Milwaukee Montessori School established a Junior High program for 7th and 8th grades in the fall of 1981 with 9 students. Since then students have successfully matriculated into parochial, independent, and public high schools locally, nationally, and internationally.
Dr. Montessori never wrote a formal curriculum for adolescents, and Montessori training centers offer teacher training only through the age of 12. Therefore junior high programs in Montessori schools are relatively rare, and established mostly on interpretation of Montessori’s theories that the mind of the 12-15 year old needs to use their academic knowledge to solve real world challenges and tackle true moral dilemmas.
To that end, we have designed a challenging, hands-on curriculum that prepares students to enter high school able to tackle advanced academic classes while remaining excited and proactive about learning.
Each year, our graduates report that the most important skills they learned at MMS were interpersonal confidence and outstanding time management. Day after day and year after year, our students learn the skills of independent goal setting, prioritizing, and meeting deadlines. They learn to delay gratification and approach the most difficult and daunting work first. Their experiences allow them to work cooperatively in teams, learning the importance of personal accountability and personal effort.
Finally, they learn their individual strengths and challenges and are able to self-assess, rather than rely solely on the feedback of others to determine a job well done.
Click to watch the video below to see eighth-grade students gain a basic understanding of the mechanics of genetics as revealed through the structure and function of the hereditary material, DNA. Watch as they learn about the biochemistry of the cell and the location and structure of DNA as they extract DNA from chicken blood. They also learn about mutation and chromosomal abnormalities through the analysis of human chromosome number and form (karyotyping).
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2013 Class of MMS 8th Grade students reflect on their years at MMS and look forward to their futures.