Welcome to Middle School

As a team founded upon highly caring, committed, and qualified educators, we work hard to provide a rigorous and engaging academic program within the framework of holistic excellence. We are focused on providing a highly positive experience that develops the individual while preparing them for the challenges and opportunities that await them in the future. Our middle school is a safe, nurturing, and caring community where all students have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive while determining their individual paths in life.

Noah Bohnen, Principal | Karisti Cormier, Associate Principal

 

CURRICULUM

The basic curriculum for all middle school students includes English language, science, mathematics, and social studies. In addition, classes in art, music (either instrumental or vocal), physical and health education, technology, theatre arts, electives, and advisory are required of all students. Russian, French, or Spanish is also a required as a world language course, except for students enrolled as beginners in our English as an Additional Language (EAL) program. We follow the Common Core State Standards for mathematics and language arts curriculum. Our curricular approach emphasizes inquiry and concepts not simply content and passive learning.

The traditional subjects of English and Social Studies are combined into one course, "Humanities," which forms one of the major building blocks of the student’s schedule. In this class, broad areas of inquiry in the subjects of history, economics, sociology and geography often form the basis for continued study and improvement of the traditional areas of Language Arts: reading and literature, writing, and public speaking.

As an international community in line with current educational thought, we strive to provide an education that combines the acquisition of relevant skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values. This philosophy is reflected in our AAS Standards and Benchmarks. Please visit our Learning at AAS page for a full description of our academic standards in all subjects and grades.

 

Electives

Inherent in all good middle schools are opportunities for students to explore and to have an opportunity for choice based on their interests. Electives have strong co-curricular connections to social sciences, language arts, math, science, technology, the arts, and physical education. During any given quarter, a student will have approximately five electives from which to choose. 

GRADE 6 ELECTIVES  GRADE 7 ELECTIVES  GRADE 8 ELECTIVES

Advisory Program

Abundant practice and research studies clearly show that when students are known well by other students and by caring adults in their school, they will have better behavior, care more about others, and have a more positive attitude about their school. In addition, their achievement will increase. Therefore, AAS embraces advisory as a place where all students can both learn to form their own opinions in a safe, nurturing environment and allow another caring adult into their lives.

Advisors serve as the students’ advocate and guide throughout the year, maintaining good channels of communication between the school and home and attending all meetings related to their advisees’ academic or disciplinary issues. Advisors closely monitor each student’s academic and social progress by attending grade level meetings, reviewing reports, talking with an advisee’s teachers, and conducting one-on-one conferences with each student. In this way, advisors can facilitate a positive, productive relationship with their advisees.

Whereas parents should always contact specific classroom teachers regarding classroom issues, they are asked to contact the advisor instead when they have concerns connected to a student’s general progress or have general questions regarding the Middle School.

What is Advisory?

Every student is assigned to an advisory that has one advisor and 9 to 11 students, and meets for 30 minutes, four days per week. The program is structured around four rotating themes - Academic, Career, Personal/Social Development, and Global Perspective Development - that guide advisors in their monthly group planning to create engaging grade-level activities and discussions. The essence of an ideal advisory is responsible judgment and decision-making by students who feel they can safely and candidly discuss issues important to their welfare. 

This year at AAS, the Middle School advisory will address the following content:

Grade 6

  Grade 6 ("Me")
I. Academic Development
  1. Orientation
  2. Organization & time management
  3. Problem-solving & goal setting
II. Career (Life/Work Skill) Development
  1. Idea of work and deadlines
  2. Helping oneself succeed
III. Personal/Social Development
  1. What happens to me?
  2. What happens to others?
  3. Being a good friend
  4. Coping with stress and anxiety
IV. Global Perspective Development
  1. Culture—What is it & how does it influence me?
  2. Being a good person and citizen
  3. Transitions

Grade 7

  Grade 7 ("We")
I. Academic Development
  1. Time management
  2. Multiple intelligences tied to education
  3. Problem-solving & goal setting
II. Career (Life/Work Skill) Development
  1. Cooperation & work skills
  2. Leadership
III. Personal/Social Development
  1. Listening
  2. Recognizing differences
  3. Responsibility to others
  4. Coping skills
IV. Global Perspective Development
  1. Culture—Host country & how does it it impact us?
  2. Conflict resolution
  3. Transitions

Grade 8

  Grade 8 ("What Now?")
I. Academic Development
  1. Study skills review (builds from class content)
  2. Problem-solving & goal setting
II. Career (Life/Work Skill) Development
  1. Career unit
III. Personal/Social Development
  1. Peer pressure
  2. Refusal skills
  3. Coping skills
IV. Global Perspective Development
  1. Culture—what now & why?
  2. Transitions

Discovery Week

Discovery Week is an integral part of our school program that offers enhanced educational experiences for all students. It is a week-long experience in September for Grades 7 and 8 and June for Grade 6.

The trips are designed so students will:

  • Gain greater understanding of various regions of Russia. Through the trips, students learn about and appreciate the geography, history, people and customs of Russia.

  • Become closer and supportive of one another. By traveling together for five/six days, students get to know one another well, make new friends and learn skills in dealing effectively with others in a group.

  • Grow in self-awareness, self-confidence & independence. By traveling in a group, away from home and without parents, students will get to know themselves better, gain confidence through new experiences, and make decisions that increase their sense of self-reliance and independence.

  • Appreciate each other and their teachers in new ways. Through the common experiences of traveling, eating, and living together for five/six days, students and teachers will experience each other in new ways not possible in the classroom. These new experiences will provide an opportunity for students and teachers to build a positive and constructive foundation for interaction for the rest of the school year and future school years.

Learn More About Discovery Week

Personal and Social Emotional Counseling

At AAS, the counselors support the transition into, through, and out of middle school, including adjustment to Moscow and the AAS community. The counselors seek to:

  • Facilitate problem solving and communication among all members of the school community including students, teachers, parents and administrators.
  • Support students and families with immediate social-emotional issues.
  • Make referrals to outside support services where necessary.

list of outside counseling resources

 

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