By Susan Payne
Great minds grow at The Willows Community School in Los Angeles.
The co-educational independent school is nationally recognized as a balanced, progressive educational leader. For students in the Middle School Program, grades six through eight, academics, identity formation, relationship building and social emotional learning is the essence of high school preparation.
“In the Middle School Program, we emphasize high school readiness and create a clear scope and sequence around different academic subjects. Students have agency and autonomy in the way they demonstrate understanding, utilizing project-based learning skills learned in previous years to bolster their confidence and abilities in the next sequence of their lives,” said Steve Futterman, The Willows’ director of admissions.
The Willows’ challenging academic program is complemented by an exemplary performing and fine arts curriculum, a full range of athletic teams, a rich and thoughtful social emotional learning and life skills curriculum and extracurricular activities. For middle school students, creativity is not restricted to the arts but fostered in every discipline as an essential tool for learning and development. The middle school offers a range of electives like debate and robotics.
“Students have the opportunity to try new things which reflects the leadership opportunities we try to create for our students. If they have a particular interest, we allow them to submit proposals for electives they may be interested in. Whether it’s Mandarin or fashion design, we help them develop a growth mindset,” Futterman said.
IDENTITY FORMATION
The goals of The Willows’ Middle School program are to foster cognition through an intellectually challenging, relevant academic program, strengthen organizational and study skills that enable students to approach academic task with independence and success and to equip students with the foundational skills needed to formulate questions, develop strategies, find solutions, listen critically, communicate clearly and work collaboratively.
Teachers also encourage, nurture and challenge students to challenge themselves and discover and develop their passions during these highly impactful, formative years. In this balanced yet academically challenging and creative environment, students are encouraged to form identities, lead and make a difference in the world around them.
“We recognize that middle school can be a tricky yet exciting time developmentally for students. We strive to be the place where students feel their identity formation is happening without outside influences and want to create a space where students feel safe to explore things that may interest them,” Futterman said.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Connections are vital during middle school, whether it’s showing leadership and mentorship to students in younger grades, collaborating with classmates, or building relationships with teachers who encourage and support growth.
“Sixth, seventh and eighth graders share some classes outside of their grade levels and are comfortable advocating for themselves and working closely with teachers. As they prepare for high school, they are learning vital skills that will help them form relationships and become leaders in high school and beyond,” Futterman said.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
The Willows’ commitment to social emotional learning dates back nearly a decade upon adoption of the RULER approach, developed by the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.
Representing the five skills of emotional intelligence, R stands for recognizing emotions in oneself and others, U stands for understanding the causes and consequences of emotions, L stands for labeling emotions with a nuanced vocabulary, E stands for expressing emotions in accordance with cultural norms and social context and R stands for regulating emotions with helpful strategies.
This approach allows The Willows’ Middle School Program students to be diligent, empathetic and confident while shining, spreading their wings and taking risks. To learn more about The Willows and its Middle School Program, visit TheWillows.org to set up a tour or information session.
