OVERVIEW SCHEDULE: School hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Students are expected to be in their first period classes by 8:00 a.m. for attendance and announcements. The daily schedule consists of seven periods: four academic classes, an Options program, and two periods of arts, physical education, and/or Lifeskills. In order to distribute instructional time per discipline over different times during the day, the academic periods rotate throughout the week. A mid-morning snack break and lunch are part of a student's schedule. The school year is divided into trimesters, which are designed around the vacation schedule. First trimester ends at winter break, second trimester ends at spring break, and third trimester concludes at the finish of the school year. Formal student evaluations are mailed home at the end of each trimester and become the grades of record. Interim reports are sent home halfway between trimesters to document student progress to date. Students may also receive weekly progress reports if requested by parents or deemed necessary by the school. Parents are welcome to request individual conferences with administrators and teachers at any time during the year. GRADING SYSTEM: All work is regularly and thoroughly evaluated by the teachers, thus students are provided with specific suggestions for improvement as well as positive reinforcements for work well done. Middle school students earn grades of credit with honors, credit, or no credit. Earning credit in a class ensures readiness for the next level of study. Credit with honors is awarded to students who demonstrate successful learning at a qualitatively higher level of thinking. Students receive written criteria for credit-level and honors-level work from each teacher at the beginning of the year. To support this system of student evaluation, teachers at each grade level meet bi-weekly with an administrator to discuss the academic and behavioral performance of every student. As soon as a problem arises, a plan of action is designed that involves the student, teachers, parents, and administrators. Every effort is made to help the student maintain credit status in all classes, which is generally equivalent to an 80%. Sixth and seventh grade students who are not successful in meeting credit criteria during the school year will be required to attend Summer at Crossroads. In addition to offering a wide variety of summer enrichment classes, the program provides a second opportunity for students to prepare themselves for the next level of study. Students in eighth grade who earn no credit will also be required to take summer school classes in order to enter the Upper School program. Admittance into Crossroads Upper School is not automatic; students must earn this right through successful completion of the Middle School program. CURRICULUM STRUCTURE: Curriculum in the Middle School is designed around a structure called a Theme/Topic of Exploration (T.O.E.). A T.O.E. is a documented and integrated unit of study created by teachers utilizing Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives. A T.O.E. contains three parts: Minimum Requirements, Extended Activities, and Challenge. All students are required to complete the tasks and activities included in the Minimum Requirements as they represent the basic knowledge, skills, and concepts that need to be mastered to move on to the next level of study. Extended Activities allow each student the opportunity to independently pursue an in-depth study of the topic according to the learning style, ability, and interest of the individual. Choices are offered that require research, foster creative thinking, develop higher-level thinking skills, and encourage independent goal setting. The Challenge component offers the student the opportunity to develop an independent study project based on knowledge obtained from earlier parts of the T.O.E. HOMEWORK: Daily homework is assigned in the Middle School from Monday through Thursday. Students are expected to use weekends to work on long-term projects and reading assignments. Sixth graders can expect one to one-and-a-half hours of homework per night; seventh graders, two hours per night; and eighth graders, two-and-a-half hours. Parents are expected to help their children create a quiet workspace at home and to encourage a routine homework schedule but are asked not to become directly involved with the completion of assignments. This relationship needs to be kept between student and teacher. STUDY SKILLS: The Middle School has a process-based and child-centered educational program. The teaching of study skills and personal development is integrated into all areas of the curriculum. At this level, how children learn is as important as what they learn. Students also learn how to be responsible by meeting deadlines, following directions and, in general, taking ownership of their education. DRESS GUIDELINES: Although there is no formal dress code in the Middle School, there are printed dress guidelines outlined in the student/parent handbook. These guidelines are based on issues of safety and respect. These rules, along with the other policies that create a safe and respectful environment, are discussed at weekly convocations, or meetings, which take place by grade level. Convocations also provide a forum in which students can share information, projects, and talents. THE CORE PROGRAM: The Core Program, described later in this document, is a formal collaboration between teachers of English and history. Middle School teachers of all disciplines meet both formally and informally to build connections in their curricula. COMPUTER PROGRAM: It is a Middle School goal to promote general computer literacy among students and to make computer projects an integral part of the school's overall educational program. Students learn primarily through hands-on exploration of basic tool software. The Middle School computer lab is equipped with 20 Macintosh PC computers that are connected to scanners, printers, and the Internet. Students have access to first-rate on-line and CD-ROM reference materials. Up-to-date, available software programs that are used for research, calculation, presentation, and fun include: Microsoft Word, Excel, Claris Works, Filemaker Pro, Hypercard, Hyperstudio, Microworld's Project Builder (LOGO), Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia, World Atlas, and The Incredible Machine. Sixth graders are scheduled into twice-weekly classes that thoroughly acquaint them with basic tool software and teach them how to integrate technology into their academic subject areas. The program also includes touch-typing instruction. Seventh and eighth graders are offered a variety of options that further extend their computer knowledge, building skills in computer graphics, general computer literacy, and Web design and publication. Supervised lab time is also offered during snack, lunch, Options, and after school. PARENT INVOLVEMENT: A strong home-school partnership is promoted at Crossroads. A Back-to-School Night at the beginning of the school year provides the opportunity for parents to meet their children's teachers. At this event, parents are encouraged to contact teachers whenever issues arise. Additionally, there is a set time during the school day when teachers and administrators are free to conference with parents. Once a student is enrolled, Middle School parents and students are provided with a variety of ways to access accurate and up-to-date information about schedules and events.