Middle School

The adolescent is a study in contradictions: energetic and inactive, concerned about others and individualistic, desiring autonomy and seeking adult help. Adolescents spend significant time finding their identity and searching for who they are and who they want to become. The three most significant areas of intellectual development at this time are: metacognition (the ability to think about one’s thinking), hypothetical reasoning (the ability to consider life’s “what ifs?”), and abstract reasoning (the ability to grapple with complex concepts such as democracy, revolution, and integrity).

Adolescents require meaningful physical work, increased autonomy, opportunities to develop a personal vision, an environment that helps them develop positive and durable self-esteem, involvement with social issues, and a stimulating and thoughtful curriculum. Goal-setting, time-management skills, and personal accountability are stressed in the WRM Middle School program.

The WRM Middle School program naturally prepares students for their transition to high school by fostering the following practical life skills:

• Engaging deeply in their learning while developing mastery
• Taking tests to demonstrate mastery
• Building autonomy in and taking ownership over completing their work
• Developing a love of learning
• Cultivating positive relationships with adults to see them as partners in their learning
• Collaborating with their peers in their work
• Facilitating student-led conferences each fall and spring with the parent/guardian and teachers.    In order to foster ownership of their ongoing development, the student will evaluate and communicate their progress in each of the following areas:  academic work, personal growth and accountability, and development of their collaborative work skills.