THE IDEAL MIDDLE SCHOOL By Ellie Pelton, Nate Johnson, and Bridget Curley

PHILOSOPHY/PEDAGOGY  We believe that creating an environment where students enjoy learning is important.  We think being reasonable helps students learn from their mistakes without feeling overly stressed.  We embrace many different teaching styles to make everybody comfortable.  We appreciate that our students are different.  We encourage extracurricular activities so students can pursue their interests and keep stress levels down.

DAILY SCHEDULE TimeClass 8:30 – 9:40 amFirst Period, with 10 minute break in the middle 9:50-10:20 amSecond period, with 10 minute break in the middle 10:30-11:00 amAdvisory, can be spent doing homework if advisor approves. 11:10 am-12:20 pm Third period, with 10 minute break in the middle 12:30-1:20 pmLunch 1:30-2:40 pmFourth Period, with 10 minute break in the middle 2:40- 3:30 pmStudy Hall- can be spent meeting with teachers Extracurricular Activities are offered until 8 pm, but may end before.

WHY WE FEEL THIS IS IMPORTANT  We feel that school should start at 8:30 am, because the pineal gland in adolescents doesn’t stop producing melatonin until later in the morning than young children and adults.  We feel that only having four class periods a day will reduce homework and stress, resulting in better academic performance in students.  Adolescents need time to relax for them to relieve stress. Having study hall at the end of the day helps them get homework done and meet with teachers for extra help. This gives them independence.

CHOICES  We think it’s important to let students choose most of their classes. We offer different options for each class that students can pick from  Every student is required to take an English class, a math class, and a language class, but there are different courses that teach differently. The students can pick one of these for the semester. For example, our eighth grade students have the pick of these English classes-  Poetry  Plays  Essay Writing  Classic Literature

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES  We offer the following extracurricular activities- 1. Year Round Sports Teams- e.g. soccer, basketball, volleyball, field hockey, lacrosse, football, swimming, etc. 2. Music lessons- taught privately, also a chorus, gospel choir, and band. 3. Art- painting, watercolors, photography, sculpture, performing arts, ceramics, drawing, etc. 4. Cooking classes- French food, Italian food, Asian cuisine, desserts, etc. 5. Dance classes- ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, hip hop, ballroom dancing. 6. Clubs created by students 7. Miscellaneous activities- yoga, ping pong, ultimate frisbee, jump rope, fishing, canoeing, filmmaking, playwriting, Pilates, sewing, etc.

WHY WE THINK EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ARE IMPORTANT We encourage students to pursue their passions and try a variety of different activities. This is because having fun boosts dopamine levels and keeps stress levels down. This will improve student’s academic performances during the school day. Activities keep your body moving and keep you healthy.

CLIMATE  We want students to look forward to the school day. We want them to love learning and feel free to grow at their own pace.  We enforce this belief by painting the walls bright colors, and hiring teachers we feel will follow the philosophy and nurture a culture based on tolerance and acceptance.  We encourage students to be themselves, so we do not have a uniform. We want to give students lots of opportunities to speak their minds and show off their talents.

CONTINUED We try to showcase what makes every student unique. To do this:  We offer a talent show multiple times a year  We host mixers and school dances  We maintain good relationships with surrounding schools by participating in sports events and other activities.  We host science fairs, pep rallies, and art shows for everybody in the school.  We travel off campus weekly to show students more of their world and teach them outside of the classroom. We’re always open to other’s ideas.

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE  We hear everybody’s ideas and make sure nobody is afraid to speak up and contribute their opinions about the school.  We try to make all students comfortable in their own skin, and have them feel safe and confident.  We include parents in most decisions.  We hire teachers that love their career and feel passionate about working with children. We wouldn’t hire anybody we would not want to be taught by.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT ALL  The school doesn’t give much homework, because they want students to get more sleep. The pineal gland starts producing melatonin later at night and stops later in the morning. Also because of this, school opens at 8:30 am.  A teenager’s amygdala is very sensitive, so the school has teachers who understand this and try to eliminate pressure for the most part by helping students maintain strong connections with their classmates so they feel comfortable working and speaking with each other.  Because teenagers are sensitive to dopamine, they like taking risks to experience the pleasure that comes with risk taking. The school would like for them to do this safely, so they travel off campus often. This gets students out of a traditional classroom and helps them explore. This could boost their dopamine levels in natural ways, so they will be less likely to seek out dangerous dopamine boosting situations like drug usage.

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