Last updated September 7, 2022

The 7A learning community floor plan closely models the design plan for the new middle school building. Students take their English Language Arts and Social Studies courses within the 7A learning community. There are three classroom-sized spaces, and a generous commons area created by reclaiming what was hallway space.

In the classroom spaces, a group of 22 students can share a common learning experience, whether that be receiving direct instruction from their teacher, watching a video, sharing a read-aloud, or collectively learning a new skill. Once this part of the lesson is over, students can break out to a variety of spaces within the commons and classrooms to practice the skills they were just taught.

The commons area has a variety of furniture and zones throughout—collaborative spaces, more private spaces, and acoustically separated rooms or pods. Students find this choice around where to work, who to work with, and, sometimes, how to work very empowering. Teachers circulate throughout the commons, providing personalized and timely feedback to students as they practice what they are learning. Teachers are also working together, collaboratively, learning from each other, and increasing the coherence of the learning program across disciplines which benefits students as well.