MEC Middle School Program
Middle School Classrooms
The middle school design is an integration of the current research in human development, the trends and issues in education, and the Montessori philosophy. Designed for seventh and eighth graders, the mission of the program is to empower early adolescents. To accomplish this, the environment provides opportunities for adolescents to be self-confident and gain self-knowledge, to belong to a community, to learn to be adaptable, to be academically competent and challenged, and to create a vision for their personal future.
The curriculum for middle school at MEC reflects an integration of the Louisiana requirements of essential elements, the newest research on the developmental needs of early adolescents, the Montessori philosophy, the state-of-the-art in current learning theory, and the predictions of the skills needed for a productive life in the 21st century.
The language, speech, service learning, and fine arts are courses of continuous progress. The science, social studies, geography, health, and math are studied by topics or concepts. Students will cover concepts in pre-algebra and algebra, physical science, life science, physical education, and health.
DAily Schedule
Monday - Thursday
-
8:00 a.m.
Daily Work check/Jobs/Sign-in -
8:10 a.m.
PE -
8:40 a.m.
Community meeting with PACE/Lesson -
9:35 a.m.
Group work -
11:30 a.m.
Lunch -
12:15 p.m.
Personal Reflection/PACE -
12:50 p.m.
Individual work/math lesson -
2:40 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dismissal time for full day students -
3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
After School work time for extended day students
Friday
-
8:00 a.m.
Daily Work check/Jobs/Sign-in -
8:10 a.m.
Community meeting with PACE -
9:00 a.m.
Graph/Synthesis of guiding questions -
10:00 a.m.
Electives -
11:30 a.m.
Lunch -
12:30 p.m.
Service Learning -
2:40 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dismissal time for full day students -
3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
After School work time for extended day students
Middle School Structure
Work Cycles
During the academic year, there are five cycles of work followed by an immersion week for assessments and incorporating what they have learned into real life experiences. Each cycle is five weeks. At the end the fifth week, students provide a product presentation and written self-assessment of the thematic project work. The cycle format is designed to help students learn organizational, decision-making, and time management skills.
Group Work
The school day is divided into two kinds of work: individual work and group work. Group work is designed to teach collaborative work and student leadership while encouraging an appreciation for diversity of perspectives.
Service Learning
Service learning goes beyond community service by including preparation, participation, and reflection. The students participate in all planning and decision-making to develop a project that meets a genuine community need and is organized in collaboration with the school and the community. Service learning is integrated into the academic curriculum and includes time for thinking, talking, or writing about their experiences and provides opportunities to use academic skills in real life situations. It extends student learning beyond the classroom and helps to foster the development of a sense of caring for others.
Electives
Students have the opportunity to select areas of exploration. These vary each year based on student interest and availability of outside teaching resources. Examples of past electives include debate, tennis, theatre, coding, sewing, and photography.
Individual Work
The school day is divided into two kinds of work: individual work and group work. Individual work is designed to make a match between the skills, abilities, and interests of each student and there are a variety of work choices in every academic area to be done alone or in pairs. There are opportunities to do modified, basic, and advanced work in most areas.
Independent Study
Seventh grade students will do one and eighth grade students will do two independent studies a year, focusing on history or science and a personal topic. There are specific guidelines and due dates along the way to help students prepare a research paper and presentation for each project.
Personal Reflection
As part of the health curriculum, students spend thirty minutes each day after lunch in personal reflection. Maria Montessori felt that early adolescents have a quest for self-knowledge, which in turn helps adolescents develop their identity. Students have the opportunity to learn to spend time reflecting on goals, reducing stress, and creating a personal vision.
LEAP Test
Eighth graders entering Rapides Parish public schools after graduation must take the LEAP test. We administer the LEAP test to our eighth grade students in the spring. LEAP testing information will be communicated with parents in advance.
Schedule a Tour
Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.