Middle School Resources
Academics
Mathematics, English Language Arts (ELA), Science, and Social Studies are the four core content areas that make up a middle school student's course of study throughout grades 6-8. Honors level courses are offered beginning with the 7th grade to give elementary-aged students the opportunity to settle into Vine Street from a social-emotional perspective upon joining our campus their 6th grade year. All coursework is designed to ensure students build enduring knowledge across curricula while also preparing for the state-wide PSSA assessment. Students in grades 6-8 participate in the Math and ELA assessments; students in 8th grade also participate in the Science PSSA.
Math and ELA
Studied through year-long 90-minute daily classes
Through the Common-Core aligned curriculum, Eureka Math Squared, students in grades 6-8 study "A Story of Ratios", beginning in 6th grade with Ratios and Rates, then focusing on Ratios and Proportionality in 7th Grade, and closing their 8th grade course of study with Ratios and Linearity. This trajectory provides students with a strong foundation in Proportions and Linearity to prepare students to move into modeling and comparing functions in Algebra I. Students in 7th and 8th Honors Level Math follow Eureka Math Squared at an accelerated pace such that students study Algebra I beginning in their 8th grade year. Students in the honors courses are expected to participate in both the Math PSSA and Keystone Algebra I state exams. Students who do not pass the Keystone Algebra I exam must repeat Algebra I their 9th grade year.
The ELA Curriculum follows Common Core State Standards for grades 6-8 using materials from CommonLit 360. CommonLit 360's curriculum perpetuates academic growth through high-quality texts and novels, lessons, and writing assignments that grow progressively more challenging throughout the school year to contribute to building the developing student's sense of belonging within the ELA classroom and school community. Each year's course of study tends to adolescent development focusing on themes such as Failures and Successes throughout 6th grade, Adolescence in 7th grade, and Courageous Choices during students' 8th grade year. As Honors students, 7th and 8th graders move through these themes at an accelerated pace and compare and contrast additional texts to make connections across abstraction.
Science and Social Studies
Studied through semester-long 90 minute daily classes, switching from one to the other mid-year
Amplify Science is a phenomena-based science curriculum aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and spirals through 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Being spiraled means that each grade level does not focus on a specific science content, rather the focus is on skills necessary to approach various scenarios throughout Life Science, Physical Science, and the Earth and Space Sciences. This curriculum blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools to give students the confidence and skill set to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers through real-life scenario-based phenomena.
The Social Studies department is dedicated to fostering a community of learners vested in the historical roots of the world in which we live. Guided by Common Core Standards for Reading History, Writing, and Speaking and Listening, students learn about World Cultures, Societal Structures, and the Ways People Come Together during their 6th grade year. 7th grade begins with Early American History, including the Founding of our Country, and the Struggles of the Early Nation. Students' study of American History is closed in their 8th grade year, focusing on Modern American History and how today's country has been shaped by the years before.
Middle School Majors Program
Upon entry to Vine, students are admitted to one of three Schools of Major; The School of Performing Arts, The School of Design, or The School of Science and Technology. Students of the School of Performing Arts, if new to our organization, participate in a placement day during which they experience each of the performing majors and then, based on space available and experience, are placed in an appropriate major. Students who are joining our campus from our elementary programming are placed in one of the two majors they studied throughout their 5th grade year (please see our elementary programming for specific courses of study throughout the arts). Throughout middle school, students progress through beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of their artform, often times, participating with High School ensembles and companies for various productions and performances.The School of Design and the School of Science and Technology have a set 6th, 7th, and 8th grade trajectory during which foundational skills from one year to the next are built upon each other to prepare students for more focused courses of study within their discipline through High School. You can learn more about the majors program HERE.