Our School Reopening Plans

middle schooler doing school work outside

When our staff members came together for their end of the year retreat last June, we all had one question on our minds: could Arthur Morgan School reopen in a COVID-19 world? We felt confident we could maintaining social distancing norms and implementing new health and safety precautions . However, if students and staff were […]

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Why Should Teenagers Work?

two middle schoolers doing work with a wheelbarrow

As a consensus-run school, AMS practices, traditions and norms are heavily shaped by community dialogue.  One question recently mulled over during our All School Meeting was “Why Should Teenagers Work?”  And, from this lively discussion, we heard strong support for school traditions built around student labor.   Some of the most nourishing experiences of AMS life […]

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Emotional Lessons on 18 Day Field Trips

middle schoolers standing around wearing happy and sad faces

Arthur Morgan School’s  18 day field trips make for powerful learning experiences that help middle schoolers see real world examples of what they learn in the classroom. They also learn other things as well.  Here is Rey, an alumna, explaining some of the unexpected lessons that come from a long road trip. “At AMS, our […]

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The Unseen Work of Running a School

office staff smiling and talking

This week most of the students and staff of Arthur Morgan School embarked on their 18 day field trips. They are having a wonderful time learning about philosophy, birth, death and medicine, and forced migrations. This blog post isn’t about them though.  We will share their adventures next week, including many firsthand stories from each of […]

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How Much Screen Time is Healthy for a Teenager?

two middle schoolers looking at lap tops

It’s a Tuesday afternoon and the students of Arthur Morgan School are having free time. They are skateboarding on the slab, working in the pottery studio, or playing board games in the meeting room. It’s a very different scene from many other middle schools today because one activity is missing: none of these teenagers are […]

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How Long Do Middle School Friendships Last?

two middle school boys smiling and pointing at one another

It’s my first day of middle school and I am surrounded by strangers. I recognize an old classmate or two from elementary school, but thanks to the alphabetized seating, they are estranged to distant corners of the classroom. Nervously, I look around for a friendly face. A girl to the left of me notices my […]

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When Will It Snow?

two middleschoolers looking out sadly at rain

Going to boarding school occasionally has its disadvantages. For example, the middle schoolers at Arthur Morgan School almost never have a snow day. Since most of the students live right on campus and can walk from their boarding houses to the academic buildings, there is never a reason to cancel school. Even when 2009’s infamous […]

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Designing a Better Boarding School Campus

two middle schoolers discussing a project in class

One of Arthur Morgan School’s greatest strengths is its campus. A hundred acres of farm and wilderness mixed with academic and art spaces makes for a perfect boarding school campus that inspire students to learn and express themselves. As a community we are always striving to improve our students’ experience. We want them to take […]

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The Pros and Cons of Technology in the Classroom

Two middle schoolers deciding whetehr to sue a computer or a book

Technology is a complicated issue for many teachers.  Educational apps, documentaries, and podcasts, provide valuable and fun learning experiences.  However, the frequent use of technology often leads to less interaction between students and may causes a reliance on computers. Just ask any middle school math teacher. The calculator, the most basic form of technology, causes […]

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Why Should Teenagers Work?

four middle schoolers digging mulch

Its a beautiful spring day and several young teenagers are helping me deconstruct a garden bed.  Carmella, an eighth grader, is shoveling mulch into a wheelbarrow that her classmate, Silas, then carries to a new plot.  On a nearby hillside,  a seventh grader and eighth grader are transplanting bushes from one side of a garden […]

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