Meeting the Needs of the Emerging Adolescent
How We Make A Difference
Everyday 770 rapidly changing 10-14 year olds enrolled at Berkley Normal Middle School are making critical and complex life choices.
They are forming attitudes, values and habits of life that will direct their behaviour as adults.
Our Middle School is therefore here to enhance the healthy growth of our young adolescents as lifetime learners who are increasingly competent, self-sufficient young people who are optimistic about their future.
Our middle school environment was specifically created to meet the unique needs of emerging adolescents.
We address these needs in the following ways:
- A strong homeroom system where students spend the majority of their day with one teacher.
- A strong emphasis on the teaching of academic subjects by the homeroom teacher.
- Specialist teaching in Science, Technology, the Arts (visual and performing), Physical Education, Media and Second Language Learning.
- High quality teaching - supported by an intensive research based professional learning programme.
- Regular goal setting and reporting to parents culminating in a full written report at the end of the year.
- Provision of a safe, positive learning environment.
- A two year learning journey alongside a homeroom teacher that allows students to develop high quality one to one relationships.
- Classes carefully constructed to match students with teachers, and students with students.
- Extensive education outside the classroom experiences.
- Regular access to computers and digital devices as a tool for learning.
- An opportunity to develop healthy competition between peers within and across schools.
- A strong promotions programme which provides students with extensive opportunities to engage in actively supervised sporting, cultural and technological activities during break time.
- A rich and diverse programme of engagement in the Performing Arts including opportunities to perform to audiences.
