Middle-High School (7th – 12th Grade)

The Adolescent Program

Students in the Adolescent Program (Middle-High School) are divided into two sections with what we like to call a “two way passage” between them. By keeping true to Montessori methodology the students are still grouped in mixed age classrooms. Adolescent 1 hosts children in 7th – 9th grade (Middle School) while High School (10th – 12th grade) is known as Adolescent 2. HOMS developed this classroom with a strong mission to stay true to the original vision of “something different”. Students move through the days at their own pace while being guided by a supporting teacher.

It’s Time for Something Different

Taking a unique and non-traditional approach to education can be a little difficult. Not for us as a school, but for families who are not as familiar with Montessori method the day-to-day life of a middle-high school student in our environment can be confusing. So, we have provided some examples of how real life application paired with a supportive, educated, and experienced teachers can really make for the perfect balance in a classroom.  Again, there is no blackboard to stare at from a desk within a row. Students are responsible for scheduling lessons with their teacher and coming up with their own projects/assignments displaying they have learned the material. Oh, and still, no homework, tests, or grades!

“What do you appreciate at HOMS that you think

your friends at a traditional school miss out on?”

“I really like the smaller class size because the classroom seems more calm and there is more one-on-one time with the teacher”

“We do not have to wake up as early!”

“We are allowed so much free time to get our work done. It isn’t like there is a list of things we have to do but then never any time to do them at school with our teacher there to help”

“Some of us decided we wanted an animal in the classroom and we were able to make choices and get everything we needed on our own instead of being told no or the teacher doing it all for us. We get to be involved in basically everything”

“We can go outside. Some of my friends at public school have no recess. We get 45 minutes or more, everyday.”

“I get to learn what I want to. I also can listen to music. My friends and I get to do things together for the school. We made sushi for the teachers a while ago and had the best day. Instead of telling us “no” we are told “sure, cannot wait to hear what you learn from it!”

The Pizza Business | Beach trip

Each Friday the middle and high school classes offer a pizza lunch to all students. This is at a small cost to the families and has been a staple throughout the years. What some may not know is that this pizza Friday business, is just that, a business. The high school and middle school classrooms collaborate each year on how to improve business function and delegate work. Each year the profits are used to take the classes on a week long beach trip.  

  • Collecting, counting, booking, depositing, withdrawing cash | Personal/Business Finance
  • Order forms, collection of order forms | Organization
  • Ordering pizza accurately | Accountability
  • Preparing fruit and vegetables for each child who ordered pizza| Practical Life
  • Collecting dishes and pizza boxes after lunch | Responsibility
  • Saving money | Financial Planning
  • Planning travel,  finding lodging, activities, meal plans | Research via Technology
    • How many of each item (meal planning) | Multiplying Fractions 
    • Cost of gas | Factoring External Situations
    • Additional costs (getting ice cream, paying for a scuba dive) | Planning Ahead
  • Staying within budget | Self Discipline 
  • Writing and balancing a checkbook | Personal Finanace
The Hammock Stand

We are fortunate here in Georgia that we have fairly beautiful weather all year.  A few High School students decided they wanted to read and do work in their hammocks rather than inside. They realized the next day that the trees in the High School yard were not close enough or large enough to host all of their hammocks at once. So, instead of throwing the idea away – they created a solution and built a hammock stand.

  • Finding materials, wood, hardware, and place to put stand | Research, Price Comparing, Communicating thoughts and ideas
  • Paying for the materials | Selflessness and Generosity (They used their own money)
  • Shopping for materials (none of them could drive at the time!) | Using adult conversation to ask a favor to another
  • Ensuring the structure would hold enough weight | Engineering 
  • Designing structure to fit into space | Design and Engineering
  • Checking that the structure met State Safety standards being on a school campus | Responsibility 

Becoming a Pediatrician

I am sure you remember in high school getting to choose a “career” and then were given a budget, a life event, and a life story to go with. Then, you have to budget a certain amount of time into the future. That method served as a terrific starting point to a great life lesson for one student. Scanning through various jobs she came across a Pediatrician profession. This student was required to do some basic research as far as the job description, what requirements there were for the position, and a general salary.

Upon completing her work she found herself still interested in some of the aspects of a career in medicine that she continued her research and has began making efforts toward her goal of becoming a pediatrician. Because of the small class size and increased amount of one-on-one time in the high school environment, her and her teacher were able to discuss this casually. Next thing you know, this student was offered an opportunity to shadow a Pediatrician in the summer. Sometimes, you just need to find your own path. That path seems more exciting when you find it before you have to decide a college major – right?

 

Mr. Enoch, Ms. Emma, Mr. Mark

 

Mr. Enoch

Mr. Enoch is an Air Force veteran who, prior to Harbour Oaks, spent 13 years as a project manager in the software industry. Feeling that he had lots of life experience to offer, as well as a calling to teach and help others, Enoch jumped at the opportunity to join his wife Kristine on our staff. He earned his Orientation to Adolescent Studies certificate through AMI in Golden, Colorado in 2019. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Technical Management from Devry University and an Associate of Applied Science from CCAF. Outside of work, Enoch enjoys hiking, biking, camping, and other outdoor activities with his family

“To paraphrase Kierkegaard, life should be experienced rather than solved. To focus as much on the journey as the destination is a philosophy I attempt to instill in students no matter what they attempt – no matter their goals or aspirations.”

Ms. Emma

 

Mr. Mark

Mark Jarrett grew up in Georgia, Argentina, and Europe, retired from the Air Force, and began his educator career here at HOMS, before spending 7 years in local public schools, where he taught Science, English, and Social Studies and coached wrestling, track, and soccer. He enjoys the outdoors, martial arts, and learning new things. He will be HOMS new Humanities teacher.

“It’s all about the children.”