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[quote=Anonymous]Two Rivers Middle School also only splits kids by ability in Math (so they say), but they have started a "LAB" period at the end of 4days/week where the kids are in a certain "extra class" depending on ability.  The parents are involved in deciding which LAB program their kids do and also ANET and other testing plays into the schools suggestions.  It is like a Math club for some kids, advanced spanish for others, or for the kids that are behind, a way to catch them up for a time period that isn't taking away from the kids who are at grade level and above.  Even in the regular classroom setting there are 3 teachers/24 kids including a special ed teacher - so they really are able to teach to a wide range of levels successfully.

They also have started to offer a lot more in the form of extras and arts (guitar, drama - something like 75% kids participated in their musical performed at The Atlas this year, creative writing, print making, etc.). They offer 2 hours of extracurriculars every Wednesday either on campus or at the Y - robotics, volleyball, swimming instruction(mandatory for all to take atleast once), rock climbing, financial planning, etc.)  Spanish is offered 3 days/week for everyone.  The biggest problem is that so many kids leave after 4th to go to middle schools that feed into high school, so  you do lose a lot of the higher performing kids (increased significantly with the opening of BASIS last year).  Although there were apparently a handful of BASIS parents who left 2Rivers and tried to get back in with this years lottery...

The Middle school seems to do a lot with "student led" projects and small committees of students during class time where they bounce ideas off of each other.  If most of the high performing kids leave, and you have a lot of kids below grade level who are not active participants in their own learning, then this doesn't work as well...but I still feel like my child will thrive more in this environment than a larger, highly test centered one.  Two Rivers also follows the expeditionary learning model, even through middle school, which some parents don't like for their children past the ES level.  It works well for my son who is very bright but not highly self motivated to do lots of memorization and testing and hours of homework.  The topics are interesting and relevant and the kids practice critical thinking at every step of the way.  I think the expeditions for middle school this year were dealing with GMO food debate during one trimester, and The Hela Cells debate in another (this was for 7th grade).

It is a small school (48 kids/grade) that also focuses a lot on socio-emotional development.  They have a "Core" period where a Core Leader (one of the schools teachers or administrators) works with a small group of kids (the same group all year) on different issues they are dealing with.  I don't worry about bullying or that sort of thing at all at Two Rivers.  The Core Leader is also a person that parents can communicate with if they have a concern which I think is really important once the kids get into roving classrooms and uppergrades where they don't have a main teacher.

My son will be there, starting in 6th next year, moving up from the ES.  He has seen more than 1/2 of his friends leave for Latin/Basis/Suburbs/Private...but is really thriving still.  The group of kids who came in at 5th from various other ESs in the city are all good kids, some behind academically, but there have not been behavioral issues and it hasn't held my son back at all.

The lottery has obviously passed, but if you did it and got a spot and are looking for another great option, it is worth considering.  They maintain an open door policy, you could go in at any time and look around.  [/quote]

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