The Middle School is designed to build and emphasize academic skills in a highly structured environment, where our students can more easily make the transition from the self-contained classroom-based Elementary School to having several teachers for different academic subjects. Since Executive Functioning is so vital to this transition, our Middle School program supports organization and self-monitoring through an individualized approach. Study skills are also explicitly taught to our Middle School students, including effective, interactive note taking, highlighting text and research-based fluency and automaticity work.

Through small classes and highly individualized attention, our students gain a sense of belonging to a learning community. As they recognize and appreciate their own abilities and special talents, they also learn more about their own learning differences and the specific strategies that will support their academic success. Our students learn to take ownership and responsibility for their schoolwork, to manage the transitions from class to class, and to develop the skills necessary for working in groups. Students are members of an exciting community where meeting and exceeding expectations comes with privileges and leadership opportunities.

A brief description of each Middle School academic class follows:

Reading: Middle school reading classes are programmed individually for each student beginning with his/her level of mastery. This placement process is similar to the diagnostic-prescriptive approach used in our lower school. The implementation of research-based reading programs is continued throughout the middle and upper school years to address decoding and encoding skills. These programs include, but are not limited to: Wilson JUST WORDS®, Wilson Reading Systems®, Lindamood-Bell® and Read Naturally®. Age appropriate novels, short stories, plays and poems are all used to help students develop and enrich their higher-level comprehension skills. By combining technology with pre, during, and post-reading questioning techniques, our students learn how to interact successfully and independently with high-level text.

Math: Math classes are designed for our students beginning with his/her level of mastery, using manipulative materials and practical applications of math. Through diagnostic evaluation and careful analysis of error patterns, each student’s specific areas of need and interest are identified. In small groups, students begin with 6th Grade Math and then go from Pre-Algebra to Algebra I. Each student’s mastery is based upon the development of skills at the conceptual level first and foremost. From there students develop fluency, acquire strategies, all the while learning to apply concepts through real world problem solving.

Writing: By becoming fully immersed in the writing process, students focus on refining their skills, with the goal of becoming effective, skillful writers. Students use multiple graphic organizers to brainstorm and organize their ideas before writing a rough draft, and then revise and edit for a final draft. Students engage in peer edits and direct teacher support in order to further enhance the process of writing. Through a recently developed curriculum for writing, our students’ progress is closely monitored. Expository instruction emphasizes the organizational, structural, and grammatical aspects of written expression. Our narrative and creative writing instruction emphasizes the importance of sentence variety, use of vivid language, and the development of each student’s voice. Students have many opportunities for publishing. This link will take you to a recent 7th grade poetry and photography publication.

Science: Students engage in the scientific method and hands-on experiences to increase their understanding of scientific concepts. Our students go beyond the memorization of facts to create models and experiments that truly allow them to Live It, Learn It. In our middle school science lab, students utilize technology and traditional scientific instruments to deepen their scientific understanding. Throughout their Life Science studies, students develop an appreciation of the interdependence of all living things and learn about the foundations of earth’s various ecosystems. In Earth Science, students investigate the Earth's formation, weather patterns, the atmosphere, the oceans and space. In Physical Science, students investigate matter, electricity, light, and the basic laws of physics. Middle School Science students regularly engage in creating their own inventions and creations that help to make these scientific concepts more concrete and attainable. The eighth grade science trip to the Teton Science School in Jackson, Wyoming, complements our curriculum with developing environmental awareness--with the added lure of snowshoeing and sleigh riding!

Middle School History : Students follow an unique sequence of history coursework in the middle grades. In the Museum Club, our 6th grade students recreate some of the most important artifacts from history. Three times a year, they open the doors and act as docents, taking their visitors through the vast history of man and world religions. In the 7th grade, our students enter the Democracy Club where they study the roots of American government and survey our history from pre-columbian North America until the Civil War. Our revolutionary students spend many days exploring the rich history of Philadelphia.
In the Young Republic Club, our 8th graders learn how America was transformed from its fragile state during reconstruction to a world power in the 20th century. Through debates and intensive study of constitutional law, our young Americans learn about their civic rights and responsibilities.

Leadership: Upper school students in grades 6 through 10 participate in a weekly Leadership class taught by a member of the Psychological Services department. Students are empowered to strive for excellence while setting academic, personal, interpersonal and career goals. The students tackle a variety of topics including knowing oneself as a learner, interpersonal problem solving and conflict resolution, decision-making and emotional wellness. Students discuss how they help create and maintain a learning community where all students feel safe to take risks and express themselves as individuals. Special topics, such as Cyber Safety are an important component of Leadership.

Advisory: Each of our Middle School students is assigned to an advisor who serves as the liaison between our faculty and staff as well as our parents. Advisors meet with their students every morning and offer support of Executive Function skills. Our students learn, through their advisors' guidance, how to file and store their work, and how to organize work on their Mac Books. Not only do our advisors help to support our students with their organizational needs, but they are also the core of the communication that exists on behalf of their advisees. Advisors are in contact with parents and teachers regularly to address specific social and academic needs that present themselves. Frequent communication between advisors, parents and teachers helps to ensure that our students reach academic, social and emotional success.

Enrichment
Athletics: Middle School students are offered a team, individual, and intra-mural sport each season. This includes soccer, basketball, softball, cross country, cheerleading, golf, volleyball, and flag football.

Electives: AIM is proud to offer a wide variety of electives that focus on the Fine Arts, Dramatic Arts, Performing Arts, Creative Literary Arts, Fitness, and more.

Enrichment Organizations & Extra-curricular programs: We are also proud to provide extensive enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities. This includes Broadcasting Club, The AIM Quarterly Magazine, Literary Magazine, Choir, Drama, Musical, Student Government, Service Learning, and more.

Team Building: Our Middle School students begin the school year spending a full day engaging in intensive team and community building activities at a one of several local facilities. This day of trust-building serves as an integral component of the creation of our successful learning community. The team-building does not stop here. Several community/team-focused trips are offered throughout the school year.