Middle School

We view the 6th grade year as the meaningful culmination of a child’s Montessori elementary education at MAC. It is the critical capstone year, during which the students are the oldest and most mature in the Upper Elementary program. This position gives them the opportunity to share knowledge and experience with the younger students while building confidence and leadership skills, which is particularly important as they prepare to enter adolescence. It is for these reasons that we require current MAC students to complete the 6th grade year at MAC in the Upper Elementary Classroom, as we believe in its importance to meaningfully conclude their elementary experience. Incoming students who have more than 2 years experience of Montessori education, particularly students who have experience in a Montessori Elementary classroom consecutively and are prepared for a capstone year would be placed in the Upper Elementary class to complete their capstone year.

Uniforms are not required for middle grade students. Clothing can be a form of self expression and students are expected to wear clothes that they feel safe and ready to learn in. If a situation arises when an adult feels as though certain attire does not align with our school values or does not allow a student to fully engage classroom activities we reserve the right to ask them to change.

Children have the innate ability to guide their own learning and construct knowledge for themselves. This process works best when students have trusting relationships with their teachers, and what we call “voice and choice” in their learning. Students' questions and curiosities drive their own learning under the guidance and direction of the MAC Middle Teachers.

K-8 schools are noted for providing academic and social benefits to students. Research from the American Education Research Journal found that students who attended a K-8 school are more comfortable, feel safer, and ultimately perform better academically than their counterparts at traditional middle or 6-12 schools. This is partly due to the continuity that K-8 schools offer to students at the critical development period of early adolescence. Their connection to the familiar and the fact that they are known both personally and academically provide security and predictability during a time of rapid physical and emotional changes.

The traditional Montessori Secondary program responds to the adolescent's need to exhibit creativity, problem solve, take responsibility, and claim independence. The MAC Middle program supports these same needs with a teaching team that has deep, foundational experience in the Montessori method. The program expands on the traditional Montessori experience by utilizing a multi-pedagogical approach to each individual unit and child, combining elements of purpose-based and place-based pedagogies to guide students toward successful academic and social-emotional outcomes.

Our curriculum aligns with the common core standards, allowing for exploration of unique units of study that match individual student interests. Learning includes thesis writing, advanced science and math, language and historical events, in addition to art history, community engagement, service work, entrepreneur and business opportunities. While teachers gather materials and create scope and sequences that reflect national standards, student reflections, thoughts and ideas create the topics for future units.

In addition to the use of the PSAT 8/9 at the end of the 8th grade year (math, literacy, writing and language), MAC uses progress monitoring and responsive assessments to track data and support growth. In advisory, these tools will be monitored by the students in order to provide ownership and reflection of goals. MAC also uses MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) assessments which are computer adaptive achievement tests in Mathematics, Languages Usage, Reading and Science to assist in making informed decisions to promote students' academic growth.

MAC Middle is a 9-month program running from the end of August 2023 through the end of May 2024.

The physical location of the school is at 2500 Curtis Street, Denver, CO 80205; with lessons taking place at MAC’s second campus location in Curtis Park at its Stout Building at 816-818 25th Street as well as various locations in the city of Denver according to curricular needs, as aligned with the place-based learning model of the school.

Students spend their 8th grade year preparing for entrance to high school. Our teachers coach them along the way and use this guide to help families prepare.