Middle School
Academics
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Middle School Banner
Middle School Opening Fall 2026
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Middle School Purpose and Promise
All middle school aged children deserve a safe and inclusive school that helps them become competent and confident individuals who feel a sense of agency, are proud of who they are, are optimistic about their future, feel connected to those around them, and are prepared to succeed in our ever-changing world.
Academic Program
The academic curriculum is challenging and focuses on the development of higher-order critical thinking skills: students reason, apply, develop, and create meaning. Students are enrolled in the following courses:
- Humanities: an integrated course that combines English/ELA and Social Studies and empowers students to make connections and create meaning from challenging questions about the human experience.
- Math: a differentiated, ability-based curriculum that provides the possibility for motivated students to take Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and Geometry during their middle school years.
- Science: a rigorous, vertically integrated, and challenging curriculum encompassing Life Science (6th Grade), Earth Science (7th Grade), and Physics and Chemistry (8th Grade).
- Spanish: a high-level course that strives for communicative proficiency with the goal that every student achieves, at a minimum, mastery of the equivalent of a high school Spanish I course by the time they graduate from 8th grade.
- Fine and Performing Arts: A program that fosters curiosity and creative expression through a challenging, skills-based curriculum that develops active and artistic thinking. Offerings will include courses such as Dance, Theater, Art, Instrumental or Choral Ensemble, STEAM/STEM.
Another critical differentiator of the JHCS Middle School is our focus on the following three curricular areas, which supplement and support our challenging academic program:
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Service Learning Curriculum: a curriculum that deepens academic understanding by connecting classroom learning to meaningful, real-world action throughout the Jackson community and beyond. Service Learning will empower students to apply their knowledge and skills as they address authentic community needs and cultivate habits of active, empathetic, and responsible citizenry.
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Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum: a curriculum that empowers every student to navigate the complexities of adolescence by developing essential Social-Emotional Learning skills, including self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship building.
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Executive Functioning Curriculum: a curriculum that recognizes the inherent developmental needs of middle school students and assists them with such skills as organization, planning, and self-regulation to foster resilience, structure, and academic success.
EduTalks: Why Middle School Matters
In September 2025, Bill hosted EduTalks, a free community series designed to inform, inspire, and spark discussion about the critical middle school years—and how schools and parents can work together to give students the strongest start.
Thank you to everyone who attended and engaged in these important conversations about "Why Middle School Matters." Please follow the links at right to view slides on the four topics covered.
Thank you to everyone who attended and engaged in these important conversations about "Why Middle School Matters." Please follow the links at right to view slides on the four topics covered.
- Can a Middle Schooler Think Critically? Curriculum Design that Matters
- Social Emotional Learning in Middle School: Helping our Kids Grow into Resilient, Caring, and Confident Learners
- Growing Up Online: Social Media & Middle Schoolers
- The Adolescent Brain: How Middle Schools Can Support Growth, Learning, and Identity
Meet the Middle School Director
The Middle School Director, Bill Waskowitz, welcomes families to schedule an informal coffee meeting to learn more about the middle school: come with questions, ideas, or to discuss topics in middle school education. Please use the link below to schedule via Calendly.
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Contact Us
About Us
Founded in 2004, Jackson Hole Community School cultivates curiosity and integrity in a community rooted in personal relationships, challenging academics, and student initiative.
JHCS is a 501(c)(3) organization, recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Federal Tax ID Number/EIN: 83-0329536
JHCS is a 501(c)(3) organization, recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Federal Tax ID Number/EIN: 83-0329536
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