Philosophy & Mission

Preamble

The responsibilities of educating students in the middle grades (5-8) are widely acknowledged as unique, distinct, and different from the education of elementary and secondary students. Therefore, as the seventh and eighth grade teachers at Mt. Abraham Union High School, we believe that it is important that we profess the beliefs and values that guide our professional work. This statement is to be a living document, one that will be used to design our programs and used to share with students, parents, and other community members, the philosophy upon which our educational procedures and personal commitments are based.

Intellectual and Academic Growth

  1. Because our students are experiencing varying rates of change that affect their interests and rates of learning, we must afford them a variety of learning situations and experiences that will cultivate their own special interests, aptitudes, and talents.
  2. Because our students must be able to communicate effectively, we must afford them the opportunity to develop their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and visual and performing arts abilities.
  3. Because our students must be able to solve a variety of problems, we must afford them the opportunities to determine facts, weigh evidence, perform computations, interpret information, and draw conclusions.
  4. Because our students are becoming independent decision makers, we must teach them how to be more accountable and afford them the opportunities to develop accountability for their educational progress and performance.
  5. Because academic achievement is essential and occurs on many different levels, we must establish an atmosphere that promotes success and academic excellence.

Personal Growth

1. Because the cornerstone of our students’ adult self-concept results from the change occurring during their adolescent years, we must afford them the opportunities to:

a. Gain an understanding of the physical and psychological changes they and their classmates are experiencing

b. Explore and develop their emerging identities within the communities of which they are a part

c. Interact meaningfully with the “adult world”

d. Learn to become successful learners


2. Because our students are in the midst of forming their own moral and ethical value systems, we must afford them the opportunities to:

a. Participate in ongoing discussion of personal/social issues in their lives

b. Develop personal positions based on the study of ethical and moral issues

c. Make responsible decisions and understand the consequences of those decisions

d. Be constructive citizens and actively participate in the governance of their school


3. Because our students’ worlds are full of the influences of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and sexual pressures, we must afford them the opportunities to learn facts regarding these influences which will enable them to make knowledgeable decisions.