Middle School Academics
NEW Middle School Program
We are excited to announce that New Roots will be expanding to offer instruction in grades 6-8 in the 2025-26 school year!
Our middle school program will be inspired by the philosophy and practice of the international Montessori movement. Designed to meet the unique developmental needs of early adolescence, our program will feature a rich interdisciplinary curriculum rooted in education for a sustainable future standards and personalized, real-world learning experiences in the wider community and natural spaces.
All learning experiences will support the development of the core academic and social skills and knowledge needed to succeed at life’s many endeavors in a rapidly-changing and increasingly unpredictable world, laying the groundwork for success in high school and providing optimal preparation for college and career.
In 2025-26 we will begin with 25-30 students organized into two classroom groups. We will devote a separate wing of the Clinton House with its own entrance to the middle school program. Interaction between middle school and high school students will be thoughtfully planned and facilitated by staff. Based on expressed demand, we anticipate that the program will expand in year 2.
Multi-age classrooms allow students to master the core curriculum for their grade level at their own pace, spending more time when needed and accelerating as they demonstrate mastery. Click this link to learn more about our curriculum.
Our Farm to School lunch program features vegetables and berries from our school farm, and is free for all students and staff! Our Farm to School program is at the heart of learning the relationship between personal, ecological, and community wellbeing.
A key feature of our program will be regular fieldwork, service projects, and other community engagement activities. We anticipate that our middle school students will participate in these activities weekly.
Students who are chronologically in grade 8 will have the opportunity to take high school classes that they have demonstrated readiness for. We anticipate that these will include Algebra I, Earth Systems Science, and Spanish I.
For more information about how you can learn more about our middle school program, please contact Michael Mazza, Director of Community Engagement, at mmazza@newrootsschool.org
With Gratitude,
Tina Nilsen-Hodges
Founder & School Leader
Program and Curriculum Highlights and Why They Matter
- Our cross-disciplinary, experience-based curriculum teaches the complex network of human and natural systems, laying the foundation for visionary thinking and innovative, hands-on solutions for a sustainable future.
- On our “extended campus” of Ithaca’s urban spaces and its surrounding farms and natural lands, students apply academic learning to projects that meet community needs, such as restoring wetlands, doing climate-related research, bringing solar panels to low-income neighborhoods, and creating small green business enterprises.
- Redefining “community service,” our budding social entrepreneurs learn the impact of their contributions to a more sustainable and healthy future for all. Relevant, real-world learning opens up a world of new possibilities.
Working in teams to create real solutions, students develop interpersonal skills that are essential to success in college and the contemporary workplace.
Entrepreneurialism
New Roots Students Learn Entrepreneurial Thinking
In our rapidly-changing economy, entrepreneurial thinkers have an advantage. New Roots curriculum is designed to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs. Creating a dream job or managing a new enterprise is sustainable with critical thinking, interpersonal communication, problem-solving and organizational skills.
Thinking Outside the Box
New Roots students are encouraged to recognize emerging opportunities, be critical thinkers, and work with others in the community to create sustainable solutions. They gain confidence by experiencing the value of their contribution to the community.
Learning expeditions and interdisciplinary courses focused on community-based learning, empower students with real-world application of knowledge and authentic opportunities to contribute. Experiential learning and internships reinforce these innovative education practices.
Crew!
Every student is part of the “crew” that contributes to making New Roots Charter School a unique and dynamic learning environment in which all people are valued contributors.
"We are crew, not passengers"
Crews meet weekly with a faculty mentor to contribute to school governance and engage in service learning. In crew, students learn teamwork and consensus-based decision-making skills, consciously building community across the divides of gender, age, race, and class. The faculty mentor monitors each student’s academic progress and serves as the liaison between school and home.
Most importantly, crew creates social connections across the lines of difference that often divide people, weaving the fabric of our inclusive school culture that celebrates each individual’s unique contribution to the whole. This not only supports the well-being of people in our community, it gives our students a deciding edge in college and the workplace.