We Make Middle School Make Sense
As adolescents enter middle school, they’re ready for greater academic challenges, more responsibility, and a deeper understanding of who they are and how they contribute. At Sunstone Middle School, students advance in mathematics, the hard sciences, and language arts by applying their knowledge to meaningful, real-world work, from managing a farm and running a business to taking ownership of their education. Through this purposeful work, rigorous academics become relevant, lasting, and connected to life beyond the classroom.
Their Farm. Their Responsibility.
Our campus sprawls across twelve acres on Kellogg Creek, complete with goats, gardens, and woods. When kids join our program, they become the stewards of our grounds. Every day carries tasks and real world deadlines set by animals and seasons, and teaches something ordinary classrooms can’t: that real responsibility doesn’t grade on a curve.
Real Math. Real Science.
Running a farm requires mastery of the hard sciences. Students learn chemistry by monitoring soils. They practice the Pythagorean theorem squaring garden beds, and persuasive writing pitching farmer’s markets. A poor pitch or off calculation can ruin carefully plotted budgets. They don’t just own mastery of a subject, they own the result as well.
Real Results
We see remarkable transformation in our students. Graduates routinely show college undergraduate levels of proficiency on standardized tests, and our alumni attend Northwest Academy, the Milwaukie Academy of the Arts, Riverdale, and Riverside, among other programs.
A Real Sense of Self
Adolescence is a fragile time, where identities are still being formed. Negative experiences can turn kids off sports, math, or socialization for years to come. Our calm, rural setting is the perfect home base for us to push kids outside their comfort zones. They’ll try new things here, challenge themselves academically, and develop self possession and a deep passion for lifelong learning.
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Tailored Academic Plans
We use standardized tests to benchmark academic strengths and gaps, and develop custom work plans for each student.
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A Curriculum Unlike Any Other
We teach in academic units that require students to learn a wide variety of interdisciplinary skills that blend math and hard sciences with the humanities.
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Weekly Checkins
Each week, every student sits down one-on-one with a guide to discuss their work plan progress: what’s on pace, what’s drifting, what needs to change.
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Demonstrable Growth
We end each year with a second test to benchmark academic improvement, for a more complete picture on student progress.
Areas of Curriculum
Areas of Growth & Development
- Academic Preparation: Students strengthen the academic skills, study habits, and critical thinking needed to succeed in high school.
- Time Management & Organization: Students learn to manage their time, prioritize responsibilities, and navigate long-term assignments with increasing independence.
- Self-Advocacy & Reflection: Students develop the confidence to communicate their needs, reflect on their progress, and take ownership of their learning.
- Resilience & Adaptability: Students build the skills to navigate new expectations, approach challenges, and adapt to changing environments.
- Purposeful, Real-World Work: Students engage in meaningful work that connects academic concepts to real-life challenges, helping them understand the purpose and value of their learning.
- Interdisciplinary Connections: Students apply knowledge across mathematics, science, humanities, economics, and creative expression to explore complex questions and solve practical problems.
- Learning by Doing: Through hands-on projects, outdoor learning, and work with Sunstone’s gardens, animals, and campus resources, students turn abstract concepts into tangible experiences.
- Problem-Solving & Innovation: Students investigate authentic challenges, test ideas, analyze results, and adapt their approaches as they develop practical skills and creative solutions.
- Agency & Responsibility: Students take ownership of meaningful projects that contribute to their community, building confidence, initiative, and an understanding of how their work makes a difference.
- Curiosity & Engagement: By connecting learning to their interests and the world around them, students sustain their natural curiosity and discover the satisfaction of purposeful work.
- Student-Led Exploration: Students pursue personal interests through self-directed projects, researching questions, developing skills, and bringing original ideas to life.
- Creative Problem-Solving: Students imagine possibilities, design solutions, and apply critical thinking to authentic challenges within their school and broader community.
- Hands-On Creation: Through building, making, designing, and experimenting, students turn ideas into tangible outcomes while developing craftsmanship and resourcefulness.
- Creative Expression: Students explore diverse forms of expression, including photography, theater, music, dance, filmmaking, and other creative pursuits that reflect their interests and emerging identities.
- Collaboration & Presentation: Students share their discoveries, creations, and ideas with others, strengthening their communication skills and learning from different perspectives.
- Agency & Innovation: Students are encouraged to take initiative, experiment, and learn from the process, cultivating the confidence and adaptability to approach new challenges with creativity and purpose.
- Self-Awareness & Reflection: Students develop a deeper understanding of their emotions, values, strengths, and emerging identities through guided reflection and meaningful discussion.
- Emotional Regulation: Students practice mindfulness and stress-management strategies that help them navigate strong emotions, manage challenges, and respond thoughtfully.
- Resilience & Well-Being: Students build the skills to navigate the changes and uncertainties of adolescence with greater confidence, adaptability, and self-compassion.
- Ethical Reasoning & Perspective-Taking: Through humanities, current events, and dialogue, students explore complex social and global issues, consider diverse perspectives, and clarify their own values.
- Purposeful Action: Students learn to channel their convictions and emotions into constructive action, developing the empathy, responsibility, and confidence to contribute positively to their communities.
Come See for Yourself!
Tours run weekly.
45 minutes, parents only.
We look forward to sharing Sunstone with you!