What Sets Stanley Middle School Apart?

  • Stanley's Middle School is unique in its student-centered approach and focus on meeting the specific needs of young adolescents. In collaboration with teachers in a small student-to-teacher ratio, students develop ambitious learning goals drawing on individual interests and curricular objectives.

    Our program integrates concepts across subject areas to develop a student's cross-disciplinary skills. Students attend subject matter classes in grade-specific sections, while 6th, 7th and 8th graders work side-by-side in team-taught, advisor-led homerooms.

    • "Stanley taught me many things, but the most important is the power of having an inquisitive mind. Rather than simply memorizing facts, Stanley showed me the best way to learn is hands-on and minds-on, asking questions and searching for answers yourself. "
      —Stanley Graduate '13

    Curricular Components

    • Our Middle School capitalizes on the framework of subject-specific guiding questions to focus students' learning. Highlights of these questions include:

      Language Arts

      arrow  6th Grade (Humanities): How is a story influenced by its storyteller? 
      arrow  7th Grade: How do I capture my thinking in both reading and writing?
      arrow  8th Grade: How can I determine the important universal themes in human experience that can be derived from a wide range of literature?

      Mathematics

      arrow  6th Grade: How do I apply math knowledge to real-world problems?
      arrow  7th Grade: How do I know if I truly understand a mathematical concept?
      arrow  8th Grade: What strategies can I use to become an effective problem solver?

      Science

      arrow  6th Grade: What is my role in the universe?
      arrow  7th Grade: What makes something exist?
      arrow  8th Grade: What makes you, YOU?

      Social Studies

      arrow  6th Grade (Humanities): Who has a voice? Whose voice matters?
      arrow  7th Grade: What does it mean to be an American?
      arrow  8th Grade: What is my role as a member of a nation in promoting and supporting democracy in the world?

    Our Strengths:

    • arrow bullet  Teachers expertly attuned to learning needs of adolescents

      arrow bullet  Strong social and emotional support

      arrow bullet  Engaging and compelling integrated study units

      arrow bullet  Meaningful relationships between teacher and student marked by deep respect

      arrow bullet  Progressive academic rigor focused on effective high school preparation

    MS Leadership

    • Kendall Early

      Kendall Early, Stanley's Head of Middle School, is an empathetic, grounded and collaborative leader who champions students and their voices. Before joining Stanley he served on the senior administrative leadership team at St. Anne’s Episcopal School in Denver as the Director of Inclusive Teaching and Learning as well as the Director of High School Placement.

      Kendall began his career in Atlanta public schools teaching high school math after graduating from Stanford, and at every step, he has always modeled the lifelong learning he asks of students. 

       

    Prepared for High School and Beyond

    • Public Private Pie Chart Stanley's graduates excel in Denver's public high school honors, AP and IB programs, as well as private and independent high schools, where acceptance rates over the past 10+ years range between 70 and 80 percent. Our emphasis is on helping students develop into self-aware self-advocates - and guidance counselors and teachers confirm Stanley graduates demonstrate a high level of engagement and leadership in their secondary programs.