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A Tuition-Free Public Middle School

Founded on Innovation

For our young people to thrive, they must become lifelong learners. MCMS  fosters a culture of inquisitiveness and critical thinking through a highly-individualized education, grounded in a culture of social emotional learning and development. The foundational model includes project-based learning as a way to apply complex skills, and utilizes a set of innovative best-in-class tools to meet our diverse students where they are as we help them chart their individual pathways to excellence. MCMS provides a self-directed learning environment in which teachers are facilitators and students are learners and doers. 

In Classroom

Mission

Mayacamas Countywide Middle School seeks to serve socio-economically, racially and ethnically diverse students through a highly personalized program that differentiates instruction to meet individual students’ needs. Mayacamas ensures students master state content standards and grow developmentally in an inclusive, welcoming and supportive culture.

Vision

Mayacamas’ vision is to strengthen our community by developing productive citizens and leaders in our diverse democracy. Each student will thrive in a community in which all members are expected to model trust, responsibility, and respect for self and others. We will  focus on meaningful and equitable instruction, purposeful assessment, supportive and inclusive culture and high school, college and career readiness.

Hot Air Balloons
Classmates

Social Emotional Learning

Mayacamas is intent on building a culture where social emotional learning is central.  At Mayacamas, each day begins with Advisory to serve as the bridge between the students’ home life and their Mayacamas community.  During Advisory and throughout the day, students’ healthy development and mental health are a core tenet of our program.  Students learn about self-awareness and interacting with their diverse peers and adults in respectful and responsible ways. They learn how to become more resilient and independent, to “fail,” try again, iterate, and persist with a growth mindset. 

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Project-Based Learning

With project- and problem-based instruction, Mayacamas transforms the learning environment from a system of teacher output and student input to a self-directed learning environment in which teachers are facilitators and students are learners and doers. Mayacamas offers an engaging, interdisciplinary project-based learning curriculum. With 90-minute block periods and real-world projects, students are able to explore more deeply, conduct experiments, build models, engage in research, discuss and debate, make mistakes and try again. Additionally, the faculty works to integrate community members and real-life community problems into our project-based learning environment, strengthening the bonds between our school and the members of our community.

Students Building Windmill
Young Teacher

Intentional Adolescent Development and Relationship Building

Mayacamas is grounded in the science of learning and development, and uses co-teaching and looping to allow students and teachers to build strong relationships. Sixth graders will have a team of two teachers for their core classes. The 6th grade teachers share the same students and collaborate on integrated projects, review data to address individual student needs, reinforce one another's curriculum and create a balanced schedule of due dates and assessments. This model provides a transition for our young 6th graders into a middle school environment in which they move between teachers and classes.

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7th and 8th graders have four core teachers (one per core subject); they loop for two years in mixed-grade classrooms for Science and History/Social Science. Teacher looping, in which the same teacher stays with students over multiple years, offers several benefits, including the opportunity for both student and teacher to develop strong, meaningful relationships.

 

Visual & Performing Arts Electives

The power of art and music to heal is undeniable. Mayacamas seeks to integrate a  robust visual and performing arts program into the curriculum, allowing students with different learning styles to access the full benefits of various learning tools.

Music Class
Family Celebrating New Year

Family Involvement

Parents/adult guardians and family members are our partners in our collaborative school environment. Through volunteer participation in school life (never required but always appreciated), participating in parent education events, and simply communicating frequently with their child’s advisor and teachers, parents are an important part of their students’ success at Mayacamas.

 

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