Long Valley Middle School

Long Valley Middle School is a middle school located in Long Valley, New Jersey. Serving students grades 6-8, it is part of Washington Township Schools.

Each grade is divided into three "houses" with approximately equal numbers of students. Each 'house' is assigned a numerical code which consists of the grade level followed by the house number, I.E. 7-3, 8-2.

Each house has five teachers; they each teach separate subjects in addition to their homeroom classes. The subjects are as follows; Science, English, History, and Arithmetic. In addition, one teacher is assigned to "special needs" children or SPED, Special Education.

In addition to the standard four subjects, students participate in a language and two elective courses. The student can choose between either French or Spanish. There are two sets of electives; those available vary according to grade. In the seventh and eighth grades, students follow 60-day cycles of their first electives. Students in the Gifted and Talented or Instrumental ensemble programs may choose from courses in these two topics, in addition to the standard choices. In the sixth grade, students alternate between a language and an elective for the duration of the school year. Also during the day the students get a chance to catch on homework or do certain assignments. This is a period called Flex Period. It is not at the same time for all grades. The time of day it occurs depends on the day.

The second set of 'electives' rotates in 10-day cycles, and the student does not have choice in their assignments. They travel between classes in groups, in which they remain for the entire year.

There are a wide variety of clubs and bands, such as the art club, which produces decorations for the Modern Dance Club and Band/Orchestra recitals, Choir, String Orchestra, the literary magazine, various sports teams, Spanish club, Computer club, and many other select musical groups.

Gifted or above-average students may be accepted into the elite advanced academic program, such as the accelerated math program, with Miss Colasurdo in the 2008 and 2009 school year. She will cover a self-made curriculum from basic numerical operations to high-school level algebra and geometry. The other gifted program is taught by Ms Ried, and includes a mentally cultivating program to encourage students to think creatively. "Workshop" students may take electives as part of their schedule that focus on specific goals and studies. In the sixth grade, students learn about the renaissance time period. In their seventh year, they have the option of taking the SAT reasoning test and learning about different universities. In their final year, students work on their public speaking skills.