As a High School Principal, my vision is a comprehensive one. It works on three levels: instructional, ethical and emotive.
-Instruction: We strive to provide our students with all knowledge and skills necessary to make them well-equipped for their future.
-Ethics: In a constantly changing world, we should provide students with ethics based on our culture, traditions, beliefs and principles.
-Emotion: Students should feel that they are loyal to their school and that their school is loyal to them. Mutual love, care and respect are the keys to create an enjoyable, caring and warm environment.
Curriculum
We offer a comprehensive and robust academic program that is aligned with common core standards. Our constructivist, student-centered curriculum encourages students to find their passions and paths in education and follow them. Students are led to work with and use the information they are given, both individually and with other members of the class.
DIS integrated curriculum connects different areas of study by cutting across subject-matter lines and emphasizing unifying concepts. Integration focuses on making connections for students, allowing them to engage in relevant, meaningful activities that are connected to real life. This structure supports the students’ overall development, always emphasizing the objective of students achieving “life skills.”
Our Middle school program emphasizes inquiry-based learning. Students demonstrate their learning through weekly quizzes, written assignments, oral presentations, projects, demonstrations, and discussions. Students in grades 6-9 participate in MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing to monitor their skills development and learning continuum so as to ensure that they are at grade level standards
At DIS Middle School we teach:
1. Language Arts: Collections – Vocabulary Workshop
2. Math: Glenco Math
3. Science: Alpha Science (NGSS) – Holt
4. Computer Science: Online with Computer
5. Social Studies: World Geography (HMH) – World History (HMH) – Psychology (Holt)
6. Second Language: French or German
7. Physical Education
8. Creative Arts
9. Performing Arts: Music – Dance – Drama
In addition to the Ministry subjects:
1. Arabic language
2. Social Studies
3. Religion (Islam or Christianity)
* We follow the Common Core Standards for Language Arts and Math and Next Generation Science Standards