Strengthening Our Middle School Curriculum: From Bilingual to Two Distinct Paths

Where Montessori Philosophy meets North American requirements

Over the past several years, our middle school curriculum has offered students a bilingual program designed to keep both doors open: the option to continue into local high schools or to transition into international schools abroad. While this flexibility had clear advantages, our faculty observed an unintended challenge: students were often overextended, balancing content across two languages without achieving the depth we intended in either.

After careful planning, discussion, and evaluation, we made a decisive change. Starting this academic year, our S1 Middle School program now offers two distinct learning paths:

Bilingual Path – Full Chinese instruction with over three hours of focused English lessons each week.

International Path – Full English instruction, with required Chinese language study and selected whole-class projects in Chinese.

This shift ensures that students can pursue a program aligned with their future goals while allowing teachers to focus instruction more effectively.

Expanded International Path Curriculum

The time gained by removing duplication has allowed us to expand the International Path into a more complete and balanced course of study. Students now engage in:

• Language Arts (Reading, Writing, School Literary Journal)

• History

• Geography (Human and Physical)

• Science (Earth, Life, and Physical)

• Philosophy

• Mathematics

• Business Studies

• Microgreen Farming Project

Moving Beyond Content to Skills

Our approach is not limited to covering textbook material. Instead, we design lessons to help students practice skills that extend beyond the classroom. In science, this means applying experimental thinking to real-life questions. In business studies, it means running an enterprise and not just studying one. In philosophy, it means asking thoughtful questions about ethics and society.

This method encourages students to understand, apply, and reflect rather than rely on rote memorization. By grounding their learning in authentic practice, we prepare them not only for future academic study but also for thoughtful participation in the world around them.