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Middle School Program
At Chandler Woods Charter Academy, our mission is to challenge each child to achieve through academic excellence, parent partnerships, moral focus and student responsibility in order to develop students into successful citizens with strong moral character. However, when children reach middle school, they need more. Middle school students need positive and strong friendships, teamwork skills, positive decision-making skills, strong role models, extra-curricular activities and opportunities for social growth. Middle School students need to unlock leadership potential in order to positively impact the high schools they will attend and the communities in which they will live. Chandler Woods has a middle school program enriched with many opportunities for students to explore and develop their unique potential.
Our 6th graders are moving, into the middle school and learning how to adjust to a new experience. The 7th graders are adjusting, and evaluating their own character and learning how to build positive peer relationships. Our 8th graders are preparing to “leave the nest”. They are developing their leadership skills to positively impact the school and those around them, especially the younger students who look up to them.
Chandler Woods Charter Academy's middle school offers your child a safe, caring school environment where your child can feel comfortable being himself. Because our middle school is small, we are able to deliver a more personal teaching environment that makes a difference in your child's overall education. At Chandler Woods, your child is given every chance to succeed because teachers are vested in each child's success. Additionally, we value the strong relationships our teachers forge with their students' parents. This mutual dedication is based on a common goal: to give each child the absolute best education possible.
Developmental Needs of Middle School Students
Sixth grade is the start of a significant educational transition, as it marks the beginning of middle school. Sixth through eighth graders at Chandler Woods Charter Academy are considered middle school students. With this transition come many changes in both the structure of the school day and the expectations the school has for the students. Beginning in sixth grade, students move from class to class with an assigned homeroom. Chandler Woods Charter Academy operates on a scheduling plan in order to keep students together in family groups with a smaller number of teachers. This type of scheduling also increases the effectiveness of the teachers as they prepare for fewer subjects and teach in their areas of greatest expertise.
Cognitively, middle school students begin to explore many new areas and concepts for which they were not previously ready. This includes exploring democratic virtues and procedures such as the function of rules and their necessity (as opposed to the teacher being in control of everything in the classroom). There is a shift away from the knowledge base and rewards for repeating memorized information to the use of higher level skills such as comprehension, inferring, analyzing and drawing conclusions. Middle school is also marked by a greater emphasis on aesthetic skills – appreciating art and music for the sake of beauty rather than merely as academic areas.
Lastly, middle school students begin to understand the role of the community and nation. This understanding includes being a part of something beyond themselves and their families through both the interdependency of humans and a support network that includes other adults, such as teachers and coaches.
Preparing Your Child for Middle School
The ways you can prepare your child for middle school are not just limited to academics. While academics are very important, this time is also significant for your child both individually and interpersonally. Students who enter middle school with a strong sense of who they are as individuals will generally be much more successful than those who are unsure of their values and standards. By imparting the values of your family and discussing why those values are so important to you and your child, you are able to give your child a strong sense of security and identity that is needed during the middle school years. Students who have strong values and standards in place are more free to concentrate on their academic pursuits, rather than struggling with these issues as they are confronted with pressures and values that may not be in line with those of your family.
If your children are not academically prepared for middle school, it is very important that you secure tutoring for them. Sixth through eighth grade academics have a significant amount of content and require higher-level thinking skills. If your student is still struggling to read at grade level or has poor basic comprehension skills, he will experience a great deal of frustration the entire year. If he is not prepared for the academic challenges ahead, it is imperative to get extra help before beginning sixth grade.
Assessments
At the middle school level, assessments for grading purposes are done primarily through quizzes, unit exams, projects and papers. Your child will have ample opportunities to use the academic planner system learned in fifth grade in order to keep track of the different assessments. All middle school students participate in the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). This test is given three times each year and provides objective, norm-referenced data that informs classroom instruction. All middle school students complete any state mandated testing required by law.
Helping Your Child Succeed in Middle School
While middle school students are expected to take on a great deal of responsibility for their education, parents still play a significant role in the level of success their child will achieve. Maintaining high expectations for your student is very important. Taking into account the individuality of your child, it is important to set standards that you expect academically and then communicate them in a positive way.
Chandler Woods Middle School Points of Pride:
• Small, safe setting
• Student Council
• No-cut athletic program, which offers 2 team sports for boys and girls each season
• National Junior Honor Society
• TCB Club
• Academically enriching field trips to Cedar Point, Mackinac Island and Washington, D.C.
•Special classes such as Physical Education, Advanced Health and Fitness, Art, Literature, Computers I and II, Spanish I and II, Science Olympiad, Concert Choir, Band and much more
• Individualized attention
• Partnership with the National Middle School Association
• Character Education integrated within the every day curriculum
• Community service from all students
• Parent involvement
• Middle School Spirit Week
• Middle School Career Day
• Middle School Ski Club
• Middle School organized after school social activities
• Full high school preparation program for 8th grade students including the High School Fair Night, high school orientation sessions, and decision making advice.
Middle School Trips
At the beginning of the year, middle school students enjoy a trip that is structured around fostering relational ties among the students. The purpose of the trip is to build a tighter community in hopes for a successful school year. The 6th grade enjoys an annual trip to Camp Henry, while the 7th graders embark on an annual canoe trip and 8th grader’s participate in the annual “8th Grade Sneak.”
The 8th Grade Sneak starts with a scavenger hunt which creates bonds among the students, especially those new to the school. Playing “hot spot,” a get-to-know-you question game, throughout the day also aides in building this community. Along the way, students have a list of things they can do to receive points. Each year holds something different in store for the group, depending on the personality of the students as a whole.
To see how your child can grow and learn at a premier Belmont middle school, visit Chandler Woods Charter Academy today.
Snow Tubing at Cannonsburg Ski Area
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