Middle
Middle
It is the intent of JRA middle school teachers to provide a safe, educationally sound environment which provides students with the opportunity to be successful. Every attempt is made to meet the needs of our middle school students during their
adolescence.The middle school, encompassing grades six, seven, and eight, was established as a separate program during the 1987-1988 school year. Curriculum consists of daily instruction in language arts, social studies, mathematics, science, music, and health/physical education. Spanish class is taught four days per week for forty-five minutes per day. There are four core academic teachers for the middle school area, along with five enrichment teachers. Students attend classes from 8:30 AM to 3:45 PM each day. Homeroom periods are from 8:00 - 8:30 AM and 3:45 - 4:00 PM each day.As classroom teachers as well as administrators, the principal and assistant principal have immediate knowledge of the issues, concerns, and curriculum expectations facing their middle school teaching peers. Consequently, the communication between the administration and the middle school faculty benefits from close proximity and shared experiences. The faculty receives an ample amount of creative and academic freedom from the administration to work within the framework of the school's philosophy.In addition to middle school teaching duties, the social studies and math teachers instruct intermediate level classes. The social studies and math teachers also supervise homeroom daily. There are two times daily that the language arts and social studies teachers are able to offer learning support for students who need extra help, acceleration, or make-up in any subject.Basic skills classes are currently housed in Buildings II and III.
The middle school curriculum complies with the Sunshine State Standards. The faculty and administration recognizes the fact that many of the students will move into the public high schools upon graduation from Julie Rohr Academy. The math curriculum includes a traditional sixth grade mathematics program, pre-algebra in seventh grade, and algebra in eighth grade. JRA requires that the students electing to apply to the International Baccalaureate Program earn an "A" in algebra for the year and score a minimum of 90% on the final exam to receive high school credit for algebra. Students not seeking high school algebra credit do the same coursework with the intent to repeat in ninth grade. The Spanish curriculum is a grammar-based course so that a Spanish I credit could be issued. The social studies curriculum includes world history, world geography, and American history. Maps, globes, and atlases are incorporated into the program at all levels. Language arts classes include literature, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. The students maintain a portfolio of written work. An activity and process-oriented approach is used in the science curriculum. Students are exposed to foundational material in life science, earth/space science, and physical science. In all of these area, the emphasis is on laying a foundation for high school courses.Recognition is given to the developmental needs of the students as well as academic needs. The Middle School Student government sponsors social and community service projects in which students participate. This extends the students' responsibilities beyond the classroom and helps in the development of the total person.The small class sizes of the middle school greatly facilitates learning and aids in the implementation and integration of our philosophy of meeting students' needs. The student to teacher ratio in the middle school averages 14 to 1. Small class sizesfacilitate a close relationship between teachers and students. This allows teachers to effectively focus on each child's educational and developmental needs. Remedial or accelerated work may be administered when deemed necessary. Each middle school teacher is available for learning support twice a day.When behavior problems occur with students, our philosophy and flexibility allow for several options. Close personal contact with parents is encouraged by the administration and is pursued by staff. Staffing at the middle school level allows for a complete assessment of the student. Comprehensive behavior plans can be made at that time to affect changes in the student's behavior.Small class size, a strong curriculum and administrative support are the assets of the middle school entity. Prompt and thorough consideration is given to the individual needs of students which adds to the overall family atmosphere of this division of Julie Rohr Academy.

