Middle School

 

From the Principal

We have a diverse school, one in which motivated and talented students and staff work together to promote learning and growth. Our purpose is to help each student develop strong skills, an enthusiasm for learning, and the confidence and discipline to think independently and behave responsibly. Within in a traditional liberal arts curriculum, students are challenged, within their ability, to embrace new ideas, listen carefully to others, and develop critical thinking skills in their journey toward independence. All members of the community—including students, parents, faculty and staff—contribute to the spirit of the school. We contribute by acting with integrity and respect for individual differences, by treating others and the environment with care and concern, and by cooperating as well as competing. All assume responsibility for learning by participating in the life of the school, by valuing the accomplishments of self and others, and by striving to excel in all things. Open and honest communication between parents, faculty, and staff is vital to the work of educating children. We encourage parents to call anytime with a question, concern, or suggestion for improving our efforts on behalf of our students.

S. Jill Romans, Ph.D.
Middle School Principal
651-696-1413
jromans@spa.edu

Academics at a Glance

Middle School students have exciting new opportunities and choices:  science and language classes are part of the core curriculum; they can choose to begin a new foreign language and a new musical instrument; all seventh graders receive laptop computers; and they have a new social community.  Middle Schoolers have increased academic responsibilities as well as increased freedom.

The academic program emphasizes wide-ranging exploration as well as focused attention on skill development in each discipline. While most Middle School classes are department-based, teachers work together at the grade level to integrate concepts and skills whenever possible.  Use the following link to view descriptions of all Middle School courses.  Academics at a Glance

The Role of Advisory Groups

Advisory groups provide the support students need to develop confidence, make friends, and feel at home.

Advisories are groups comprised of (#) students and a faculty member. Advisories meet each morning, as well as two to three additional times per week, providing opportunities for students to interact socially under the guidance and support of an adult. In this way, students begin each day with a sense of possibility for fun and pleasure in learning. The safe structure provided within the advisory makes communication among students more effective and meaningful. Especially at a time of transition to a new school, a safe environment for social exchange, peer recognition, and practicing communication can promote stronger self-esteem.

Advisors are the primary contact for families; they know the students best. Advisors oversee the whole child at school; they serve as advocates for the student, facilitate student-teacher meetings as needed, explore how individual students learn best and help them set goals for each trimester.

At SPA, teachers are trained in Developmental Designs for Middle School (http://www.originsonline.org/), a program rooted in the development of caring communities, healthy relationships, and in the development of self-control, personal responsibility, and responsible independence. Advisory programs with carefully structured meeting formats ensure that every student feels known and included, and that each experiences herself or himself as a significant human being with a valued role in the community.

Service Learning in the Middle School at SPA

Statement of Purpose: Service learning in the Middle School provides opportunities for students to look outside themselves to learn & grow through meaningful participation in service experiences that meet community needs. Service activities, connected to the curriculum and/or our advisory program, empower students to begin the process of building relationships which bond them to the greater community. Students learn responsibility, resiliency and risk-taking as they problem-solve for solutions to real world issues.

Goals of Service Learning

Students will develop empathy Activities will encourage flexibility, compromise, open-mindedness

Students will receive as much as they give, teaching & learning as they serve Students will develop community and self-awareness

For 6th grade: (Webster Elementary partnership)

As the youngest students at the Randolph campus, it’s important for 6th graders to have leadership opportunities and explore their social and emotional development as young adolescents. The essence of this partnership is the opportunity for leadership and the building of a relationship with others over the course of the year. The 6th grade service learning experience is designed and created by the teachers and organized through advisory.

For 7th grade: (SPA ecosystem)

Overall, the 7th grade experience is primarily designed and created by teachers and organized through advisory. Students will work with experts to determine solutions and create a workable plan for addressing them. In the fall, the incoming 7th grade class will revisit the project from the previous year as their initial service activity for the year. In late spring, students will execute their plans.

For 8th grade: (4 choices)

The 8th grade team will split into four groups which will select communities with which to work. Early in the year, students will select from these four areas of interest and complete a project set up by teachers & the service learning coordinator. Through this experience, students will learn about their designated community and spend the winter determining a problem that they will address with their spring project.