Middle School
Middle School
A Time to Thrive
At Parkway, we endeavor to turn the perception that Middle School has a poor reputation, upside down and do all we can to help our students thrive in such a way that these years become more than a time to be endured, but a blessing to be enjoyed. We want our Middle School students to begin to discover their identity and begin working on becoming who God has designed them to be. There are several strategies we use to achieve this. Like most schools, we begin by researching to gain a better understanding of what is happening to the child at this time.
"Middle School needs to be more than a time to be endured, but a blessing to be enjoyed" -Lila Place (Head of School)
Transitioning for a better success
Our goal at Parkway Christian School is to better meet the needs of the students in the educational environment by taking into the account all that is happening internally. This has led to many changes in the way our Middle School is structured, beginning with the implementation of a transitional 5th and 6th grade year. We specially designed our transitional 5th and 6th grade to be a bridge between the close-knit atmosphere of the elementary grades and the less structured environment of the upper grades. This is accomplished in part by having the students divide their time between two primary teachers instead of changing classes and teachers every period. One teacher handles Science, Math, while the other teacher handles Language Arts and History and both teach a section of Bible. This teaching environment gives students a degree of instructional variety and more independence, while keeping their overall learning and growth progress, and the focus of just two teachers who will gradually lead the students into a more autonomous learning experience.
Identity and Destiny
To make sure students who need movement are given the opportunity to move, recess is a part of Middle School lunch hour. Students are able to go outside or to the gym to work off some of their natural energy, and return to the classroom ready to learn. It's a simple adjustment to the schedule that acknowledges a specific need of Middle School students. This requires an 'out-of-box' type of thinking, which Parkway purposes to apply to other areas of the Middle School program. Put together, these programs and procedures allow each Middle School student the opportunity to begin their journey toward becoming the man or women that God desires them to be with the tools to make a difference in their world. Here at Parkway, we help our Middle School students find both their identity and their destiny as they navigate through these adventuresome years!
