MONTESSORI
ASM
CURRICULUM
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
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Overview of the Middle School Curriculum
At the Andover School of Montessori
Mission Statement
Through the middle school years, students at the Andover school of Montessori will continue to learn and grow in a familiar, supportive, and sage environment. Having become confident and competent independent learners, they will successfully transition to schools beyond ASM.
Philosophy
The Andover School of Montessori Middle School program provides a student centered education based on a foundation of Montessori principles that incorporate developmentally appropriate methods in a multi-age group setting.
Educational goals include the use of interdisciplinary units to integrate all subject areas as well as providing life experience through internships and community service. The goal of the student/parent/teacher team is to work in concert with one another to meet the academic, social and psychological needs of the adolescent in an integrated, process-oriented curriculum. This holistic approach is aimed at helping students to become independent thinkers and life-long learners.
The Andover School of Montessori Middle School curriculum is divided into two distinct cycles.
- The first cycle will last for two years for the sixth and seventh grade. Unit topics will vary in focus and theme.
- The second cycle will be one year in length for the eighth grade, and will focus on United States History and Government.
The eighth grade curriculum will focus on rounding out a middle school base of knowledge, and will focus on chemistry, physics, biology, and earth science.
Students also attend health classes, which focus on the human body, the different systems within the body, and how to take care of your own body.
Language
The Language curriculum is divided into two distinct parts: Literature Circle and Writer’s Workshop.
- Literature Circle involves discussion of theme, plot, character development, etc. Novels and poems being read are involved directly with the unit being studied.
- Writer’s Workshop involves two things: skill lessons (spelling and punctuation, style, or form) and the writing process, which includes peer-editing sessions.
History
The History curriculum (for the first cycle) is taught and explored through the thematic unit. Students research, problem solve and discuss these topics. Focus is placed on recurring themes in history, patterns and connections to present day. These topics include:
Ancient Civilizations
The Space Race (Cold War)
Slavery (throughout the world including present day)
The changing environment
- Government, and advanced science topics. Learning during this year will become more traditional in nature, in order to prepare students for the more traditional high schools they will be attending.
All three age groups will work together during the math hour in the morning. Lessons and learning will be done on an individual basis.
One hour per week will be devoted to an age level class.
- Sixth & Seventh grade – Study skills and learning tools
- Eighth grade – SSAT Preparation & Autobiography writing
Math
The first hour of each morning is devoted to mathematics. Students work at their own pace using the Saxon math series. Each lesson incorporates review of basic skills, problem solving, and direct teaching of a concept. Students receive one-on-one or small group lessons as needed.
Science
The ASM middle school science curriculum is diverse and covers an array of topics, with the aim of providing a base of knowledge in many areas, and an introduction to the wide variety of sciences. These topics include:
Geology
Astronomy
Laws of Motion
Weather and Climate
Ecosystems
Atmosphere
Energy
Oceanography
Mastery Learning
Learning is achieved through completion of each weekly work cycle. Assignments are assessed based on a 3-2-1-0 rubric. Students are expected to achieve an overall 90% on class work and homework, and an overall 90% on the final assessments given. This 90% represents the high academic standards we hold throughout ASM, and ensures a quality education.
Guiding Principles of ASM Middle School
While the Montessori philosophy stresses the need for freedom of movement, choice, and educating the whole child, the middle school philosophy integrates a few of its own principles, while offering the basis of a Montessori education.
Responsibility
Integrity
Mastery Learning
Independent Learning
Time Management
Preparation for life outside of Montessori
Maintaining a love of Learning
Through the middle school years, students at the Andover School of Montessori will continue to learn and grow in a familiar, supportive, and safe environment. Having become confident and competent independent learners, they will successfully transition to schools beyond ASM.
The Andover School of Montessori Middle School program provides a student centered education based on a foundation of Montessori principles that incorporate developmentally appropriate methods in a multi-age group setting.
Educational goals include the use of interdisciplinary units to integrate all subject areas as well as providing life experiences through internships and community service. The goal of the student/parent/teacher team is to work in concert with one another to meet the academic, social, and psychological needs of the adolescent in an integrated, process-oriented curriculum. This holistic approach is aimed at helping students to become independent thinkers and life-long learners.
The Andover School of Montessori Middle School Curriculum will be divided into two distinct cycles.
· The first cycle will last two years for the sixth and seventh grade. Unit topics will vary in focus and theme.
· The second cycle will be one year in length for the eight grade, and will focus on United States History, Civics and Government, and advanced science topics. Learning during this year will become more traditional in nature, in order to prepare students for the more traditional high schools they will be attending. This will include lecture, note taking and the use of textbooks.
All three age groups will work together during the math hour in the morning. Lessons and learning will be done on an individual basis.
One hour per week will be devoted to an age level class.
Sixth & Seventh grade – Geography, study skills and learning tools
Eighth grade – SSAT preparation & autobiography writing
The curriculum for the Middle School will be presented in thematic units. Each unit will be approximately 4 to 6 weeks in length and will incorporate some, if not all, of the core academic subjects. Work time during the day will be spent researching, discussing and investigating topics. Projects will be short term and long term, and all units will include individual work, cooperative group work and whole class work.
Each unit will end with an assessment of some kind, either a test, project, writing assignment or presentation. These final assessments will be evaluated using a rubric, and a score of 90% or above is required to pass the unit. A follow-up week will be built into each unit so students who have not passed will complete make-up work, while the passing students will enrich their learning through activities. Examples of these activities are noted in the next section on Thematic Units.
Curriculum will most often be presented in thematic units. It has been proven in many instances that learning is enhanced when subject matter is connected. The purpose of thematic units is for students to learn through an in depth study of one particular topic. For example, if learning about Greece and Rome for history, students may read and analyze Greek and Roman myths, and study or reconstruct scientific advances made during this time.
Each week of a unit will have a particular theme or focus. Students will be given assignments to explore and expand on this topic, with some direct instruction from teachers and/or short readings. Each Friday, these assignments will be handed in to the teacher to be graded.
The next to last week of the unit of study will focus on the assessment of learning. Students will be given an assignment (s) plus the grading rubrics for each assignment, and will have that week to work and complete them.
The last week is the enrichment week. If a student has successfully completed the unit with mastery (90%) then that student will spend the week completing an activity of choice that relates to the unit theme, such as building a model or writing a story. This time may be spent working on the writer’s workshop portfolio, mentoring in other classrooms, or helping with school community service activities.
If a student has not successfully completed the unit with mastery, then this week will be spent completing, enhancing or making up assignments that were missed. Because the focus of these units is on learning and gaining deep understanding, it is imperative that students complete ALL assignments during the unit cycle. Assignments will build upon each other and lead students to successful completion of the assessments. If a student has not achieved mastery, then work must be done to gain this understanding. Students will work on assignments that were not done, or retake tests and assessments. Because these pieces of work are essentially late, the highest score cannot be achieved. For example, if one assignment was to fill in a map of the United States, the student could have received a 3 (the highest score) if it was done well and handed in on time. If a student has to complete this assignment during enrichment week, the 3 is no longer achievable because the assignment is late (this is explained in greater detail under the heading GRADING SYSTEM).
Math
The first hour of each morning will be dedicated to mathematics. Students will learn at their own pace using the Saxon math series. This series incorporates the review of basic skills, problem solving, and the direct teaching of new skills. After a series of lessons, a test is built in to the progression so as to assess a student’s learning. If review and further practice is necessary, students can revisit certain lessons. Teachers can enrich learning with materials and small group lessons. Math skills will be practiced and utilized while learning through Thematic units as well, however, direct mathematics work is still important.
Science topics will be incorporated into the thematic units whenever possible. Some thematic units will have Science as the particular content focus. Experiments, write-ups and problem solving will coincide with the larger topic being studied. When science is not the content focus of the unit, and a specific science topic is not integrated into the thematic unit, then direct science lessons will be presented in an appropriate topic for this age.
Language
Language in the middle school will be taught in two parts: Literature Circle and Writer’s Workshop.
Literature Circle will be the time for students to discuss books, poems and short stories that are being read, most often in alignment with the thematic unit topic. This time will include discussions and writings on themes, and other literary qualities.
Writer’s Workshop is the time for students to work on their writing skills. Short lessons on grammar and punctuation will be given. Students will conquer the entire writing process, from pre-writing /brainstorming to publishing. Part of this process will include peer-editing, self-editing, and sharing conferences. Guidelines will be given at the beginning of each semester and portfolios will be checked before conference time twice a year.
History
History will be taught and explored through thematic units. Students will research, problem solve and discuss topics surrounding the unit theme. Recurring themes, patterns in history, and connections to current times will be the primary focus.
Each week of a thematic unit will be defined by a topic or focus. For example, in a unit on the Fertile Crescent, one week may focus on the geography of this area. Students will be given a list of activities and assignments that must be completed during the week. This may include maps, graphs, comparisons, short essays, etc. The amount of work will purposely be more than what a student can complete in a week at school. It is expected that students will take work and activities home to work on there as well. Therefore, it is of great benefit for a student to use class time wisely. Students will plan their work time accordingly to complete these works by Friday morning. This is an exercise in time management.
Class work will be divided into three kinds. Each week will balance time for personal or individual work, small group work and whole class assignments. This allows time to socialize, share and learn from each other, time to learn cooperatively, and time to demonstrate personal knowledge.
Once completed, each class work assignment will be graded on a 3-2-1-0 rubric. Students will be well aware of what is expected of them to receive the following grades. Each will be recorded on the student’s grading sheet and will factor into the final mastery grade.
Homework
Daily homework is assigned in math and language. Math work requires students to complete a math lesson or activity each day. This work should take approximately 30 minutes. The student must also complete an assigned reading and/or written response. Plan 45 minutes for this work. There may be assignments in Spanish. The homework from the thematic unit will mostly consist of research and writing. This will not be assigned on a nightly basis, but there may be one night when a specific assignment must be completed.
It is expected that ALL homework assignments will be done neatly, with effort and will be handed to a teacher on time. If the homework is not turned in, or it is not completed in a satisfactory manner by 9:30 AM on the due date, then a zero will be given. These strict guidelines are put in place because homework will directly relate to classroom activities. Further consequences will be discussed if more than two zeros are earned during one thematic unit. These further consequences may include working through lunch break, staying after school, coming to school early or having a homework assignment book checked by a teacher. A homework grade will be a part of each report card, and therefore part of a student’s permanent record.
Part of this homework includes returning important forms, applications and applicable monies. Part of the Montessori curriculum involves responsibility and deadlines are a large part of adult responsibility. Failure to return such things on time will result in appropriate consequences, such as not attending a field trip, or not getting the position as committee chair.
Parents are asked to support their adolescent by providing a family schedule that allows time and space each evening for schoolwork. For concentrated learning to occur, students should study without the distractions of television and telephones. Students’ homework assignments are given out at the beginning of each workweek. Thus, students know their assignments in advance so they can use their time management skills. Students who have not completed their homework will receive a zero for the assignment, and will work through lunch to complete it.
It is expected that each student will complete each and every assignment keeping the following guidelines in mind:
Neatest handwriting
Edited for spelling, punctuation and capitalization
Presentation of paper is clean
Name, date and work title is clearly marked
It is on time (no questions or excuses)
Field Experiences
Every attempt will be made to incorporate one field experience into each thematic unit. This means a field trip to a museum or appropriate venue, or a visitor presentation. Notification will be sent home prior to these events, but the purpose of each event is to enhance learning.
Community Service
It is important for middle school aged students to feel that they are necessary and vital members of the community. It is also important for students to recognize the value of helping and aiding people less fortunate than themselves. Periodic trips will be planned on Saturdays throughout the year, and some weekdays. Weekday trips are required for students as a part of the curriculum, Saturday trips are recommended, and students are required to attend at least one during the school year.
Students will also be offering community service to the ASM community. This may include helping the office staff with a mailing to parents, answering phones, or mentoring in a classroom. Students who are behind in class work or appear to be struggling to achieve mastery will be encouraged to refrain from these activities until back on track. Twice during the school year, the Middle School will hold two-week thematic activities, where learning takes place for fun. This is a time when more community service within the school will take place.
Class Meeting
A class meeting will be held once a week. This is the time for student to share business, bring up complaints or issues in an appropriate and civil manner, and for jobs and businesses to share news. Once set in place, each student will have a job or responsibility to the classroom, the school and the meeting. One of these responsibilities will be to run the meeting.
Weekly Planning
Students will set semester long goals during conference time, and will also set weekly goals, which are academic, personal and interpersonal in nature. (Appendix 1 –Goals for the Week) This will be done on Friday afternoons, and will be teacher approved. The following week both the student and teacher will comment on the previous week before planning the following week.
At this time, the student will also complete a short summary of the week’s activities that will go home, be signed by a parent and returned on Monday. (Appendix 2 – Week in Review)
Extra help with academic work will be offered on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons until 4:00 PM. If a student is interested in staying for help, they must be signed up by 9:35 AM on that morning. This will give the teacher time to prepare appropriately. Extra-help time is not babysitting time, and is only time for a student to sit with a teacher one-on-one. Certain times in the morning can be worked out between student, parent and teacher.
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Students in the ASM Middle School will receive numerical grades after each thematic unit. A grading form will be copied and sent home after each unit for students and parents to share. This numerical grade will be broken into three pieces; homework, class work, and final assessments.
After the final assessments, each student’s numerical grade will be calculated. If a student has not achieved mastery in the unit, which ASM defines as 90%, then that student has the following enrichment week to bring the numerical grade up to mastery. Should the student not achieve 80%, then the student has not successfully completed the unit, and the percentage completed will be reflected on the progress report. This may result in a conditional enrollment. A student will be placed on conditional enrollment if:
A.) He/she has not successfully achieved 80% mastery after an enrichment week in two thematic units, or
B.) He/she has not maintained 80% mastery in at least two of the following areas (math, science, literature circle, health) or
C.) He/sne has not maintained 80% mastery in a thematic unit and one of the following areas (math, science, literature circle, health) during a semester.
It is our belief that a student who continues on a conditional basis for more than a semester is not suited to the ASM Middle School program and may not be invited to return the next semester.
Class work and Homework
3 – All directions followed
Done neatly
Presented well
Work expectations met entirely
2 – Most directions followed
Done neatly, but could be better
Presented neatly, but could improve
Work expectations almost met
1 - Few directions followed
Messy or sloppy
Not presented well
Work expectations not met well
0 - Not done or not handed in
Final Assessments
Each unit will end with a week devoted to a final project and paper, experiment, report, test, or presentation. These assessments will synthesize information gained throughout the unit and show student learning. Students will see the grading rubric when work on the project begins. Class time and time at home will be spent preparing these. The final assessment grades will count for most of the final mastery grade.
Mastery learning is a form of personalized learning that gives students the necessary time to master particular skills before progressing to the next level of work. The student takes on the responsibility of learning a skill versus just accepting a low grade and never really learning the information. The teacher’s job is to breakdown the learning steps, to offer suggestions for internalizing the knowledge, and to give the time necessary to learn the information. The advantaged of mastery learning, according to research, is that it offers clear expectations, fosters mastery of a unit of study, promotes a non-competitive atmosphere, and encourages student responsibility. The student’s transcript indicates that courses have been completed with at least 90% mastery. The process offers information, provides learning strategies and activities, gives a variety of assessments, and reviews material if necessary.
For optimal learning to occur, the classroom atmosphere must be physically and psychologically safe.
Integrity, Respect and Responsibility
Our classroom is built on the foundation of integrity, respect and responsibility. The Montessori classroom provides many opportunities at all levels for the development of these universal themes. Integrity is trust and honesty. A class trip at the beginning of each year focuses on activities that build trust among students and teachers. Learning to trust oneself, peers, and adults is the first step as we establish a community of learners. Trust is an important factor in early adolescent development. Honesty in personal relationships and academic work is the cornerstone of classroom rules.
We expect students to treat themselves with respect, to treat each other with respect, and to treat the materials in the environment with respect. We expect all class members to graciously give and receive acknowledgments. All books, materials, and equipment in the Middle School must remain in good condition so that others can use them.
We recognize two kinds of responsibility. The first, Personal Responsibility, means taking care of one’s own needs in the learning environment. These needs include time management, completing homework and class work on time, the ability to focus on the task at hand, physical organization, and problem solving. The second, Group Responsibility, means taking care of the needs of the group and contributing to the group. This involves supporting others, working cooperatively, listening in an active manner, and managing personal behavior in groups. Both areas of responsibility are important as we establish a healthy classroom community. The learning environment at the ASM Middle School fosters these values with a variety of learning opportunities: Class meetings, daily jobs, cooperative groups, personal work, trips, and community service.
Behavior
Each student is expected to maintain a level of safety, respect and maturity in the classroom and school community. Failure to uphold these expectations will require firm consequences.
· Safety
No name calling another individual
No insulting another individual
No threatening another individual
No touching another individual (hitting, pushing, slapping)
No yelling or disrespectful speech towards another individual
No intimidating behaviors will be used towards another individual
· Responsibility
Having weekly work completed and turned in by Friday at 9:35 AM.
Turning in daily assignments by 9:35 AM each day.
Having any required forms and/or permission slips turned in on time.
Accepting consequences of actions without argument
Taking part in all activities that the Middle School is involved in.
Representing the middle school appropriately by being role models for other students.
If a student fails to follow one of the middle school rules, a warning will be given. (Appendix 3 – Behavior Warning) Students will be asked to phone home to notify their parents of the warning. If a parent is not to be reached, then written notification will be sent home that day. If a student fails to follow a rule a second time, that student will be written up and a form will be sent to the office and placed in a permanent file (this constitutes a formal first offense as outlined in the ASM Parent Handbook). (Appendix 4 – Behavior Form) A copy of this form will be sent home to be signed by a parent and returned. The student will lose a privilege of some kind at this time. A third failure to follow the rules will result in an in-school suspension fair to the incident at hand. A fourth incident will result in an out of school suspension, and the Board of Directors will be notified of a possible expulsion. Re-admittance to the program will occur only after a meeting between the parents, teacher and Executive Director. A fifth time means that the student will not be welcome in the middle school the following semester.
These strict guidelines are in place to create a safe and respectful environment for our young adults to grow, mature and learn. No student should feel unsafe or threatened by coming to school.
It is extremely important that your child arrive to school each day on time. Classes will begin promptly at 8:30. The classroom will open up at 8:15 for students to arrive, unpack and prepare for the day. Each tardy arrival will be recorded and after 3 days of being tardy, the student will receive a consequence. This may include staying after school on a Tuesday or Thursday to make up the math class work missed by the tardiness. Tardiness will be recorded and become a part of the student’s permanent record.
It is extremely important for students to be in school each day. Obviously sickness and unannounced circumstances will come about, and in these instances, students remain responsible for their assignments. Please try to keep vacation time to scheduled time-off so the students are not missing important presentations.
Conferences
At the middle school age, it is important for the student to begin to take responsibility for his/her education and to understand his/her learning styles and patterns. Because of this, ASM requires that students attend and run their conferences.
Conferences will be held at three times during the year. The first conferences will be an initial meeting between teacher (s), parents and student. Discussion will cover expectations, guidelines and individual requirements/improvements to be made throughout the year. These may be teacher-directed, parent-directed or student-directed. At this first meeting, goals for the first semester will be set. (Appendices 5 &6 – Goal Sheet and SMART)
The second conference time will be before winter break, and will be primarily run by the student. Teachers will work with the students in class to prepare for the conference and will help the student to become comfortable with this process. The student will assess improvements in personal goals, and will choose works to share that exemplify improvement made during the semester. Individual issues will be discussed as necessary. Goal setting will be completed for the second semester.
The final conference time is at the end of May, before the end of the school year. Again, the student will run the meeting, sharing personal improvements and work which bet exemplifies these improvements. Work to practice or complete over the summer will be shared, as well as summer reading lists.
Developing appropriate relationships with others is a psychosocial task of the early adolescent. In response to this developmental need, our program is designed to help students learn communication strategies. We teach students to give acknowledgments, to use I-messages, to solve problems (goal setting, decision-making, win/win solutions), and to actively listen.
Teacher/Parent Contact
To preserve the classroom atmosphere, and to keep disruptions to a minimum, parents are asked not to enter the classroom during the students’ school day. If there is a question, please write a note and put it in the teacher’s box, call and leave a message, or send an email to the teacher. Teachers will check these three at least once a day, and will respond within 24 hours.
Dress Guidelines
Students should dress to participate comfortably and safely in the classroom and during outdoor activities. Clothing must adequately cover the body in a manner that prevents distraction from work in the classroom ad outdoor environment. All under-garments must be fully covered, and all pants must fit at the waist and not drag on the ground. All clothing must have appropriate words, logos, and messages. Students who come to school in inappropriate dress will call their parents and request a change of clothing.
Video Games
Andover School of Montessori Middle School does not allow students to play video games or listen to walkmen/discmen in school, on school trips and on school sponsored activities.
Snacks
Students may bring healthy snacks (raw fruit, vegetables, etc.) from home for their individual snack. We do not have a group snack responsibility in the Middle School, nor do we have snack time. Students may snack as they work when they become hungry. Snack is not to be shared, and will be stopped if it disrupts work time. Research and experience indicate that many early adolescents require frequent snacks to meet the needs of their rapidly growing bodies. Water provides another important element in the optimal brain function. Therefore, we require that students have a water bottle at school from which to drink during the school day.
Lunch
Students bring lunch from home and we encourage lunches that do not require heating or preparation. Our lunchtime is only 30 minutes, and we would like students to rest, socialize, and possibly get a little fresh air during this time.
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Summer Reading Form
Summer Reading Form
Name of Reader _____________________________________________________
Title of the Book _____________________________________________________
Author of the Book _____________________________________________________
Date started reading _____________ Date completed reading ____________
Summary of the Book
(You may attach pages or type on the computer if you would prefer)
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Describe the main character. What is it that you liked about this character? Disliked about this character?
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What was the theme of this book? (The main idea, the lesson to be learned).
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What did you like about this book? Dislike about this book?
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Would you recommend this book to others? Who would you recommend it to? Why?
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Overall Rating: (Shade in the stars – 5 is best, ˝ is worst)
