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The after-school Science Club participates in Challenge 20/20, a program designed to enhance awareness of global issues among students. Club members communicate regularly with students from around the world and are working closely with schools in other countries to develop local solutions to global problems.
Math The concepts we cover in the Middle School are fairly straightforward, so we use the applications to be inclusive; for example, word problems reflect a broad range of settings, names, cultures, and activities. We address varying learning styles both by ability grouping and providing weekly support in Math Lab. A math field trip explores the ways math is reflected in our neighborhoods, helping to make the students more aware of the diverse communities of Boston and Cambridge.
Arts Understanding the cultural context of art is an important component of the Middle School visual arts program, in which students explore materials and skills through the lens of different cultures. For example, seventh grade students study Mimbres pottery and iconography to better understand the worldview of the Mimbres peoples and their artistic expression. The entire fourth quarter is devoted to the study of Latin American arts, culminating in a Carnaval celebration of the artistic expressions such as a Cuban musical performance, theatrical performances using folk tales, ceramic tiles documenting the Cuban sugarcane industry, and the rich architectural legacy in Cuba. In the eighth grade, social justice and awareness is an important aspect of two arts courses. In printmaking, students create paper prayers to educate the community about the AIDS epidemic in Africa by raising funds through a sale of the paper prayers for people living with HIV in South Africa. In the pottery elective, an empty soup bowl project raises funds for children in Northern Vietnam. An essential component of the arts courses is for students to know themselves and bring aspects of themselves, their ethnicity, and significant moments of their lives into their work. One unit in the eighth grade painting class focuses on family roots from which the student creates a visual expression of their family.
Library Our library includes a variety of books, periodicals, and electronic resources that support the Middle School’s diverse curriculum. The librarian works collaboratively with classroom teachers to implement our rich and varied programming. Our collection includes books that feature characters, settings, and themes that allow students to explore and appreciate various cultural, ethnic, religious, and sexual orientation perspectives.
Diversity and Multiculturalism in Upper School Curriculum
B B & N 14
Students in grades nine through twelve encounter a challenging academic program taught through a variety of methodologies designed to foster intellectual engagement, creativity, and the acquisition of knowledge and academic skills necessary for advanced scholarship. These skills include, but are not limited to: research, literary/historical analysis, logical/analytical/ scientific thinking, study of one or more non-English languages, aesthetics, and an understanding of and appreciation for multiculturalism. The diversity of the student body and faculty, combined with the inclusive pedagogical approach leads to rich and complex discussions regarding race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, culture, socio-economic class, and other