Middle School
Our academics, partnered with a focused leadership development sequence, prepare students for the most demanding secondary schools. Students thrive as they build lasting relationships with peers and teachers through small class sizes and a community focus. Aspen Academy intentionally and consistently cultivates:
- Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
- Collaboration Across Networks
- Agility and Adaptability
- Initiative and Entrepreneurialism
- Effective Oral and Written Communication
- Accessing and Analyzing Information
- Curiosity and Imagination
LETTER FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR
Welcome to the Middle School! After 13 years in the classroom and the last five years here at Aspen Academy’s Middle School, I am thrilled to be the new Middle School Director of this
vibrant, kind, and amazing community. I look forward to continuing to support our students’ learning and the work of our talented and caring teachers in this new role. Our Middle School teacher team has a combined experience of teaching well over 10,000 students. I know that we, as a school community, recognize how exciting and important these adolescent years are and how we can support them and make each student feel a deep sense of belonging.
We support them in our intentional approach to leadership development, building their strengths and awareness of those strengths to make the greatest impact in their home and community. Our academic program is challenging, integrated, and engaging. We promote learning not just in the classroom, but with real world experiences and project-based lessons. The
successful Middle School student isn’t just a student who will succeed in High School, but will succeed inside and outside the classroom and be prepared for life. We can’t wait to work with you all as part of this journey.
- COREY SAMPSON, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR
MIDDLE SCHOOL ACADEMICS
MATH
Aspen Academy fifth through eighth graders grow to love the beauty of mathematics that comes from an inherent sense of how easily they can develop mathematical intuition. Students are taught to look for mathematics everywhere. For example, in athletics classes, items like force, motion and angles are discussed. Singapore Mathematics has produced the highest-performing math students globally. In seventh and eighth grade, students are transitioned to high school level mathematics in algebra and geometry to allow for honors or advanced placement opportunity once the student enters high school.
In addition to our foundational curriculum, Aspen Academy is preparing each and every child to be competent in the realm of financial literacy, self-management and self-sufficiency as well as to be able to understand and manage personal and business finances.
Language Arts
Student choice and ownership are at the forefront of our language arts curriculum. At Aspen Academy, all of our language arts teacher prides themselves on tapping into the personal interests and learning styles of each and every one of their students. The workshop model, which consists of a short, whole-group lesson and extended time for differentiated-partner, small group and individual learning time, allows for each student to reach his or her full potential. Providing choice for both reading and writing creates an authentic learning environment full of passion and excitement in each language arts classroom. These choices provide an opportunity for critical thinking, self-reflection and decision-making unmatched among other programs in the nation.
Social Studies
The world is changing faster than we realize, and preparing our students for a world that is global, dynamic and complex will not look the way it used to. Our Social Studies program doesn’t just teach history; we pride ourselves on an approach of learning about the world through history, geography, economics and civics. We focus on studying our world not just in a textbook and the classroom, but in context so that our students can go out into the world to apply the lessons, critical thinking and passion to the greater society.
Science
After an extensive teacher-led research process, Aspen Academy has adopted the latest, most innovative and relevant standards in the nation. The Next Generation Science Standards are used from grades K-8, making Aspen Academy one of the only schools in the area to use these cutting-edge standards school-wide.
Essentials
Our Essentials Program offers performance-based courses that continue to build leadership, confidence and pride for each student. We realize world language, performing arts, visual arts, technology and fitness, along with the academic content classes, create a space for students to grow and learn in all areas of their school life as well as discover their individual passions and gifts.
INNOVATION & STEAM
Can you imagine a space where kids are coding as young as four years old? A place where they take an ordinary picture they’ve drawn and use technology to make their picture come alive and talk? A space where they have to work as an engineering team to design a new invention? A place where students are taking their 2-D drawings and making them come to life through a 3-D model? You don’t have to imagine any of it as this type of space is a reality for all Aspen Academy students from Pre-K through 8th grade.
Entrepreneurship
In alignment with our purpose of developing extraordinary leaders, our focus on leadership development, character education and service learning are integral parts of life at Aspen Academy. Our students learn that at the very least, they are accountable for leading themselves through our Aspen Youth Leadership Institute (AYLI) and Aspen Entrepreneurial Institute (AEI) programs.
Accreditations
