Middle school students are discovering who they are while their attitudes, emotions, and intellects are developing and changing; they are at an exciting developmental crossroads. At Mortistown-Beard, we offer an incomparable curricular and cocurricular program that addresses and celebrates the developing minds and learning styles of middle school students. Our teachers, who both understand and enjoy this age group, collaborate to make the Middle School experience meaningful and positive.
Last year, 95 percent of our Middle School students, went on to complete their secondary education in our Upper School-a testament to our programs and our warm and respectful community. Significant differences in the quality of facilities between the Middle and Upper Schools, however, make it difficult to convince prospective students and parents to look beyond the small classrooms, lack of light, and poor circulation in our Middle School as it stands today.
A new and improved Middle School will not only encourage students to start in sixth grade and attend for all seven years, it will also attract a surge of interest and increase the number of applications (as we saw when Beard Hall was renovated). We will be able to fulfill our goal of increasing the size of the Middle School student body, thus ensuring the school's future fiscal viability and making it possible to offer a wider array of athletic and extracurricular activities.
A new, fully contained Middle School will also reinvigorate our program in ways we can only begin to imagine. Teachers hungry to team teach will be able to incorporate interdisciplinary lessons into their students' days. Larger rooms will allow for flexibility and creativity as we bring different classes together. With generous support from those who believe in moving Morristown-Beard School Ahead with Confidence, we are building a Middle School that mirrors the quality of the program and the people who dedicate themselves to helping middle schoolers reach their ultimate potential.
