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Are you looking for the best academy middle schools for your child? Middle school is such a critical time for a child. The transition from child to adolescent occurs in middle school; finding the best academy middle school for your child is the best way to ensure that they enter high school with self-confidence and prepared for success. While searching for the best academy middle school, make sure that you ask yourself the following questions:


Five Questions for Identifying the Best Academy Middle School for Your Child

1. Does the school have extracurricular activities that inspire my child?
   As they say, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.” Likewise, you can give a child the best academics in the world, but you can’t force them to learn. Not all children are incentived by grades and honors programs. The trick to getting a child who isn’t interested in school to stay engaged and excelling is to meet them where they are. Maybe they don’t enjoy mathematics, but they love playing sports. Make sure the middle school they attend promotes athletics, so they have a source of enjoyment that keeps them involved and engaged in the entire process.
   
   
   Consider what your child’s needs are and what inspires them, and find a middle school that offers those things.




2. Does the school provide a safe community that is inclusive of all children?
   Middle school can be a difficult period for a child. Children who are middle school age can be so mean to each other. If a child does not feel included throughout middle school, it could make them label themselves and destroy their self esteem, which they’ll carry with them throughout their journey to adulthood. It is essential to find a middle school for your child that promotes equality, diversity, and acceptance of all children. This way, your child will enter high school with both the self-confidence to know their own value, and a mindset that promotes inclusiveness with others.
3. Do parents have an opportunity to participate in the child’s education?
   
   A successful education is almost always a partnership between the student’s teachers and faculty, and their family. Before selecting a middle school for your child, ask about how parents can be involved in their kids’ education. You want to know that volunteering is always welcome. You want to know that there is always an open channel of communication between the teacher and parents, through email, phone calls, and perhaps an online portal. If you have a concern, you want to know that your input is heard and valued. You want to know that regular parent-teacher conferences are a regular part of the process, so that you’re always apprised of your child’s progress, and how you can help them succeed.




4. What amount of homework can we expect the child to need to complete after school hours?
   
   In some cases, homework is necessary. Some kids learn through doing and repetition. However, this is your child’s only chance to be a child. They should not have to spend the entire day at school, and then spend the whole night doing homework. They should have evenings available to do activities that they enjoy, spend time with their family, and learn through exploring and interacting with the world around them.
   
   
   Before choosing a middle school for your child, make sure the workload that the child is expected to carry after the final school bell rings aligns with what you think is best for them. After all, you know your child and their needs best.




5. How is a student disciplined, if it’s necessary?
   When you have twenty to thirty children in one room, chaos is bound to arise from time to time. Sometimes, a child has to learn that their actions are not acceptable. However, if discipline is carried out in a way that is not appropriate for the child’s temperament, it can shut them down and lead to long term detriment to their education. Make sure the school’s policy on discipline jives with the way your child responds to correction.

We want to hear from you. What factors do you find important while searching for a middle school for your child? Please share with us in the comment section below.