Cascadia’s Middle School is a Montessori environment for adolescents. During each of the four planes of development, Montessori education provides a specific environment that meets the needs of the individuals at that plane. Your child’s preschool/primary environment was just the place for them when they were between the ages of 3 and 6, but as they entered the second plane (ages 6 - 12), they needed a new kind of classroom that would feed their inquisitive minds and provide for their new social tendencies. In the same manner, Cascadia’s Middle School provides a special environment for our 7th and 8th graders as they enter the 3rd plane of development,  adolescence. 

Adolescence (ages 12 - 15) marks the end of childhood and is a time of tremendous change; physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively. This is especially true for our middle school students who are at the beginning of this change. In fact, Montessori refers to them at this stage of development as “social newborns.” In early adolescence (ages 12 to 15), young adults are exploring and coming to terms with integrating different aspects of themselves. This is a period of rapid growth and early adolescents need enough food and sleep, as well as time to process and reorient. They also need deep support and acceptance from the adults in their lives. 

All Montessori environments nourish the whole child - academic, emotional, social - but adolescent environments add personal reflection, purposeful work that serves the community, more opportunities for creative expression and other exercises to particularly support the individuals and their growth at this stage.