Activities for Your Child During the Middle School Years
The Middle School years at Newport Montessori School encompass grades 6, 7, & 8 in a multi-aged setting which we call the Junior Classroom or the JC.
The Junior program ushers in a new level of independence which must be provided for in the Montessori environment by increasing activity from the point of view of work level, choices, and planning. In the Junior Class, the Great Lessons, timelines, and charts are replaced with overviews of general sequences of learning for which the student becomes responsible in the context of an integrated whole. Within this overview, the student has open time to collaborate on both self-initiated and instructor-initiated projects. Open time allows for individualized instruction, a natural pace for absorption of material presented for both mastery and emotional understanding, unlimited depth of pursuit based on student interest, and time to study art, science, music, business, and other topics students choose. The curriculum in the JC consists of Mathematics, differentiated for each learning level; English/Language Arts, Science, Social Studies/History, Practical Life, Spanish, Art, Music, and Physical Education. We continue to follow the Montessori curriculum while being cognizant of the common core curriculum as outlined by the NH Department of Education.
Our JC classroom runs a class business called the JC Agents. As part of their practical life curriculum, JC students are certified in CPR, First Aid, and Babysitting; these certifications are needed for some of their business offerings. Their class business consists of offering child care during PTO meetings, Parents Night Out child care, raking, & baking. Students learn to reconcile their business accounts, market and advertise their offerings, budget, plan, and save.
Experiential learning is a foundational component of Montessori learning. In the JC classroom, students participate in travel trips which serve as capstone lessons that allow students to apply the knowledge they learn throughout the academic year. This year, 2016, JC students traveled to Washington, DC; they spent 3 days touring our nation’s capital. As JC students spend 3 years in this classroom, the travel trips rotate between Washington, DC, Boston, MA, and NYC.