Middle School
Middle school is a time of exciting growth and exploration for our scholars. While scholars engage in rigorous academic curriculum, they have the opportunity to explore new subjects and areas of interest. All activities are centered around the middle school’s core values: scholarship, empathy, integrity, grit, and global citizenship.
Lifelong Readers and Writers
FLACS supports all students in becoming independent readers and writers. Each unit focuses on a theme, in which students explore literary and nonfiction texts to build a rich understanding of an enduring concept. Some of the themes include “Rules to Live By”, “Finding Home: The Refugee Experience,” and “Journeys and Survival.” Students analyze texts and use evidence to support their ideas about what they read. In writing, we teach writing craft, grammar, and conventions. Students write stories, research-based informational texts, and argumentative texts.
Creative Problem-Solvers
Problem-solving is at the center of math learning at FLACS. Through problem-solving, scholars gain a deep conceptual understanding of mathematics. FLACS uses the Singapore math approach. We emphasize the interconnection between mathematics and its applications in everyday situations, science, and technology. Students extend the learning they did in elementary school and prepare for high school level science. In 8th grade, students have the opportunity to take Algebra 1, a high school level course.
Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers
FLACS scholars engage in scientific inquiries that mirror the work of actual scientists and engineers. Each unit is organized around a real-world phenomenon. Students work to develop and strengthen scientific claims about this phenomenon by collecting evidence through reading, modeling, and experimentation, and testing their assumptions. In eighth grade, students have the opportunity to take the NYS Living Environment Regents, a high school level course.
Future Global Citizens
Through project-based and inquiry learning, FLACS scholars engage in the study of history, geography, political science, civics, economics, and sociology. They engage in a study of the Eastern Hemisphere in Grade 6, and two-year study of US History in Grades 7 and 8. They study events from multiple perspectives and analyze primary source documents such as journals, political cartoons, and photographs. They think actively about whose perspective is being told when they read about historical events, and whose history is not being told.
Enrichment
In the arts, all FLACS scholars take visual arts, music, and drama during their middle school experience. In addition, students have the opportunity to engage in arts-based clubs.
Students also take one year of health education and one year of world language instruction in Spanish, which is an accelerated beginner class that includes enrichment opportunities for heritage speakers.
Students have physical education every week, and also have opportunities to play on FLACS high-caliber sports teams afterschool, including girls volleyball, boys basketball, and soccer.