MIDDLE SCHOOL

Village Glen Middle School reinforces social skills development through an emphasis on role plays and projects, developing “higher-order” social skills, and bolstering executive functioning skills to help with planning, organization, and attention.

Village Glen students in grades 7 and 8 remain with their teachers in homerooms which allows for the provision of a supportive, structured, and consistent environment while strengthening academic, social, social emotional, and executive functioning skills necessary for the transition to high school.

Academic classes emphasize reading, writing, science, math, and social studies. Additional subjects may include music, computer science, drama, world language, physical education, and art and are taught by specialty teachers in various locations in the school.

The further development of reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and writing is a focus at Village Glen and an area in which many of our students experience challenges. By integrating rigorous direct and individualized instruction with structured project-based learning students are encouraged to make connections with the world around them and to develop a deeper understanding of what they are learning.

Social skills instruction and the promotion of social development in our students is a fundamental component of the Village Glen experience. In the Village Glen Middle School, we reinforce social skills development by an emphasis on more role plays and projects, lessons target more of the “nuances” of social skills, and a “higher-order” social skills are the focus, and include skills such as executive functions (e.g., self-monitoring, organization). Social skills instruction takes place daily and the taught skills are continuously practiced and reinforced throughout the school day within the classroom as well as during recess and lunch time and social activities. In middle school, an increased emphasis is placed on relationship building and responsible decision-making. During recess and lunch times, social interactions are actively facilitated by our trained staff to further strengthen social skills development of our students and to promote positive peer interactions.

The development of executive functioning skills is emphasized at Village Glen and includes both the explicit instruction of executive functioning skills and strategies, as well as the frequent and intentional use of other techniques that enable our students to improve in their executive functioning abilities and increase student achievement and learning.  Foundational executive function skills specifically addressed include self-regulation, flexibility, attention, self-advocacy, task initiation, organization, planning and prioritizing, and time management.

For students in need of more intensive behavioral or social emotional support, Village Glen works collaboratively with students, families, and staff on the development of supports to enable students to manage emotions and to access teaching and learning.

As middle school students approach high school, they take on greater responsibilities with the help of classroom staff in order to build increased leadership skills, academic endurance, and self-confidence.