On January 19^th 2016, STEM³ Academy will open its doors to a middle school on the same campus that houses the high school. This expansion of the school to include grades 6 through 8 is in response to the early success of the high school, the intense interest from parents and the community, but also provides tremendous opportunity.

First, having a middle school and high school under the same umbrella will allow the rationalization of the entire curriculum, from grades 6 through 12, thereby enabling students to take advanced and preparatory classes in middle school to better prepare them for high school and beyond. We will offer Spanish in middle school, as well as computer programming and robotics, the elements of design and creativity, hands-on experimentation in the sciences, as well as rigorous classes in all of the required subjects such as mathematics, English Language Arts and the social sciences. By enriching the middle school curriculum in this way, students have the ability to take classes in middle school that they often only have the opportunity to take in high school. This opens up their high school experience to taking more electives across a broader range of subjects, thereby increasing their ability to explore interests and passions in depth.

There are other advantages too, to rationalizing the middle school and high school curricula in this way. Unless students take Algebra in middle school, something we will offer, they’re generally unable to get to Calculus in high school—the prerequisites are too many to accomplish in 4 years of high school. Yet another reason is that computer programming is fast becoming an essential part of a high school education, and an essential skill in the workplace. Having a student learn a programming language in middle school (and we would argue that programming should begin in elementary school!) enables them to learn a second or third language in high school, and so be better prepared to meet the skill requirements of the workplace, and also use those skills in many other areas of interest that demand them.

The expansion of STEM³ Academy to include a middle school is cause for celebration. For far too long those with special needs have been viewed as less capable, and so have not been offered rigorous and challenging classes in an environment which supports their particular interests and needs. On the contrary, we view our students as immensely capable, possessing rich natural skills that require fertile ground to flourish and thrive. STEM³ Academy is such a place. It is time!