Joy in Learning

At the newest middle school in Durham Public Schools, the teachers and the program will encourage students to experience joy in learning.  That is one of the descriptors used by the American Montessori Society for secondary school programs.  The newest and smallest DPS middle school, the Montessori Middle School, is unique in that it will operate at Watts Elementary School for sixth-graders in 2010-11 and then will open in the newly renovated Lakewood YMCA in 2011-12. 

The new school continues the DPS Montessori experience that students currently have at Watts and Morehead Montessori Elementary Schools, two magnet schools, along with space for a limited number of additional students. 

Instruction is individualized, with students actively involved in purposeful learning.  Curriculum areas include: social sciences, science, geography, language arts, second language and grammar, mathematics, practical management, and fine arts. Students will learn through discovery, including having their own garden at the school and participating in community service projects. 

Montessori principles for students feature:

• Large blocks of uninterrupted work time
• A variety of work options
• Cooperative groups and peer teaching
• Community building and student leadership
• Multi-age grouping
• Integration of disciplines
• Creation and care of the environment