We believe that students who are making the transition from childhood to adolescence need a special learning environment.  This environment should emphasize experiences that foster growth from dependent learners to independent learners, acquisition of self-direction and motivation, continuation of the development of basic educational skills and application to new areas of study.  The middle school will bridge the gap between typical elementary classrooms and the specialized subject-field approach of the high school with a program which challenges students intellectually and recognizes the students' physical, emotional, social and academic needs.