Our Middle School Program
Plymouth Canton Montessori School (PCMS) has offered grades 7 and 8 since 1996. All of our graduates move on to rigorous high schools, often being recruited for their academic achievements and character.
The school is actively pursuing accreditation through the International Montessori Council (IMC).
We offer a Montessori Middle School program that consists of experiences both in the classroom and outside that support students in developing greater self-awareness and engagement with a complex world.
The program also provides a wide range of experiential learning opportunities interwoven throughout the curriculum to respond to the developmental needs of adolescents, including orientation trips, internships, drama immersions, and research trips.
PCMS prepares students for life in the 21st Century by incorporating Montessori’s educational philosophy, focusing on the activities of practical life, wellness education, and honoring the distinct needs of each adolescent.
The core of our program is Montessori, which consists of ‘integrated academic components’ in three overarching areas: Self-Expression, Emotional Development, and Preparation for Adult Life. Within these recognized areas, the middle school program offers students rigorous coursework in a variety of academic subjects, including experiential learning and in-the-field experiences; a range of seminars and collaborative learning projects; training in organization and personal responsibility; and an internship week, which has proven very successful over the years. Because of the level of commitment and independent self-directedness required of our PCMS students, applicants should play an active role in deciding whether to apply.
PCMS recognizes the importance of travel opportunities to broaden student perspectives and engage with different ideas and ideologies. In addition, our dedication to the development of the whole human being emphasizes community meetings and adherence to Montessori rules of grace and courtesy, which govern and inform all interactions on campus.
Education is not only gained from books and through coursework. As Montessori defined it, education is ‘an intellectual and moral process that renders individuals capable of making their own way in life.’
“Only practical work and experience lead the young to maturity.”
—Maria Montessori
Students are intensely aware of themselves during early adolescence, between the ages of roughly 12-14. The world of an early adolescent revolves around identity, self-expression, and peer social relations. They are making a gradual move from a concrete to a more abstract understanding of the world. Early adolescents seek meaningful, challenging work and have a great need to belong.
The First Cycle of the Middle School Program fosters a safe and participatory community where students are encouraged to try on the roles of historian, artist, cook, author, researcher, scientist, athlete, naturalist, mathematician, and global citizen throughout the curriculum. Students take integrated, multi-age classes each year in science, math, history, English, Spanish, art, physical education, and practical life that parallel current traditional standards for academic coursework and set the foundation for Second Cycle, high school level work.
The multi-age classes support cooperative peer learning and positive role modeling. Classes tend to be small, with a high level of student-teacher interaction and student choice. Coursework across the curriculum includes research, projects, presentations, discussions, writing, and reading using a wide variety of experiential activities. Students are expected to demonstrate thoughtful work across the curriculum.
The first year of the cycle for 7th-grade students serves as a bridge to the academic and social challenges of their upcoming high school experience. By the end of the 8th grade, students should have achieved a solid educational foundation for high school work and a healthy sense of self, leadership, and community responsibility.
The course of studies encompasses both Montessori standards and exceeds those of the State of Michigan.
