Keene Middle School embraces the educational philosophy which seeks to meet the intellectual, social, emotional and physical needs of the middle school learner. Located in downtown Keene (next to City Hall), the school provides 6th, 7th and 8th grades for the children of Keene and for several neighboring communities. KMS offers a challenging and enriched curriculum, an abundance of extra curricular opportunities and a qualified and caring faculty. The school is large, yet the "school within a school" configuration creates small communities of learning that give each child the individual identity that is so important to pre-adolescent development.

Keene Middle School has been approved by the National Middle School Association. KMS meets or exceeds all state standards as approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education. Keene Middle School is also among the very few New England middle schools that meets all of the standards for effective middle schools prescribed by the Carnegie Corporation's Turning Points.

Currently Keene Middle School enrolls about 725 students with a little over 200 in grade six and approximately 250 in each of the other two grades. Keene students enter Keene Middle School at grade six, as do those students from the town of Stoddard. Students from Harrisville, Nelson and Marlow will enter at grade seven. Students completing grade eight go on to Keene High School.

Students at each grade level are assigned to a "cluster" of approximately 100 students. Each cluster is taught by a "team" of teachers. Generally the team is comprised of a teacher from each discipline and is responsible for the majority of the students' day. Students remain with their team of teachers for the school year and in ensuing years students are redistributed into new clusters with new teams in the upper grades. Every effort is made to have each cluster of students exactly alike in composition (boy - girl ratio, learning styles, interests, abilities, etc.). The cluster - team configuration allows students and teachers to know each other well and individual needs and learning styles can be well addressed. Two teams at each grade level also includes special education teachers.

There are two assistant principals at KMS. They have responsibility to one of the upper grades while each oversees a cluster in grade six. There are three guidance counselors, and secretary are assigned to each grade. These individuals remain with their group of students through the three years that the students attend KMS. The result is a more personal approach to education as students, teachers, and support staff all become familiar with each other as a rather large institution is broken down into small communitites of learning. Most classes at KMS have enrollments of between 20 and 25 students. Many speciality areas (second languages, special education, art industrial technology, etc.) have class sizes considerably smaller to better meet the individual needs in those learning areas.

The nearly 725 strong student body is broken down into three horizontal grade level houses. Each of these is further reduced to three distinct clusters of students and three different teams of teachers. Homerooms within a cluster are then divided into two distinct "advisories" ranging in size from 13-20 students. Advisories meet everyday. The goal is to give every student an adult advisor who knows them better than others, advocates for them, leads discussions in sometimes sensitive but necessary topics, promotes community service, and leads the group through a series of grade level themes. In addition to regular teachers, advisors include such personnel as the school's psychologist, specialty teachers, and teacher associates. An effective advisory program is an important cornerstone at KMS. As a result every student has at least on adult he/she can turn to for any reason.

Keene Middle School is committed to excellence in teaching and holds high academic expectations for both its students and faculty members. More than 50% of KMS teachers have earned advanced degrees and the average teaching experience is in excess of 14 years. The KMS faculty comprises 58 full time and 4 part-time teachers. The staff also includes 12 teacher associates, 4 full and part time specialists, and a number of tutors to assist in special teaching assignments. The school library has a media generalist to manage materials and services and a full time nurse is employed to provide health services to students.

Keene Middle School offers a challenging and enriching curriculum distinctive at each grade. Students at each grade level (6th, 7th, and 8th) receive English, mathematics, science and social studies on a daily basis. Grade six students also have reading instruction daily. Seventh and eighth grade readers who are performing below average receive reading instruction on an every-other-day basis. All students receive physical education, art, a music elective and health for each of the years they attend KMS. Computer instruction includes keyboarding skills at grade six and challenging instruction at grades seven and eight. Food preparation and nutrition (home economics) and technology education are also provided for seventh and eighth graders. French or Spanish instruction is a required offering in every grade. Most students begin second language instruction at grade five and the instruction is continued through the middle school and further developed later on a continuum at Keene High School. Students at KMS may elect to have extra reading or other special service in place of a second language if this is required by an individualized educational plan.

Academic excellence at KMS is recognized and rewarded. Close to 60% of KMS students attain honor roll status and are noted in school postings in the local newspapers. High honors are similarly recognized with an additional social function, school-wide assembly recognition, and awards at Achievement Day ceremonies. Traditionally, only about 10% of students are able to attain this rigorous academic standing each quarter.

The special needs student has a variety of services available to assist in meeting the goals of Individual Educational Plans (I.E.P.s). At the top of this list is the commitment and focus of the entire staff to meet the needs of all students and to accomplish this, whenever possible, within the regular classroom. Augmenting the classroom efforts are three resource rooms (one at each grade level), a non-categorical program, and an alternative classroom for students who need the extra support it provides. A full-time psychologist and full time Director of Special Services are also available. In addition, services from speech and language specialists, occupational therapists, visual specialists, physical therapists, and adaptive physical education teachers are also available to students. All special education programs are staffed with qualified teachers and other support personnel. English as a Second Language (ESL) is also available for students who have come to this country with a language other than English.

Keene Middle School is particularly proud of its fine arts programs. The school features two new art classrooms (which qualify as "state of the art"), a spacious new band room, a specially constructed choral room, and the largest auditorium in the greater Keene community. The auditorium is also the largest and most recently renovated facility of its kind available in any N.H. Middle School. 49% of KMS students elect to take chorus and 38% participate in one or more of our six performing bands. Both chorus and band have performing groups at each grade level. KMS bands are well known for their level of performance and are cause for particular pride for the entire Keene community. A number of KMS students traditionally are annually selected to the All-State Chorus and Band groups.

Extra-curricula opportunities are available in many fine arts areas such as Art Club and Jazz Band. The Drama Club draws an annual enrollment of as many as 120 interested students, producing two or three plays each year as well as a student talent show each spring. The KMS Dance Company is our newest fine arts offering for interested students.

Computer instruction is a part of each student's curriculum at KMS. Keyboarding skills are the focus of instruction at grade six. Seventh graders learn the many phases of Appleworks programs which include word processing, data base, and spread-sheet skills. Grade eight instruction further develops these skills and adds desk top publishing, computer aided design, and computer programmed robotic concepts. Industrial technology has evolved into Technology Education and consists of self-paced, cooperative learning modules taught in a state of the art room, the first of its kind in any New Hampshire middle school. In food preparation and nutrition food preparation and healthy eating habits are emphasized and this classroom has been newly renovated.

The KMS curriculum includes physical education requirements for every student in every grade. Physical education classes stress both individual fitness as well as recreational and team sports activities. Health classes at each grade level teach pre-adolescents hygiene, nutrition, chemical abuse prevention, and HIV/AIDS information. In addition, considerably more instruction about growing up in good physical, emotional, and intellectual health are also essential components.

The after school program includes a well-rounded intramural program which is available to all students. These programs are seasonal and include field hockey, basketball, volleyball, softball, and floor hockey.

Interscholastic sports include cross country, girls field hockey, boys wrestling, girls and boys soccer, basketball, and track. Games and meets include local competition as well as competition with schools in Concord, Manchester, Nashua, and Massachusetts. Events are primarily on school day afternoons and occasionally on Saturdays. There is a strict academic and behavioral standard for students to meet in order to participate on an interscholastic team or any other after school activity.

KMS is a mixture of the old and the new. The original building was constructed in 1912. Other additions were added in 1927,1940,1971, and 1985. Originally constructed as a high school, the facility became a junior high school in 1960 and was renamed "Keene Middle School" in 1992. The school offers 70 different, major instructional areas, 52 of them being traditional classrooms. Our science labs, life skills room, art rooms (including a darkroom and kiln), and music areas are the newest instructional areas, and second to none in size and function. Our gymnasium has recently been refurbished and serves physical education classes, after school intramurals, and interscholastic sports. Our main athletic field is directly behind the building (not visible from the front) and accomodates physical education, intramural programs, field hockey, and soccer. KMS also has full access to an additional field on Carpenter Street (3 blocks east) for interscholastic games and practices, as well as the Keene High School all-weather track and cross country properties. Computer services are offered in two different computer laboratories. One lab is expressly reserved for instructional purposes for 7th and 8th graders (26 modern computer stations) and the other can be utilized for grade 6 keyboarding and general classes (28 stations). The Instructional Media Center (library) contains over 15,000 hard and soft bound volumes, 96 periodicals and a variety of audio/visual materials for student and staff use. Two card catalog workstations aid in locating material and there are two banks of computers available for student use. Macintosh computers with modems allow students the opportunity to access a variety of research and information systems worldwide. Industrial Technology has evolved into a Technology Education program, with eight high-technology modules for student use. This is presently the first and only program of its kind in a New Hampshire middle school and includes technologies using lasers, fiberoptics, aerodynamics, pnuematics, computer aided design, and computerized milling machines.

Keene Middle School also utilizes a satellite dish, and, through this technology, provides access to interactive nationwide educational programming. Students from Keene Middle School have participated in national teleconferences and there are plans for more in the future. Further technology is evident in every classroom. Wall-mounted televisions are wired to a master system within the school which gives broadcast capability to every classroom. Educational television opportunities are also avaiable to every room and a student produced morning news program begins each day at KMS.

Telephones are also located in every room and a state of the art, networked computer is available in every classroom for teacher and student use.