Our middle school* vision and approach builds upon The Croft School’s core attributes and many of the components of our elementary grade levels. The design features described below are additive to the components of our elementary school program.
*Croft Providence Grades 5-8; Croft Jamaica Plain Grades 5-6; Croft South End Grades 5-6
Design Feature #1: Our students are prepared to excel in and productively contribute to a rapidly changing world. Through an inquiry-based approach, students grapple with rigorous, relevant, and culturally responsive academic content. They develop the knowledge and skills to prepare them to excel in high school and beyond.
Rigorous, knowledge-building curriculum: We will continue to use a highly-rated, rigorous core curriculum through 8th grade.
Broadening Enrichment courses: We will build out the middle school model to incorporate additional offerings such as computer science, additional modern or classical languages, etc.
Broadening extracurricular courses: Courses such as robotics, debate, coding, Model UN, and public speaking will be added to our middle school extended day options. We will continue to build out the inter-school athletic program to ensure students have access to competitive sports options throughout middle school. We will also formalize our academic competition offerings based on our fourth-grade pilot this past year.
“Next Schools” Placement Counselor: Starting in 5th grade (Boston) and 7th grade (Providence), all of our students and families will work closely with our Next Schools Placement Counselor. Our counselor will partner closely with students and families to identify school options that will match and challenge students’ individual needs and passions. Through a personalized approach, our team will support families throughout the full application process.
Healthy Sexuality & Substance Abuse: Using the work done in fourth grade as a foundation, we will continue to build out our health & sexuality courses while incorporating topics such as substance abuse.
Design Feature #2: Our students see themselves as passionate, competent problem solvers. They have a strong sense of community and use their knowledge and skills to benefit others. Croft students serve and learn - and in doing so, they become leaders.
Service-Learning: Students use academic and civic knowledge and skills to address genuine community needs. When students address a community need, it transforms their learning from two to three dimensions. Content comes to life through projects dealing with issues such as health, climate change, poverty, or hunger. Service-learning helps students find and use their voices. They investigate, plan, and provide service, then reflect on the outcome. Such responsibility changes their view of themselves and the world.
Each grade level partners with one service-orientated community partner. The school and partner work closely together to identify a community need/challenge to research and design solutions for. Service-Learning will largely take place every other Friday, but will remain flexible based on the project design and outcomes.
21st Century Skill Development: Service-learning offers opportunities for 21st century skill development - including critical thinking and problem solving, media literacy, and social and cross-cultural interaction.
Overnight Trips: Each year will begin and/or end with a several day trip where students will build community, experience new things, and learn about themselves and others.
Design Feature #3: Our students can answer the questions “who am I and who do I want to be?” They pursue their passions and have a strong sense of self and purpose. They explore their identities and develop a strong sense of how they relate to others and the world around them.
Advisory: Over time, our “morning meeting” block will become an advisory block, likely starting in 6th grade where students will go deep on topics with adults (for example, in 8th grade this time will be dedicated to preparing for the high school selection and application process).
Closing Circle: Over time, our closing circle becomes a group reflection and gratitude circle. At the end of the day on Fridays (or Monday), students will spend time reflecting on personal goals and selecting work for their personal portfolio.
Go Deep (Grade 5): “Go Deep” provides students with an opportunity to own their learning and develop solutions to real-world issues with a social justice lens. At the beginning of the year, students will work to generate a list of big and small issues that our local and global community faces. Students and teachers will work together to select 2-3 issues that students “go deep” on over the course of the year. While all students will be engaging with the same concept, students will have the freedom and flexibility to approach the issue in their own unique way. We see “Go Deep” as an opportunity to connect with service learning and prime students for purpose-development curriculum starting in grade 6 (see below).
Purpose-Development Curriculum (Grades 6-8): Through a CASEL-aligned curriculum, students will cultivate a sense of belonging, strengthening personal and professional identities, fostering empathy and collaboration, building and mobilizing social capital, amplifying resilience, expanding career goals, and engaging in purpose-driven action. A sample overview based on one curriculum we are exploring is outlined below:
Listening to Ourselves. In this module, students grow their emotional literacy and self-awareness, practicing strategies to consciously respond to emotions.
Building Healthy Relationships. In this module, students explore and practice tools to establish a foundation of trust in their relationships.
Exploring Who We Are. In this module, students learn how to know about themselves, share their identity, and affirm the identities of others.
Celebrating Our Differences. In this module, students practice strategies to navigate group dynamics and learn to create equity-oriented spaces.
Understanding Purpose. In this module, students learn to articulate what drives them and why they are the exact right person to influence issues in the world.
Shaping My Path. In this module, students explore different careers and evaluate how well a career aligns with your vision for the future.
Student Led Conferences: Starting in 5th grade, students will be responsible for keeping a portfolio of work samples and reflections. Using a scaffolded approach, the first family conference will be co-led by the teacher and student and a spring conference will be fully led by students.
8th Grade Capstone: Each eighth grader will complete a major presentation/capstone project that will demonstrate their journey and growth as a Croft student.