Cedar Campus – Flagstaff Middle School Information

Our middle school is a special place and one that is unique in Flagstaff. The entire program was fashioned as the first of its kind for young adults at this stage of their development.

Until recently, the educational model for children this age was either an accelerated elementary program or a “junior” high school program. Dr. Elizabeth Coe, a noted developmental psychologist and past president of the American Montessori Society, using years of research conducted at the Adolescent Center of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, developed a completely new educational model based on the specific physiological, psychological, and academic needs of this age group. The model is based on a fundamental principle: the key to development is freedom with responsibility and respect.

Dr. Montessori spoke of a center for study and work where adolescents could safely transform into adults. Our model focuses on helping them find where their singular talents intersect with the world’s needs. Not only does our program promote academic excellence in all core subjects, but it also gives students practical experience in a variety of community settings.

Six Integrated Components

The Montessori middle school experience features six integrated components to address all of the needs of the adolescents during their delicate transition to adulthood:

Academic
Entrepreneurial
Service to community
Apprenticeship
Adventure
Immersions

By addressing the social and emotional needs of the adolescent, s/he can more profitably focus on academic pursuits. This deliberate approach to adolescent education provides the experiences needed to expose our young adults to many valuable life lessons where they can connect with peers and bond with supportive adult teachers.

The Middle School Curriculum

Seventh and eighth grade students at the Montessori middle school are taught together in a 2-year program. Each year is divided into five theme-based cycles, each 6-7 weeks long. All subjects are integrated into the theme of the cycle.

Monday-Thursday:

Math
Social World
Natural World
Personal World
Literature
Composition
Grammar
Vocabulary
Etymology
Spanish
Physical Education

Friday:

Small business operation
Community service
“Going Out” trips
Variety of specialist classes

The sports program includes participation in athletic competition with students from other schools in the area. Presently, students have chosen to form competitive teams in volleyball, co-ed soccer, basketball, cross-country, and “Girls on Track”.

Last Week of Each Cycle:

Students present the results of research projects that they have conducted both individually and in small groups. During this week, students also participate in an “immersion”, to explore their ever-expanding environment with hikes, campouts, and other opportunities to appreciate the region’s natural beauty and historical significance.

Student-Led Conferences

Twice a year the students lead a detailed conference with their parents. The conference includes an overview of their academic accomplishments that focuses on their strengths, weaknesses and their plan for improving. This manner of presentation enables the adolescents to interact with their parents in an adult manner while both embracing and displaying their ownership of their own educational journey and its direction.

By utilizing this method we purposely break away from the traditional parent-teacher conference and place the responsibility for progress reporting in the hands of each student. It is a maturing time and it provides an excellent means of establishing a higher plane of communication between each student and his or her parents. This step in developing an adult-to-adult relationship between adolescent and parent has proven itself nothing less than remarkable.

Contact us today to learn more about our program or to schedule a tour of our Flagstaff middle school campus.