The Middle School Program
Grades 6 - 8
“We found middle school untenable in the public system after trying very hard to make it work. We prize diversity, academic rigor, care for the whole person, and believe that schools should be exceptionally resourced. Waterfront hits the mark on all of these points and it’s one of the best investments we could have made as parents. ”
Waterfront Montessori is an International Baccalaureate World School authorized to offer the IB Middle Years Program.
The Middle School Program blends our dynamic Montessori curriculum into the IB Middle Years Program (IB MYP) in service of students who are in a crucial period of personal, social, physical and intellectual development. During this time of uncertainty and of questioning their place in the world, the melding of the Montessori philosophy with the discipline of the IB MYP is designed to nurture their curiosity and eagerness to learn, identify the gifts that make them unique and help them to find a sense of belonging in the ever changing, increasingly complex and interrelated world around them.
The IB Middle Years Program provides a structure of academic challenge that encourages our Middle School students to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world. Access to information via the Internet is ubiquitous in our world: The New York Times reported on May 24, 2010, that India now has more cell phones than toilets. It is no longer enough for our students to memorize information that lends itself to evaluation on a standardized test. It is imperative that our children be able to think: to figure out what the issues or problems are; to find order in the chaos of excessive information; to formulate potential solutions; to make evidence-based decisions and then, more critically, be able to implement them with confidence and competence.
The IB MYP curriculum focuses on learning across subjects and disciplines and on connecting ideas to action and to each other. Students are required to study two languages, sciences, mathematics, humanities, arts, physical education and technology. Technology becomes a dominant force for learning: Students begin to work increasingly online, integrating the ability to manipulate data and information with creating vehicles for its display through coding. Projects are increasingly self-designed and directed and execution most often culminates in the presentation of the results to classmates for critical review. Students are encouraged to solve problems, show creativity and resourcefulness and participate actively in the community with self-motivation, compassion and leadership.
Research shows that by Grade 6, Montessori students are a year ahead of their peers in math and language. While the research is not clear on the benefits in social studies and science, the critical and creative thinking that students develop in our Montessori Middle School allow them to think far beyond their peers in these subjects and more. By the time they are in Grade 8, our students are working at a high school level and are well prepared for the challenges of an honors or advanced high school curriculum. They have also developed strong social skills and an awareness that helps them thrive in a wide variety of social settings. Our alumni are accepted into the top high schools in New Jersey, New York, and beyond, and the skills they develop in their Middle School years prepare them for a future full of success! Click here to see the incredible list of schools our graduates have been admitted to.