Middle School Terms

Terms Used in Middle School

Team

refers to a team of teachers representing the four core areas of instruction who share the responsibility for planning the instructional program for a group of students. Each of Mt. Abe’s crews includes a social studies, literacy, and science teacher.

Teacher Advisory (TA)

refers to the 15 minute program held at the beginning of each school day. Every student needs to be well known by at least one adult in the school. Young adolescents need someone whom they can count upon to be regularly available, to monitor their progress, support, and advocate as necessary for their learning.

Art /PE / Health and Electives

refers to the period in which the student cycles through visual art, and health and PE. Seventh graders are required to take Art and Health for one semester each. Eighth graders are required to take one semester of health, and then can choose one elective to take for each semester. The class of 2024 could choose Art/Design, Introduction to Language, Chorus, or French 1, Latin 1 or Spanish 1, which are integrated with the high school. All students in middle school have PE every other day.

FIT Block

From 11:04 to 11:59, FIT block for the middle school is a time for meeting with teachers, extending work, remediation work, Personalized Learning Plans, and band and chorus for seventh graders, PE choice for eighth graders. Students meet with their advisories during Monday FIT and schedule themselves for the week's FIT blocks. Teachers can request students for FIT block and students can request to see a teacher.

Common Planning Time

refers to the daily meeting held with all the team teachers present. They use this time to plan interdisciplinary units, evaluate student performances, create common assessments, and collaborate to improve student learning.

Middle School Challenge

Eighth Grade students have the opportunity to explore an area of their own interests through the structure of independent study with guidance from a faculty advisor as well as a community mentor. Started in February of 2019.