Academics
Flexibility is our secret-sauce for academic success.
Our desire to meet a student’s unique needs, interests, and aspirations is of the foremost importance at Metropolitan Schoolhouse. We make flexibility a core focus when making curricular decisions. If a student is not able to thrive in a class, we make our best effort to present modifications and set into action an individualized plan that ensures they are receiving the most effective learning experiences.
Curriculum for all grade levels.
High School
Our primary goal for each of our high school students is college preparedness. That said, this goal goes beyond college admission. Our high school students will not only be knowledgeable in regards to academic content, but be competent in life skills necessary for success in college and beyond. In order to achieve this goal, we integrate community service and real world application throughout the academic program.
Our small class sizes create opportunities for differentiated learning plans to aide students in achieving individual goals and foster a love of learning. Metro leverages traditional curriculums that comply with national standards while emphasizing a contemporary approach to learning that meets the needs of our learners and prepares them for success. Our classes and schedules vary each year depending on our student population. Each year we develop groupings of core academic and extracurricular classes that meet the diverse needs of our students socially and emotionally and prepares them for college and the workforce.
Kindergarten – 8th grade
Our K-8 Pods nurture a strong development of foundational math and reading skills through targeted, science-based approaches. Our students build upon their skill sets in a way that is meaningful and prepare them for the next school year and beyond.
At Metro, we focus on creating opportunities throughout the curriculum. Metro students learn about the world through being a part of it. Whether it is through conducting an experiment in science, role-playing in Social Studies, or creating a business plan for a lemonade stand in math, understanding the “why” drives what we do in the classroom and informs what we learn.
We teach beyond the core disciplines…
Our education model cultivates real-world learning experiences. We integrate core subject matter with additional supports to achieve dynamic and practical learning to incentivize student engagement.
Mathematics
Utilizing a multi-modality approach, Metro supports mastery of foundational skills and provides opportunities to deepen the understanding of conceptual math and how it is utilized in the real world.
English Language Arts
We strive to help students build a variety of reading and writing skills that will not only serve as a foundation for learning, but also support the communication of thoughts, opinions, and ideas as we serve as contributors to our community both in and out of school.
Science
Content is best learned when it is applied. Through hands-on practice of the scientific method along with integration of our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Science) initiative, we aim to bring real world application and multi sensory learning into every science lesson.
History & Social Studies
History and Social Studies are the foundation of intercultural understanding.Through learning about our past, geography, belief systems, resources, and relationships we begin to understand our differences and the threads that connect us all.
Holistic Learning Classes
We seek to facilitate the development of the whole child by providing time and space for learning to take place in a variety of avenues. Each year we evaluate our student population and create a comprehensive program with the aim of fostering essential life skills. Classes may include Movement, Social-Emotional Learning, Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts, Urban Homesteading, Health, Library, and Independent Research Classes.
Foreign Language
All students participate in foreign language courses. We offer two languages- Spanish and Hebrew. These classes are taught in a multi-modality approach which focuses on building language proficiency through a wide range of listening, speaking, writing, and reading activities.
…and we love to get extra-curricular.
Effective learning extends beyond the classroom. We bring in experts, embark on field trips, lead weekly clubs, and pilot new programs that enrich and integrate learning in authentic contexts.
Social Club
“What do I do if a friend asks me to grab a smoothie with them?”
Social Club will give our students an opportunity to interact with peers in community-based settings. We’ll practice “hanging out”, act as the “social committee” for Metro, prepare for special projects/days, continue building on school-based relationships, increase confidence in community spaces, and have a blast!
Chef Metro
“What tools and ingredients do I need to prepare a grilled cheese?”
From reading recipes to shopping for ingredients to cooking delicious delights, dive into Metro’s first full culinary experience! By the end of this club we’ll have the skills needed to plan and create multi-course meals that include appetizers, entrees, and dessert!
STEM and Stories
“How can we ensure Humpy Dumpty doesn’t break his shell?”
We’ll collaborate with peers to creatively solve problem using the Scientific Method, and STEM skills. We’ll save an egg from the impact of being dropped off Metro’s second story landing, create a building to withstand category 1 winds, and more!
Animation Club
“How do animators create stories with art and motion?”
We’ll learn about digital animation and focus on the development of characters and scenes through drawing. Come work on technology skills, learn about how art and technology are related, and be creative!
1:1 Lessons
“What additional opportunities are available to further my personal development?”
Develop specialized skills with Individualized, 1:1 lessons. Explore and learn advanced academic concepts such as piano, Hebrew, test preparation, and special hobby subjects.
Contact us to inquire on lesson availability and pricing.
Workshops, events, & more.
Our school hosts workshops and events throughout the year to promote the quest for knowledge and emotional wellness, encourage community engagement, and explore the many tools and techniques that help students thrive.
English Language Arts
SLANT is a structured literacy method, based on the Science of Reading, that is supported by systematic and explicit teaching materials that incorporate multi-sensory instructional techniques and emphasize the structure of the English language.
Effective reading instruction consists of the following: phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Each of these components are included in each SLANT lesson.
SLANT is common core aligned and can be used in both small group and individualized instruction. SLANT® materials are not leveled by readability, instead they are written to be 100% decodable based on the teaching sequence. For this reason, they can be used at any grade level.
Metro uses SLANT® as a supplement to general education instruction, providing our students expanded opportunities to understand and practice important decoding, word attack and spelling strategies.
Star Wars Shakespeare
English Language Arts
Our new Star Wars Shakespeare unit is a theatre-based literacy class that introduces students to Shakespeare’s style of writing through a beloved pop culture icon: Star Wars. This approach makes the language both fun and accessible. In class, students will read author Ian Doscher’s William Shakespeare’s Star Wars series, aloud. They will encounter iambic pentameter, rhyming couplets, blank verse and prose writing. Their vocabulary, writing, and reading skills will grow over the course of the year. They will come away from the class with increased confidence in their ability to decode and understand complex language. Additionally, theatre games that focus on team building, collaboration, creative thinking and listening will be incorporated into the class. The games will give students the skills to select and perform scenes from William Shakespeare’s Star Wars at the end of the year.
Movement
Bel Air Martial Arts & Fitness offers Jiu-Jitsu classes for our students every Friday morning. This ground-based martial art focuses on self-defense techniques to overcome larger and stronger opponents through proper technique and leverage. In addition to working out, Jiu-Jitsu instills crucial life skills such as self-discipline, focus, and confidence. Unique to Jiu-Jitsu is its ability to immerse students deeply in the activity, particularly during sparring, fostering a state of intense concentration.
Moreover, Jiu-Jitsu equips students with the tools to regulate their bodies and emotions in challenging situations and facilitates back-and-forth collaborative interactions. In summary, Jiu-Jitsu is like an advanced version of roughhousing; it is a lot of fun. As a result, students often leave class with a smile, more in tune with their minds, bodies, and emotions, and ready to tackle the rest of their day.
Become a Metro family.
If you’re interested in applying to join our Metro family, we strongly encourage you to do so. We’ll invite you in for a tour and get a jump start on making sure we’re a great fit!