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Junior High Program
GRADES 7/8
Education is the natural process carried out by the human individual and is acquired not just by listening to words, but also by experiences in the environment.
– Maria Montessori
West Wind Junior High
West Wind Junior High (WWJH) is a two-year model that prepares students for success in high school and real life experience. Inspired by the classic adolescent Montessori model, our program provides an integrated, experience-based curriculum intended to stimulate students’ minds. Although drawing on many different educational experiences, the program also covers the key expectations of the Ontario Government Curriculum Outline for grade seven and eight.
At West Wind Junior High, our mission is to empower all students to become responsible, productive and caring citizens with a sense of social justice in an ever-changing global society. Together, staff, students, parents and community members will create, foster and support a positive learning environment that will meet the diverse needs of every student. We will establish high expectations for all students and we will provide them with the differentiated instruction, guidance and resources necessary for them to achieve these goals.
We recognize the uniqueness of this age group and the individuality of each Junior High student. The learning experiences provided in this school are relevant to present and future needs of all students.
How our Program Differs:
- Individualized and enriched curriculum
- Small class community, creating positive and productive relationships with peers and teachers
- Focus on critical thinking skills and project management
- Hands-on learning and trips
- Student accountability and building resiliency skills
The things we have to learn before we do them, we learn by doing them.
– Aristotle
Curriculum
WWJH is a unique combination of Montessori philosophy and curriculum optimizing preparation for traditional High School environments. As an academically rigorous program, students are challenged through authentic, purposeful work projects.
Our curriculum is set using scientific research and time-tested Montessori curriculum, allowing students to access:
- Interdisciplinary units
- A focus on action skills (conflict resolution, project planning, research skills, public speaking, paper writing, project development and management)
- Mix of independent and collaborative work
- French
- Art
- Physical Education
- Music
Our program aims to provide authentic, purposeful work that engages the mind and body.
We offer several experience-based opportunities in addition to leading the school community, such as Expedition Education trips across Canada, Montessori Model United Nations, Fall Bonding Trips, and Great Lakes & Canadian Heritage River Studies.
Environmental and peace education are emphasized in every aspect of our curriculum and remain the strongest themes in our program. Our hope is to empower our youth with the knowledge that they can make a difference in the world. This confidence is one of the most tangible and lasting benefits of their time at WWJH.
Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN)
Inspiring Youth to Create a Better World
As part of the Junior High programs, students participate in a session study of the United Nations, primarily working within the geography, history and language curriculum. All Level 7 & 8 students are involved in this work and have the opportunity to attend the conference in NYC in February.
The MMUN experience at the Junior High level is important due to their plane of development and how they approach the work. The adolescent is in the “social embryo” stage, meaning one is much more attuned to the problems of society. The student has been studying society not so much as to the “what” as to the “why” and the “how”. At this point the student no longer gathers facts for adulthood, the adolescent is much more aware than the elementary student in terms of social justice. The elementary student is aware of fairness from a personal perspective. The adolescent is becoming aware of fairness from a social perspective, and the MMUN project allows students to research, study, interpret, and eventually role-play that social perspective from the viewpoints of other world citizens into a better understanding of human society.
Academic Benefits:
In the classroom as well as in the course of the conference, students also have the opportunity to gain experience with:
- Research skills
- Time-management skills
- World affairs and issues
- Partnership among countries
- Debating and negotiating
- Showing tolerance for other cultures
- Leadership forums
- Written communication in a variety of format
- Public speaking
- Real-world applications of classroom material
- Interactions with students of different cultures and countries
- Role-playing situations
- Projects using creative outlets
- Empathy concerning the plight of the world’s citizen
For further information, please click on the link below
Montessori-mun.org