselves with new forms of self-expression, they also enjoy another way to interact with peers and have fun. Students appreciate the value of persistence and hard work in both competitive and non-competitive situations and are supported in their pursuit of both individual and team goals.

The focus of music in the Middle School is participation and expression. Every child has an innate musical sense and we aim to give voice to that sense through singing, playing instruments, listening, creating, and reading/writing musical notation. Making music is infused with the study of musical ideas—utilizing, defining, investigating, discriminating, analyzing, evaluating, organizing, and associating. In addition to participation, classes also emphasize music appreciation. As such, students explore the role music has in society and the connection between music and other cultural arts—both in their own communities and in different communities around the world. 

Enrichment is provided for students through Middle School Concert Choir, field trips, Visiting Artist Week, the Music Mac lab, and playing in instrumental groups. Performances—both formal (Chapels, musicals, concerts, etc.) and impromptu (music classes and/or after school)—give middle school students additional outlets for self-expression, mutual appreciation. 

The middle school art program continues to give students opportunities to explore varied media, hone their skills, and discover untapped creativity. With a sequential thematic focus (Organization in Grade 6; Communication in Grade 7; and Identity in Grade 8), students find new purpose for their artistic projects and challenge themselves to solve increasingly complex problems in new ways. As students develop their abilities to think more abstractly, they are encouraged to infuse their work with a personal point of view. In this way, 8th graders are ready to find inspiration within themselves as well as from outside influences.

By the time students enter Montgomery’s middle school, they have a digital foundation that supports their learning with strong research and presentation skills. They know how to use available tools to find information and demonstrate understanding. Technology instruction in the middle school then, speaks to purpose in addition to continued tools acquisition. Integrated through all disciplines, our goal is to make sure students have the knowledge and skills they need to advance their creativity, productivity, and their ability to collaborate responsibly in a connected world.