Middle School Approach
We believe that prioritizing immersive learning and deeper mastery means leaning into structures and programs that support these goals, so here are some things that are uniquely Mead Middle School.
While many schools outline a progressive curriculum, The Mead School lives it every day. At Mead, we have breadth and depth in learning and a community that supports the mission of the school. 7th grade parent
Small classes that enable big learning
With classes capped at 12 students, and learning groups averaging 7 students…
- Each student is deeply known and understood
- There is ample opportunity to differentiate and enrich for individual learners
- Multiple approaches and creative solutions to problems can be fully explored, fueling nimble thinking
- Projects across disciplines are easily engaged
- Deep relationships with faculty and peers blossom during these critical Middle School years
Your own social-emotional coach
Transcending the traditional homeroom, the Mead Home Center…
- Fosters mixed-age friendships and learning in groupings of two or three grades who share daily meetings, recess, snack, and lunch
- Provides a social-emotional advocate in the Home Center Director - an experienced faculty member whose singular, full-time role is to focus on the social-emotional well-being and development of their center students
- Allows for holistic approach as the Center Director partners with families and Curriculum Directors (teachers) to ensure every child is maximally striving and thriving.
Curriculum to challenge and engage
Mead curricula are developed by our Curriculum Directors, and are deliberately structured to be…
- Active and project-based because deeper learning comes from doing
- Inter-disciplinary because connections spark creativity
- Challenging because confronting a new level of difficulty helps us understand where we are, and where we are going
- Imbued with opportunities for personal choice to nurture agency
- Crafted to challenge thinking skills, not hurrying skills
Schedules truly built for students
At Mead, schedules are deliberately structured to be…
- Informed by research on how, when, and for how long students of Middle School age learn best
- Infused with brain breaks and outdoor time, which has been proven in multiple studies to aid in student well-being and positive self-image
- Paced to ensure mastery and preparation for next level of depth
- Innovative in their incorporation of academic clubs, labs, and student independent project blocks
- Unfrenzied, with group reflection times built into every week
Next-level fieldwork and projects
Mead Middle School students continue to engage with subject-matter-expert curriculum directors as they launch into field work, research projects, higher order math, and an intensive writing curriculum.
- Interdisciplinary studies in key topic areas have multiple parts including experimentation, research, writing, and artistic elements, culminating in 8th Grade Graduation Capstone projects
- Facilitating enrichment and differentiation continue to be the norm as students develop deeper passions and areas of interest
- Multi-year relationships with subject-matter-expert teachers continues to allow for a unique level of continuity
Arts, reflection, and the great outdoors
Mead students have a uniquely expansive opportunity to engage in creative arts, reflection, and outdoor time - all of which are research-proven to help with both brain and social-emotional development…
- Every day has at least one creative arts block, and students are given regular opportunities to perform
- Teachers often incorporate a couple of minutes of mindfulness at the start of classes to help students center and engage
- Students are encouraged to spend time outside, and much of the Mead experience and curriculum are outdoor-focused