Junior High

Grades 7-8

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The junior high environment provides a rigorous academic course load with ample teacher support. This is a time for students to start to progress toward adulthood.  As such, students are presented with high-level expectations within an open framework for learning.  Adolescents are given syllabi which guide their studies for six weeks.  This sets a basic expectation for what students will experience at the college level.  Over the course of their junior high and high school experience, students are stair-stepped toward independence. 

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The focus of the junior high program is freedom with responsibility.  Students are free to work on topics of their choosing within the set curriculum.  This means they are able to spend a great deal of time on topics of personal interest.  Montessori saw this time period as a time to shift away from traditional academic work and instead focusing on practical life skills. At The Grove, we meet this need by incorporating a week of field trips and exploration at the end of every 6 week cycle.  Students participate in team-building, educational and service activities in order to enhance their academic experience. 

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To expand on practical-life opportunities, students have the opportunity to participate in a yearly trip anywhere in the continental United States. Students must meet certain academic requirements in addition to raising at least 50% of the cost of the trip through fundraising and business opportunities.  Students learn about profits and loss, marketing and pricing strategies as they develop business ideas to help reach their financial goals.

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"But, above all it is the education of adolescents that is important, because adolescence is the time when the child enters on the state of manhood and becomes a member of society."

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- Dr. Maria Montessori