Academics

Students at Monhagen engage in core Humanities and STEM courses in each grade level.  Each course has a challenging curriculum that provides students the opportunity to explore a variety of topics in Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and English. 

Seventh grade students have opportunities to begin their understanding of Financial Literacy and Civics, as well as completing the introductory level technology class.  Other courses of study for our 7th Grade Scholar include Health and Art classes. 
 

Scholars in their culminating year at Monhagen, will experience Spanish or French as a first year language class.  Our scholars will engage in Pre-Engineering as a launch pad to their future Computer Science courses they will have in the High School.

If a scholar has an academic strength in a particular area, has shown evidence of achievement, and demonstrates a high level of academic responsibility, they may qualify for advanced classes while at Monhagen.

Our Advanced 6th grade scholars participate in Enriched Mathematics and Enriched English.  TScholars are selected for these courses based on multiple measures of information about the scholar, including teacher recommendation, grades, assessment levels (both local and state) and academic responsibility characteristics.  

Seventh grade scholars may qualify for accelerated classes, based on recommendations and achievement levels in grade 6.  Our Accelerated classes include English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.  

Scholars at our 8th Grade level will have had the opportunity to qualify for a variety of high school courses to take during their 8th grade year.  English 9, Global 9, Algebra, Living Environment, and Computer Science Essentials, if they have demonstrated a high level of academic success and responsibility while in 7th Grade.  Based on their previous academic performance, Scholars are eligible to earn high school credits while studying at Monhagen MIddle School.  The benefit of taking high school courses at the middle school level is that it will provide more opportunities later in high school to take advantage of accelerated programming and college credits offered through Syracuse University.

In civics, students learn about how government works, citizen rights, voting, and basic democracy. They study important documents like the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and explore current events to understand civic engagement. They also work on projects about local issues to apply what they've learned.

Students at Monhagen engage in core Humanities and STEM courses in each grade level.  Each course has a challenging curriculum that provides students the opportunity to explore a variety of topics in Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and English. 

In this course on financial literacy, students dive into the fundamental concepts of saving, investing, and budgeting, gaining invaluable insights into managing their finances effectively. From understanding credit scores and loans to envisioning life beyond high school, students explore financial decision-making. Through engaging activities, students create personalized savings and spending goals. We explore essential topics such as savings and checking accounts, equipping students with the knowledge to safeguard their finances against scams and identity theft. As well as preparing for high school and job opportunities such as using resumes and interviewing skills. Ultimately, this course prepares students with the tools and knowledge to navigate life's financial path with confidence and success.
 

Sixth grade consists of 5 teams of two teachers, with each teacher providing instruction in math and science or English and Social Studies to about 45-60 students.  Two teachers serve as Cluster Leaders for the grade to assist the grade level educators in everyday operations, contacting parents, disseminating information to staff and a variety of additional activities.
  
Seventh and eighth grade are made up of 2 teams or clusters.  Each cluster has a math, science, English and Social Studies teacher and serves approximately 140 students.  The Cluster Leaders in these grades assist their teams in setting up and conducting parent teacher conferences, contacting families and supporting students and teachers in a variety of ways.

These are some of the activities available in our library.

1. Completed a research project on different animals with identifying relevant information and summarizing
2. Pros and Cons of bringing back Woolly Mammoths using DNA:  students need to make predictions of what would happen and determine if we should or should not bring them back 
3. Collaborative problem solving of who should be saved on an island - students need to use information and draw conclusions and use reasoning to persuade others. 
4. Completed  a research project for Black History on different black authors: students chose authors, and identified important facts about them. 
5. Black History month timeline - Students chose an influential black person to create a timeline.  They used canva to create the timeline and choose the 5 most important events in the life of their person. 
6. Logic Puzzles: Students needed to use the directions to solve different logic puzzles by reading carefully and using higher level thinking. 

There is also after school Open Library available Monday through Friday until 3:20. Sign up before 2PM in the Library Medial Center. 

Visit the Monhagen Library Resource site. 

National Junior Honor Society is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle school students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.  Scholars can apply as a 7th grade student and participate in activities all through their 8th grade year.  

Odyssey of the Mind is a competitive academic team that students can try out for.  7 students are chosen to compete against other school districts in Orange County.  The program teaches students how to develop and use their natural creativity to become problem-solvers.  OM also emphasizes teamwork, budgeting, time management, public speaking, and so much more. This international program is designed to help students at all learning levels grow as individual learners, grow as team members, and to reach their full potential.

In Pre-Engineering We are in the middle of our architecture unit. Students first designed 3D models of famous buildings of their choice such as the Burj Khalifa, Empire State building, Big Ben, Leaning Tower of Pisa and many more. We are now moving into a more hands-on project of our architecture unit where students are simulating the architectural engineering process where they are completing building proposals, needing to submit their proposals for their buildings to the "officials" (me) and receive a building permit.  Students are working with partners to create their own buildings designing each floor with their group to create a city of skyscrapers!