Middle School

Middle School-ages 12-15

In September, 2009, Brush Creek Montessori will reopen its doors to currently enrolled children 12 through 15 years of age. In addition to an academic junior high school curriculum, the students become experienced in "life skills", such as entrepreneurship, community stewardship and outdoor survival skills.

In the Montessori Model United Nations Program, historical, geographic, scientific, cultural and economic issues affecting a country will be explored in order to better their understanding of world affairs. Students will prepare and present speeches, prepare draft resolutions, negotiate with allies and adversaries, and resolve conflicts while following the Model United Nations conference rules of procedure. The end result is to cultivate international cooperation and resolve problems that affect countries all over the world.

They will learn about the operations of the United Nations and its role as the world’s largest international peacekeeping and humanitarian organization. The experience also helps sharpen such skills as research, writing, critical thinking, public speaking, debating, problem solving, consensus building, conflict resolution, compromise and cooperation.

The Mary Jean Eisenhower Global Youth Program teams up with Partners in Peace and is open to all middle school students who show the necessary maturity and leadership skills to attend the Global Youth Forum in the spring. Their application is considered by the PTPI committee for review along with the recommendation of their teachers, counselors and peers. They are chosen for this honor through their involvement in their community, exemplification of their mission and leadership skills in the classroom and the community.

All the Middle School students participate in the Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots Program by choosing community projects for peace, beautification, restoration, or environmental concerns. The group also chooses a leader/s who will serve on the regional leadership council committee in Berkeley.

Additionally, field trips to the San Francisco Symphony, Steinhardt Aquarium, SRJC Planetarium, Sonoma County Observatory, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, and several local plays and orchestral presentations will be offered each month. The children will raise their own money for these trips through gardening and selling the produce, baking and selling their goods, creating and selling a yearbook and a monthly newsletter.

We believe any child at this age needs practical experience and recognition of adults to succeed as an adult. They need to know who they are and what they can become. Each child is given leadership experience in all areas. Our teachers/counselors are committed to supporting the child through this sometimes awkward transition to adulthood. Patience, truthfulness, compassion and integrity are their models.

Curriculum

GEOMETRY - Properties of polygons, area, volume, applied projects in perimeter and area; two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects; geometric representation of statistical data; coordinate geometry; three-dimensional measurement; Pythagorean Theorem extensions into area, distance and slope.

READING - Reading workshop format to refine reflection; discussion and communication about collective and individual-choice reading material from Middle School book lists and the Great Books series.

LANGUAGE - Refinement of vocabulary through mini-lessons and individual conferences; mastery of mechanics through self-editing, peer-editing, and teacher-student conferences; presentation and publishing of research and essays.

GRAMMAR - Study of clauses; refinement in usage, phrases; regular and irregular verbs (conjugation of regular and irregular verbs); use of compound and complex sentences, refine understanding of all parts of speech and syntax.

WRITING AND SPELLING - Production of polished and finely-tuned writing in several genres, including essays, short stories, term papers, letters, plays and dialogues; mini-lessons in mechanics and spelling as needed.

RESEARCH - Science projects, history projects, literary projects and mathematics projects presented in written form, demonstration form, and integrated with dramatic production and publishing.

LITERATURE - American literature, historical literature and world regional literature is integrated with the study of History and consists of books drawn from Middle School book lists; Readers' Workshop develops skills of presentation, critical thinking and discussion of ideas.

SCIENCE - Physical science including mechanics, aeronautics and chemistry; life science including body systems, health, reproduction and ecology; earth science including plate tectonics geology, ocean and atmospheric elements and their dynamics.

GEOGRAPHY - Cultural literacy pertaining to geography is developed in conjunction with the study of History, Regional Studies, Literature and Science.

HISTORY - Study of early humans, early civilizations, Roman Empire to the French Revolution, modern history and other regional studies.

PRACTICAL LIVING - Operation of a business includes complex organization, communication, basic economics, accounting and problem solving; buddy relationships with young children builds awareness and skills of working with children.

SOCIAL SKILLS - Community-building experiences throughout the year beginning with group challenges while camping; daily community meetings to discuss individual and group needs; group work and projects with assigned and rotating individual roles.

INDEPENDENCE - Students are responsible for work contracted in five-week cycles; students choose electives in five-week cycles; wide choice of specific projects within many curriculum areas including history, literature, science, reading and research; students assume leadership of daily community meetings.

SERVICE - Students must choose at least one community service and one global project each school year from available opportunities such as elder care, collection of clothing for the homeless, fundraising for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and assisting in community child-care programs. The global projects include, but are not limited to serving on Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots Program, participating in Mary Jean Eisenhower’s Global Youth Forum, and/or the Montessori Model United Nations Council.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT - Cardiovascular, muscular and skeletal development through high interest short courses in varied disciplines such as swimming, dance, volleyball and climbing, regular physical education games.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE - Three hours weekly of Spanish instruction centering on conversational skills; steady progress in vocabulary development and the conjugation of regular and irregular verbs.

ARTS - Visual, performing and practical arts including painting, sculpture, printing, sewing, ceramics and others offered as elective in five-week cycles; drama classes twice weekly including reading of great plays and play performances.