Junior High (7-9th grade)
The early adolescent years are a time of rapid change when the individual sheds the identity of childhood and begins the transition into adulthood. Our Junior High fosters development of the whole person through academics, creativity, leadership, collaboration, and service.
Why Choose Montessori Junior High School?
The conventional approach to education focuses on knowledge transfer, and the lived experiences of the adolescent are only considered secondarily, if at all. In contrast, secondary Montessori focuses on the whole child. Dr. Montessori observed that adolescents have a proclivity to ask the question “why?” as they make sense of their expanded frame of reference and new experiences.
At CCHS, we offer a caring environment where teens can focus on the important work of becoming well-rounded and empathetic adults. Days are filled with friendship, collaboration, and meaningful service as our students balance academics with real world application. Students work closely with experts in various fields of study as they begin to discover the interests and talents that will inform the direction of their Senior High years.
Because of the exceptional ratio of teachers to students, our Junior High students are given one-on-one attention as they develop organizational tools, critical thinking strategies, and social skills. They learn how to effectively interact with adults and advocate for their interests, goals, and ideas. We place a high level of emphasis on individual development and nurturing the talents of each student.
College Courses Available as Early as 9th Grade
For students who choose the college track, courses can begin as early as 9th grade. Students are eased into the pace and expectations of college course work through a variety of offerings such as Composition I, Entrepreneurship, and Spanish Language and Culture I. Because these courses are taught at CCHS by Montessori faculty, classes are extended over a longer period of time which allows for developmentally appropriate pacing. Our low teacher-to-student ratio enables guides to provide personalized academic and organizational support.
Embracing the Creative Power of the Adolescent
During these years, a healthy questioning of the status quo arises, and if supported constructively, can lead to a sense of self-worth and competence. To support students in this transitional period, our Junior High Program integrates academics with social emotional learning and an honest exploration of the world. CCHS faculty create an educational experience that fosters purpose, vision, and creativity.
Across the curriculum areas, students are challenged to apply their hearts, minds, and hands to solving problems they have identified. This often includes service to others and the local community. In the process, they come to know their own personal power and respect the abilities of others. Through our integrated curriculum, students develop ideas, implement projects, and create products with real-world impact.
“The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn’t need to be reformed — it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardize education, but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.”
Junior High Schedule
Monday-Thursday
7:30 - 8:25 - Arrival, Study Hall
8:30 - 9:00 - Advisory & Morning Meeting
9:05 - 12:00 - Morning Subject Lessons & Work Time
12:00 - 12:40 - Lunch & Recess
12:45 - 2:45 - Mastery Projects, Service, Micro-economies, Electives
2:45 - 3:00 - Jobs (restoring environment)
3:00 - 3:45 - Clubs/Sports/PE
3:45 - 4:00 - Dismissal
Friday
7:30 - 8:25 - Arrival, Study Hall
8:30 - 8:40 - Advisory
8:45 - 9:15 - Community Meeting
9:20 - 12:00 - Art Lessons, Entrepreneurship, Health, Math
12:00 - 12:40 - Lunch & Recess
12:45 - 1:45 - Socratic Seminar
1:45 - 2:45 - Entrepreneurship, Health
2:45 - 3:00 - Jobs (restoring environment)
3:00 - 3:45 - Clubs/Sports/PE
3:45 - 4:00 - Dismissal
The Junior High Curriculum
Open Morning Schedule
Context is critical for deep learning. While students can and do memorize facts in the short term to perform well on standardized assessments, it is contextualized learning that stays with an individual during the course of a lifetime. Guided by our team of instructors, students have the opportunity to focus on cross-disciplinary areas of study through an open morning schedule. This structure allows both instructors and students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts, skills, and disciplines they are working to master.
Cycles of Study
Our Montessori Junior High program divides the academic year into four cycles of study, each lasting approximately nine weeks. Over the course of 7th grade to 9th grade, students experience 12 cycles of study:
Each cycle is given a theme that relates to adolescent development. The theme serves to unify curriculum across the disciplines of study. The cycle theme also offers opportunities for introspection, social learning, and group discussions.
Key Elements of our Junior High Curriculum include:
Regenerative Planetary Studies (RPS)
Regenerative Planetary Studies is a multidisciplinary course which fuses eSTEAM curriculum (Ethics, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) with the design principles and ethics of permaculture. Students are challenged to think critically about how to care for the earth, it’s people, and the future. Blending eco-literacy with hands-on, place-based projects are an integral component to these studies as students learn how to act responsibly as stewards of the planet and design regenerative solutions for today’s environmental and humanitarian challenges.
Electives
Twice every semester, students have the opportunity to choose from a rotating selection of electives that allow for focused skill acquisition and learning. Previous electives have included Speech and Debate, 3D Modeling with SketchUp, Creative Writing, Coding, Student Council and Yearbook, Activist Art, Strength Training, and Video Art. Our Montessori approach encourages students to apply their learning into real-world projects.
Business Program
In a two-course sequence, students move from exploring the basics of entrepreneurship to developing more advanced business strategies and practices. In Entrepreneurship I (8th Grade), students learn to recognize opportunities, design and produce a product, keep basic financial records, and market their work, culminating in selling their product to the school community. In Entrepreneurship II (9th Grade), they take the next step by building a business “brand,” identifying target customers, and gaining familiarity with financing, accounting, and legal considerations. The course concludes with the development of a comprehensive business plan, giving students both the confidence and practical skills to pursue future ventures.
Socratic Seminar
Seminars take place at least once a week in a formal atmosphere that involve the expectation and requirement of close preparation. Seminars are held for each subject on a rotating basis and provide the opportunity to develop the essential skill of dialogue. In a space where there are no right and wrong answers, the participants flow between appreciating each other and their abilities for divergent and convergent thinking. Alongside the careful consideration of the instructional team, students develop capacity and skill for respectful dialogue, active listening, and citing credible sources.
Integral Cosmology (IC)
Integral Cosmology is a multidisciplinary approach towards the humanities. Using the Big History curriculum as its foundation, students trace the arc of existence—from the Big Bang, to the rise of life on Earth, to the increasing complexity of today’s world. Students examine how history, literature, social studies, language, geography, anthropology, and science interconnect to deepen our understanding of the human experience. Empowered to tell new stories that have the power to transform the world, students further hone their skills as storytellers through the written and spoken word, visual arts, digital media, web design, and dramatic arts.
Impact Hour
Each week students have the opportunity for service work in our local community. Students also participate directly in the operations of the school through our micro-economy program. Students operate the school store, grow produce and manage the school CSA program, receive orders and run the school’s printshop, supervise the weight room, among numerous other ventures that enrich the school community and provide real world business experience.
Mastery Projects
Twice a week, our Junior High students work on their Mastery Projects. As students apply themselves towards these projects, they are also directly positioned to acquire some of the foundational skills and evidence necessary to include in their Mastery Transcripts required for high school graduation. As students become more familiar with the process, they become accustomed to the process for developing more skills and evidence for their Mastery Transcripts in their Senior High years while also creating impactful work in the process.
Field Studies
Field Studies are more than just field trips—they are immersive learning journeys that awaken curiosity, build character, and connect students to their world. Each field study is thoughtfully designed to integrate academic rigor, community engagement, environmental stewardship, service, and personal growth. Our instructors also utilize field studies to bring opportunities of valorization to adolescents—a deep sense of self-worth earned through meaningful work and authentic contribution. The interdisciplinary nature of these studies allows students to tie their learning to lived experience.