Middle School FAQs

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.

MAC Middle will have two Co-Lead Teachers in the 2022-2023 school year, Shawn Bona and Gabby Seligman. Shawn has a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, and a Masters of Montessori Education from Loyola. He has been at MAC since 2014, where he has served the Primary, After School and Lower Elementary communities. Gabby has a BA in History and Psychology from Clark University and a Masters in Education from Boston University. Gabby’s experience includes developing a thoughtful and immersive 6th grade curriculum at a project-based middle school. Alicia FaJohn will serve as the Middle School Program Director. Alicia joined MAC in 2020 as Assistant Head of School and has overseen programmatic quality at MAC in the Nido, Toddler, Primary, and Elementary communities.  Her background includes serving as an elementary principal and teacher in the Denver Public School system. She has a BA in Human Development from Metropolitan State University of Denver and a MA in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at The University of Denver.

No, but the students will work to build a dress code alongside their teachers and administration.

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. We work with each child to develop a personalized learning plan.

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 Lead Teachers design curriculum that aligns with the common core standards, allowing for exploration of unique units of study that match individual student interests. Learning will include thesis writing, advanced science and math, language and historical events, in addition to art history, community engagement, service work, entrepreneur and business opportunities.

In addition to the use of the 8/9 PSAT at the 8th grade year (math, literacy, writing and language), MAC will use 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.