Middle School Renovations

Moon Area School District’s secondary schools construction continued into the 2010-2011 school year. In January 2011, the new Moon Area High School was completed and opened for students and staff. Construction on the old high school began after students moved out. The building is currently being renovated into a new middle school set to open for grades 5-8 in the fall of 2012.
Crews have begun to drywall and enclose the building, and have filled in the old pool area. Classrooms are beginning to form. There will be no pool in the new Middle School; that area instead will be new world language and health classrooms.
The school will allow for more academic opportunities and teaming for the middle school students. There will be increased technology including revamped technology education classrooms; a television production studio appropriate for middle school age students; large group instruction areas; and an art suite. Other highlights will include a cafeteria with stations like in the new high school; science labs for all grades; an updated library and media center; a refurbished auditorium; a music suite redesigned for choral, band, and orchestra with practice rooms; a new LGI for team activities and faculty meetings; a new fitness center; and skylight windows. 
Fifth and sixth grade will be housed primarily on the first floor, and seventh and eighth grade will be on the second floor with separate bathrooms for each grade. Lastly, cafeteria lunch periods will hold only one grade level at a time.      
Middle School Principal Melissa Heasley held parent meetings throughout 2011 to forecast what parents need to know regarding schedule changes for next year. Curriculums are currently being updated to correspond with fifth grade being moved to the building, and to ease transitioning from grade to grade. An additional eighth grade language arts class focused on writing is being designed.
Grade five will have six teams of approximately 50 students per team with two teachers for each team; one for Math/Science, and one for Language Arts/Social Studies. Fifth and sixth grade will operate on a block schedule.

Grade six will have four teams of approximately 75 students per team with three teachers for each team; one for Math, one for Language Arts, and one for Science/Social Studies.

Grades seven and eight will have three teams of approximately 100 students per team with five teachers for each team; one for Math, one for Language Arts, one for Reading/Writing, one for Science, and one for Social Studies.