Middle School
Middle school is a critical phase in a child’s life that acts as a bridge between childhood and adolescence. Learners become more independent and begin to have a clearer picture of their own strengths and interests. As they mature and look to their futures, learners need critical thinking and problem solving skills more than ever.
The middle school at Vega builds seamlessly on the primary program with increasingly challenging big picture problems. Learners rely on their teamwork skills as they collaborate on addressing complex problems that have no single answer. These real world problems include topics such as air quality, global warming, access to clean water, habitats for endangered species, economic inequalities, and more.
Subjects continue to be provided in an interdisciplinary manner in the middle school. Learners take on extensive projects on these kinds of topics and apply research skills and existing knowledge to identify what they need to know in search of solutions. This leads them to increased understanding of math, science, social studies and more. The end product of these projects incorporates multiple skills which often include music, art and drama to express their solutions.
For example, our middle school learners were awarded first prize at FMC Weekend (2018), the annual Film and Media Council fest of one of India’s best institutions (IIT-BHU) for their documentary ‘Understanding Discrimination’. The documentary, an end-product to their project on discrimination, competed against nationwide entries from students of top film institutes.
By providing compelling problems and supporting learners in their quest for answers, learning is self-motivated and student-centric. It is vital during middle school for learners to stoke their interests and curiosity and keep them actively engaged in their own learning. Research shows that during middle school, many learners begin to lose interest in school. At this age, they become focused on their peers. Unguided, this can lead to long-term negative effects. Problem-Based Learning provides for learners to explore their own interests collaboratively with their peers.
At Vega’s middle school, we acknowledge and encourage each individual learner’s strengths and interests. Learners are guided through self-reflection to identify their areas of strength and areas needing growth. We partner with learners and parents to help each learner know themselves and their life goals based on their interests. Student-Led Conferences provide a platform for learners to speak publicly about their experience in middle school, including their self-reflections and goals.
The middle school curriculum is developed locally based on the best sources available from national and international educational institutions. Our inclusion in the Global Schools Alliance allows for cross-cultural collaborative experiences for both our primary learners and our learning leaders. Fundamentally, the middle school is aligned with CBSE standards. We go beyond those standards which we see as starting points for our instruction.
Vega Schools, rated one of the top innovative schools in India and one of the best CBSE schools in Gurgaon, provides the ideal environment for your middle school child.
Project Examples
Grade - V
Speaking for the species
The project goal was to make our middle school learners realise that as humans, we often fail to see the ‘big picture’ and turn a blind eye to the interconnectedness of things around us...how everything supports and affects life in a complex web which is interdependent. They learned how the food chain, from the tiniest little microorganisms to the largest creatures on Earth, helps to keep human beings alive. This project gave learners the scope to make a difference by learning about wildlife conservation and raising awareness of endangered species. They arrived at the realisation that there is so much we should be doing to protect these animals and vulnerable species from extinction and that we must act now. Learners created their own podcasts to drive awareness campaigns and engage others in conservation work, performed a song about compassion for animals and nature, created e-books on alternate vegan recipes, performed a play depicting the cause of animal cruelty and its impact on the environment and did a tribal dance depicting the role of animals in conserving the environment. Thus they understood the important and vital role played by animals in maintaining a balance in the ecosystem and how we can save them from becoming endangered or extinct by changing our lifestyle choices such as food, clothing and luxuries.
Grade - VI
The Logical Little Green Me
Through this project, middle school learners understood that life can be found almost anywhere on Earth, from the poles to the equator, from the bottom of the sea to miles above the surface, and from dry valleys to groundwater, miles below the Earth’s surface. They found out how, over the last 3.7 billion years or so, living things have adapted to almost every environment imaginable. Using this knowledge, they explored what it is about Earth that makes it so suited to supporting life, and the possibility of life existing beyond Earth. It made them think about a scenario where, if life did exist beyond Earth, then what form would it be in? They were given a ‘fun task’ of creating their own version of an ‘alien’ suited for the specific environmental conditions of an extra-terrestrial world. They learnt about organs, and organ donation and it helped them realise the value of having fully functional organs. Learners designed an alien life form (3D model) and explained its physical, psychological and social adaptations. This project enabled them to understand how the environment shapes a person. They also learned to be grateful for what they have, in terms of a healthy body and ideal living conditions.
Grade - VII
The Odyssey of Adolescence
As these middle school learners themselves were navigating adolescence, which is a complex and emotional phase in one’s life, this project aimed to help them to delve deep and explore this concept better. Through this process they learned that instead of fearing it or fighting against it, it was better to take time to understand this stage in their lives, the challenges it entails, and explore how best to navigate the difficulties while enjoying the new responsibilities and respect that would now come with the territory. They created a guide/manual, based on their own experiences, with validated facts about all aspects of adolescence, to help their peers and juniors. They also did podcasts containing testimonials of their own voyage through adolescence. This process helped them to gain a better understanding about themselves and equipped them to handle the emotional, physical and social changes in a more positive way. It also went a long way towards bridging the gap between them and their parents, feeling more supported and reduced their feelings of being ‘misunderstood.
Admission Procedure
School admission is one of the most crucial steps in a young learner’s life. It marks the beginning of their academic journey. Choosing the school for your child is incredibly important to ensure that they are provided with the right learning environment right from the start. It would help improve the child’s prospects and make sure they are given the right kind of opportunities to live up to their full potential.
This is why parents who have big ambitions for their young ones leave no stone unturned in making sure their child’s School Admission 2022-23 process is smooth and seamless. But while this process is relatively straightforward, it can help to have all the important steps broken down to make sure you don’t miss out on anything.
Below are the important steps to make sure that your child’s admission process at Vega Schools is streamlined and hassle free.
Step-1: Fill Up the Registration Form
The first step in the middle school admissions process is filling up and submitting the registration form. This form requires you to fill up a few details about the student and submit a registration fee. You can find our registration form here to be filled.
Once you fill-up the form and submit the registration fee, it’s time to move ahead in the admissions process.
Step–2: Interaction / Assessment with the learning leaders
Once you are done with filling up the Registration form The 2nd step in the admission procedure at Vega Schools, is the interaction with the Learning Leaders(Teachers)
Collect all the Important Documents
The following documents are required at the time of middle school admissions –
- Copy of Child’s birth certificate
- Copy of Child’s immunization detail
- Copy of residence proof
- 4 Passport sized photographs of Father, Mother and Child(separately)
- Duly filled admission form
- Copy of progress report from the previous school
- Copy of Adhaar Card of Father, Mother and Child
It’s better to keep all these documents handy before starting the middle school admissions process to make sure there’s no obstacle.
Step-3: Visit the School Campus
Once you have completed the preliminary formalities, you can schedule a visit to the campus. Here you can interact with the head of admissions, head of school, and school teachers to get direct insights about any further formalities.
This is also a good opportunity for the child to visit the school and get familiarized with the campus and their educators. This can be incredibly helpful as it would allow them to feel more comfortable on their first day.
So, these were some of the most important steps that parents need to keep in mind before starting their child’s middle school admissions process. By following these steps, parents can ensure that they don’t miss out on anything and get their child admitted into the school of their choice. But before you even begin the process of middle school admissions, it’s essential to prepare your child for this transformative journey mentally.
Since it is a crucial and transformative stage in their learning journey, it is important to ensure they are prepared. This is why parents must have candid conversations with the child and allow them to speak about their views on this change. The idea is to bring any inhibitions or worries to the surface. You can then address these worries and clear any doubts that they might have.
This can be another important step that you need to keep in mind while preparing for middle school admissions as it would help your child adjust better and thus concentrate and learn better.