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Grades 6-8

Welcome to Harnett County Schools Middle Grades, 6-8

A man in a suit and tie smiles at the camera with a mottled brown and gray background behind him.

 

Dr. Steven C. Murphy

Middle School Director
smurphy@harnett.k12.nc.us

(910) 893-8151, ext. 300444

Middle School Philosophy

Middle school is a bridge between elementary and high school. It is not an exaggerated elementary school, nor a miniature high school.  Our Harnett County Middle Schools understand the complexity of promoting academic success while addressing the social, physical, and emotional changes of adolescence.

Middle schools are designed to:

  1. Be sensitive to the unique development challenges of early adolescence. It is only when students feel connected and valued that true achievement takes place.

  2. Emphasize a deep understanding of important concepts and the development of essential skills. The expectation is that our middle schools are preparing students not only for high school, but for college and careers.

  3. Create smaller 'teams' of students within the larger building so faculty members can better understand individual students' abilities, interests, and needs.

  4. Allow teachers to collaborate in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to plan and provide learning opportunities that challenge and support student learning.

  5. Advocate for more collaborative learning and problem-solving among students. Learning strategies will often involve inquiry-based or problem-based learning on a relevant academic task. This requires a student to collaborate with a group while learning, and learn to be responsible for their individual task.

  6. Provide students with the choice of elective/exploratory classes in art, music, band, choral music, computer skills, Spanish, theater arts, or dance. (Options may differ by school.)