Curriculum

Relationships are at the core of a successful learning community and our Advisory Program helps develop relationships.  In advisory class, students develop a close relationship and sense of community with one teacher and a small group of peers, typically around 12 students.  Our advisory program also teaches students the skills needed for social emotional wellbeing. The curriculum is based on the CASEL competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making.  Lessons are guided by our grade 6-8 SEL scope and sequence and teachers have the flexibility to adapt lessons to be responsive to the current social emotional needs of their students.

The Nido Middle School Humanities program is based on Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and the C3 Standards for Social Studies.  As an integrated course, our Humanities program enables learners to expand their thinking and worldview by exploring the complexities of the human experience and their own roles in society.  Through the development of literacy skills students become responsible creators and consumers of information, joyful readers and writers, empathetic communicators and linguistically diverse thinkers.

Students investigate concepts in a variety of mathematical areas at each grade level through units of study that are based on the Common Core Standards for mathematics. Students develop an understanding of the properties of the real number system, the language and tools of algebra, the characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes, and how to collect, organize, analyze, interpret and display data in tables and graphs.Throughout middle school, students develop a variety of strategies for making sense of and solving problems, and they develop their abilities to clearly communicate and represent their mathematical thinking.

The MS science curriculum is based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and is taught through the pedagogy of inquiry cycles. Learners use the science and engineering practices of Investigating, Modeling, and Using Evidence to make sense of their world by investigating and explaining real phenomena.  In grades 6-8, units of study are spiraled to increase complexity in the four main topic areas of science: Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences and Engineering Design.

Students who are enrolled in our National Program, take Lengua y Literatura classes that are aligned with the standards from the Chilean Ministry of Education. These standards focus on the four language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and also Social Studies.  This course is taught as an integrated course and the units of study are based on themes and concepts that enable students to deepen their understanding of society while also becoming more sophisticated readers and writers and oral communicators. 

Our Spanish as an Additional Language (SAL) program is intended for students who are not native speakers of Spanish. Based on the ACTFL standards, our SAL program has a proficiency-based curriculum that enables students to learn and use the Spanish language in real life situations in an immersion setting. The language skills of speaking, reading, listening, and writing in Spanish are introduced and reinforced throughout Middle School. Cultural aspects of Chile and other Spanish-speaking countries are included in units of study at all proficiency levels to enhance students’ understanding and appreciation of Hispanic and Latin American heritage.

In Middle School, the Physical Education and Health program is based on the Standards for Health and Physical Education (SHAPE). Units of study are developed so that students can construct the knowledge and skills necessary to perform with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities.  Students also learn how to make informed decisions that promote the healthy development of the whole person. Students develop problem-solving, decision-making, and leadership skills, along with a sense of sportsmanship and fair play, while working collaboratively with others. The program empowers all students to take lifelong personal responsibility for engaging in health-related physical activity and to recognize the intrinsic rewards of being active in ways they enjoy.

Middle School is a time for students to explore different subjects and interests.  Our Encore program offers students choices in the Performing Arts, the Visual Arts and Technology.  Our Performing Arts and Visual Arts curriculums are based on NCAS standards.  In grade 6, students experience all encore classes: band, drama, art and technology so that they have an introduction to all aspects of the program.  In grades 7 and 8 students choose the encore classes that match their preference. 

Within the Performing Arts in 7th and 8th grade, students choose from Band, Choir, Improvisation, All About Acting and Actor’s Zone.

Within the Visual Arts in 7th and 8th grade, students choose from Sculpture, Digital Art, and Art and Design.

Within Technology in 7th and 8th grade, students choose from Coding, Robotics and Design Technology.

The Advisory Program in the Middle School is designed with the goal of ensuring that at least one adult at Nido has the global perspective of each student. At Nido, we make sure that our Advisory Groups stay small (around 10-14 students per Advisor), and students go to this "home base" every morning for the entire school year. It is a place where they connect, feel they matter, significantly contribute, and have guidance with their social, emotional, and academic needs and goals. Nido Advisors are at the same time facilitators of team building, role models for character education, mentors for academic plans, and caretakers for the year.

Our exploratory courses are designed to be short courses that help students to ignite and discover passions by exploring a variety of concepts and skills ranging from learning sign language to making podcasts to coding.  The program aligns with our school’s mission: Connect, Explore, Act and driven by their own curiosity, students often continue learning when the exploratory course is finished.

Our health curriculum is based on the SHAPE standards, in alignment with the Chilean Ministry of Education’s expectations.  Some of the standards are taught during PE and some are taught during wellness class.

Our range of Student Support Services enables us to meet students’ individual social, emotional, physical, and academic needs in a responsive, collaborative and inclusive environment so that all students can be successful. We believe that each child should be given the tools they need in order to reach their full potential, and when provided with the support services that target their specific needs, all learners can succeed academically.  Decisions about interventions and support services are data-driven, and made by the Student Support Services team in collaboration with classroom teachers and parents. Nido de Aguilas provides support in the areas of English language acquisition, academic support, and social-emotional support. 

Students who are learning English as an additional language may receive additional support through EAP (English for Academic Purposes) classes.  These classes have a small group of students who have a similar proficiency level in English and the focus is on developing academic language.  Students also receive support from their EAP teacher in core subjects as needed.  Placement into the EAP program is based on the WIDA standards.

Our EAL academy is designed for students who are still in the beginning stages of learning English as identified by the WIDA assessment.  The academy is scheduled at the same time as humanities and learning focuses on English language development through similar themes that are explored in humanities class. Students attend math and science with their grade level peers and the EAL teacher provides in class support as needed.

In the Learning Lab, a small group of students is supported in developing the necessary skills to independently engage in their general education classes. Classes are tailored to each group of individuals, but typically include a mix of remedial instruction, re-teaching of classroom content, study skills, review and preparation for tests, and support in developing executive functioning skills.  Placement into our Learning Support program is a part of our admissions process, or sometimes, teachers refer students who are already in school.