Welcome to HTA's Middle School!
Grades 6-8
HTA's highly qualified Middle School team propels students in a trajectory of academic excellence by delivering innovative and rigorous content through HTA’s unique blended learning model while fostering a deep love of learning. Students engage in face-to-face instruction, synchronous and asynchronous virtual learning, and experiential learning where they gain hands-on experience in a variety of subjects.
Curriculum and Instruction
CURRICULUM
As a public charter school, HTA courses align with the Hawaii Common Core State Standards. These standards are designed to prepare students for college and career readiness. The Hawaii Common Core Standards is not a curriculum, but rather the collection of standards that define what each student should understand or be able to complete at each grade level.
As a public charter school, HTA courses align with the Hawaii Common Core State Standards. These standards are designed to prepare students for college and career readiness. The Hawaii Common Core Standards is not a curriculum, but rather the collection of standards that define what each student should understand or be able to complete at each grade level.
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INSTRUCTION
Instruction at HTA is delivered in a variety of formats, including face-to-face, synchronous virtual, experiential, and asynchronous online. There are many different approaches to teaching students during face-to-face instruction. Among those most often used are: whole group, small group, collaborative activities, and labs. These same modes of instruction can be applied in the virtual setting as well. HTA uses Zoom for its virtual platform. Online instruction at HTA includes Lincoln Empowered lessons, teacher-created lessons, teacher-designed projects, and teacher- selected online curriculum. Students also take part in independent learning through the guidance of a parent or guardian Learning Coach and support from a certified teacher. |
COURSES
Middle school students take courses in the four core content areas of Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. |
*Please note this schedule reflects HTA's traditional pre-COVID blended learning schedule*
Field Studies/Experiential Learning
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FIELD STUDIES
Students participate in work that is authentic, relevant and engaging. Whether it is developing an understanding of marine mammal conservation efforts at Dolphin Quest or the history of WII at Pearl Harbor, they are connecting with their community and the world around them. Through Field Studies and Experiential Learning, our students have steady opportunities to practice and refine the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. They grow and progress in their ability to apply HTA’s set of key, 21st century skills and traits in real world contexts. |
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Placed-Based Education (PBE) & Project-Based Learning (PBL)
PLACE-BASED EDUCATION
To be an effective teacher, educators must develop a deep understanding of the place they are working in and find ways to make that place central to their classroom practice. Knowledge of place and the cultural competency that goes along with it is primarily gained through building relationships with students, parents, and the wide variety of people who make up a school and its surrounding community. This includes teachers taking students out to specific sites to experience Hawaii’s natural environment and learn about the various ways in which the history, economics, geography, and politics of Hawai‘i give context and opportunities for students to apply knowledge. HTA teachers make field studies and community events an integral part of their curriculum to encourage place-based learning. At the Middle School level, HTA offers the program pbHTA.
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
It is important that students are given an extended period to delve deeply into a problem or an investigation that addresses an inquiry question. The experiential nature of PBL often takes the students beyond the four walls of the classroom, whether through the use of technology or by physically walking out their school doors. As a result of these learning experiences, students gain not only deeper content knowledge but also the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills that will enable them to be successful in their higher education pursuits, in the workforce, and as engaged members of their community.
To be an effective teacher, educators must develop a deep understanding of the place they are working in and find ways to make that place central to their classroom practice. Knowledge of place and the cultural competency that goes along with it is primarily gained through building relationships with students, parents, and the wide variety of people who make up a school and its surrounding community. This includes teachers taking students out to specific sites to experience Hawaii’s natural environment and learn about the various ways in which the history, economics, geography, and politics of Hawai‘i give context and opportunities for students to apply knowledge. HTA teachers make field studies and community events an integral part of their curriculum to encourage place-based learning. At the Middle School level, HTA offers the program pbHTA.
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
It is important that students are given an extended period to delve deeply into a problem or an investigation that addresses an inquiry question. The experiential nature of PBL often takes the students beyond the four walls of the classroom, whether through the use of technology or by physically walking out their school doors. As a result of these learning experiences, students gain not only deeper content knowledge but also the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills that will enable them to be successful in their higher education pursuits, in the workforce, and as engaged members of their community.
EVENTS
Our middle school teachers love to have a good time! Depending on the interests and suggestions of students, they plan for a variety of activities that address not only academic but socio-emotional needs as well: dances, activity days and nights, Ohana Days, field days, ice skating, and even outings to the water park.
Our middle school teachers love to have a good time! Depending on the interests and suggestions of students, they plan for a variety of activities that address not only academic but socio-emotional needs as well: dances, activity days and nights, Ohana Days, field days, ice skating, and even outings to the water park.
STUDENT CLUBS
HTA offers a variety of engaging statewide clubs to our Middle and High school students outside of daily instructional time. We are proud to have an internationally competitive robotics team and award-winning Media Club!
HTA offers a variety of engaging statewide clubs to our Middle and High school students outside of daily instructional time. We are proud to have an internationally competitive robotics team and award-winning Media Club!
Community Partnerships (CP)
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We believe education should be more than the accumulation of knowledge. Learning at HTA is a process of discovery and transformation through pursuing individual passions and encountering new ways of viewing the world. Community Partnerships is a hallmark of an exemplary education that adds rigor, relevance and relations to student learning. HTA teachers work with a variety of community partners in various projects and units to give our students opportunities to practice and refine cognitive skills and dispositions in the real world.
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Support for Students
SCHOOL COUNSELING
HTA strives to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive school community. The Middle School Counseling Office is a critical part of this process. Counselors and Administrators work as a team to support students through the complexities of adolescence. Neighbor islands have one counselor serving students in all grades. At our Oahu Campus, each division has an assigned counselor who stays with them throughout their middle school years– sixth to eighth grade. In this way, the counselors form strong and trusting relationships with students and families. Middle School counselors enhance the learning process and promote academic, career, and social/emotional development. School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set informed career goals, and realize their full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community.
ADVISORY
HTA’s Advisory program promotes meaningful relationships between faculty and students while providing academic and social/emotional support. Through weekly sessions with their advisor, students experience a smaller, more personalized learning environment designed to monitor and support personal well-being and college and career readiness. Each student, along with their counselor and advisor, develops a personalized learning profile (PLP) to map out their individual educational path and set academic and personal goals, which are then presented each semester in student-led conferences.
HTA strives to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive school community. The Middle School Counseling Office is a critical part of this process. Counselors and Administrators work as a team to support students through the complexities of adolescence. Neighbor islands have one counselor serving students in all grades. At our Oahu Campus, each division has an assigned counselor who stays with them throughout their middle school years– sixth to eighth grade. In this way, the counselors form strong and trusting relationships with students and families. Middle School counselors enhance the learning process and promote academic, career, and social/emotional development. School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set informed career goals, and realize their full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community.
ADVISORY
HTA’s Advisory program promotes meaningful relationships between faculty and students while providing academic and social/emotional support. Through weekly sessions with their advisor, students experience a smaller, more personalized learning environment designed to monitor and support personal well-being and college and career readiness. Each student, along with their counselor and advisor, develops a personalized learning profile (PLP) to map out their individual educational path and set academic and personal goals, which are then presented each semester in student-led conferences.
Technology at HTA
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Technology is a critical component of HTA blended learning programs. All students are required to have a laptop. HTA uses Lincoln Empowered, an innovative curriculum that provides a predictable learning routine and seamlessly blends content and the best-in-class technology to create a pathway for students to own their learning. This platform allows teachers to create their own curriculum or utilize the pre developed content.
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Please visit our Locations page to find an HTA campus near you.
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