5TH – 8TH GRADES

As Westside students move into middle grades, the academic curriculum will transition more fully to a student-centered, Project Based Learning (PBL)-focused approach, while continuing to reinforce Westside's focus on numeracy and literacy. Students will learn primarily through this student-driven approach, and will be expected to understand content deeply, ask probing questions, form connections across subjects, and complete complex, interesting projects throughout each year. Teachers will leverage their expertise in PBL to provide innovative project frameworks within which students can drive their learning forward rigorously and imaginatively. By the time they complete middle grades, Westside students will have both a rock-solid foundation of academic content, and the ability to rigorously apply those lessons in the classroom and the real world.