Middle School Curriculum

The Cooper School is acutely aware of the rapid and intense intellectual, social, and emotional changes that define this unique stage of early adolescence. During the middle school years, the human brain undergoes significant development, matched only by the first three years of life. Our students find themselves on a delicate tightrope, balancing between childhood and adulthood – These middle years bring a range of characteristics, from self-consciousness and apprehension to impulsiveness and erratic behavior, all alongside a host of positive traits like creativity, courage, opinion, fearlessness, and humor. As tweens and young teens seek independence from their parents while relying more on their peers, they continue to yearn for nurturing from key adults.

In response to the unique needs of middle years students, our Middle School offers a thoughtful, engaged, and developmentally appropriate educational environment.

Recognizing the importance of smaller, more flexible schools and individualized attention and guidance from teachers, our K-8 school model provides the ideal combination of close, sustained contact and support and opportunities for independence, individualization, accountability, and self-reliance. This approach aligns seamlessly with the recommendations of educational studies for this dynamic age group.

Our middle school program goes beyond academics to harness the full potential of adolescents, offering a rigorous, research-based curriculum while emphasizing social-emotional skills essential for tweens and teens. We aim to nurture confident communicators, accomplished thinkers, empathetic friends and partners, adaptable learners, and creative leaders.

We prepare our graduates to enrich their future environments with their unique gifts, equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in this transformative stage of life and beyond.