The Rfc Middle School program is different from the elementary program by design. While elementary students are focused on tuning their imagination to learning how the universe works, adolescents are focused on how they fit into the universe. Adolescents ask, “What does this have to do with me?” and “Where do I fit in?” Their bodies are changing. They possess sometimes conflicting needs to be uniquely and creatively themselves and to “fit in” as a valued part of society. To this end, the RFC middle school offers the adolescents opportunities to engage in meaningful and productive work within the classroom, for the school, and for the community, wherein the success of the endeavor relies on the individual contributions of each student. RFC middle school is a collaborative, supportive learning environment that promotes the personal growth of each young adult to be.
The RFC middle school program development is also viewed through the lens of needing to prepare our students to be successful in a variety of high-school settings
(and this is a question we frequently receive during the admissions process!). We understand that RFC students will be moving on to a variety of different high-school environments: public schools, private schools, alternative schools, and homeschools. We owe it to them, and to their parents, to ensure that they are prepared to thrive in whichever environment they choose. For this reason, we looked at what other middle school programs offer around the country, and we sought to choose academic themes and curricula that are common to the middle-school experience – while also preserving RFC values of in-depth and hands-on learning both in and outside of the classroom and formative assessment rather than tests and grades. As in a traditional middle or high school setting, the RFC middle school schedule is blocked out by subject area, rather than offering more open work time as in the elementary classrooms. A significant amount of time is blocked specifically for community work and learning outside of the classroom, allowing for choice, student initiative and planning, creative expression, and movement.
As developmentally appropriate beyond elementary schooling, middle school students are expected to complete regular at-home assignments, both to increase student planning and time-management skills and to offer students more time to work on deeper projects and reading assignments. Homework will be balanced across subject areas to assure a total maximum of approximately 1 – 1 ½ hours per day, depending on individual student reading speed. Nightly reading and note taking will be an expectation. Preparation at home allows for more time during the school day for cooperative project work, seminar discussions, and learning experiences outside of the classroom. Under each academic section below, we have outlined what the homework requirement might look like for that subject.