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“The purpose of the academic program is to open the children’s eyes and minds; to arouse interest, aspiration and determination . . . to develop the habit of searching out the world’s wisdom and judgment.” — Elizabeth Morgan
At AMS
we encourage a climate of intellectual curiosity inside and out of the
classroom. Much of the success of the academic program lies in our
experiential, integrated learning approach. Students are encouraged to
see the connection between their education and the world around them.
Hands-on academic classes allow students to explore how the material
they are learning relates to the world.
Teaching at AMS
fosters the individual and moral development of each adolescent through
innovative teaching methods and low student-teacher ratios (7-9
students per class). Students have academic classes four mornings a
week. Teachers are committed to designing classes and student projects
that both meet a variety of learning styles and also provide the
appropriate levels of challenge. We have mixed-level classrooms, which
allows 7th, 8th and 9th grade students to develop unique partnerships
and provides them with opportunities for role modeling behavior.
Several mornings each year are dedicated solely to academic feedback,
where students, teachers and other staff assess the program to date and
plan for the future based on the needs of the students. At the end of
each academic unit we hold an academic open house for parents, board
members and nearby community members where students exhibit their work.
Written evaluations by staff are sent to families several times each
year.
Our curriculum standards meet the North
Carolina Guidelines for Independent Schools. All students
attend math and language arts classes. Students also engage in
in-depth, integrated studies where they gain knowledge that more
traditional schools offer in social studies, history and science
classes.
Our experience over the years has been that AMS students
graduate fully prepared to enter a traditional high school. Moreover,
as numerous alumni have confirmed, they continue to be self-motivated
learners after leaving AMS.
