Middle School A Welcoming and Safe Space for Students with Learning Disabilities

Groves Academy strives to make an illuminating education available to all students. Approximately 35% of our families receive partial tuition assistance each year. Last year, we awarded $1.8 million in tuition assistance. Take a moment to learn about our current tuition, tuition assistance, tax deductions/credits, saving programs, and loans.

We invite you to experience Groves Academy for yourself. Register now to explore Groves Academy where you will begin with a tour and continue with a presentation and Q&A session led by our admissions team.

Register for Open House

Monday through Thursday: 8:25 am–3:00 pm
Friday: 8:25 am–1:00 pm
Saturday through Sunday: Closed

Before- and after-care are available.

3200 Highway 100 South, St. Louis Park, MN 55416

Contact us with your questions and to request more information.

Contact Us

The Wilson Reading System^® uses an Orton–Gillingham approach to reading instruction, using direct, systematic, code-based, interactive, and multimodal instruction. It provides the skills necessary to decode (read) words and passages accurately and fluently, and encode (spell) with ease.

Wilson Just Words^® is a fast-paced, sophisticated study of word structure. It provides direct and explicit teaching of “how English works” for decoding and spelling automaticity.

The literature program provides instruction in plot and setting development, character analysis, and identifying types of conflicts. Basic comprehension skills are reviewed in the study of literature. Our curriculum also helps students hone higher level comprehension skills such as predicting outcomes, making inferences, and paraphrasing.

Students learn to improve sentences by expanding them and using more robust vocabulary. Focus is directed towards writing substantial paragraphs with a topic sentence, details, and a conclusion. Multi-paragraph essays emphasize proper organization and a variety of styles. Students complete a multi-media research report stressing the organization of a project with numerous tasks and due dates leading to completion. The writing curriculum is based on The Writing Revolution^® by Judith C. Hochman.

Placement is determined by student performance, student testing level, and teacher recommendation.

Our world geography courses strengthen the study skills of textbook reading and analysis, interpreting visual information, note-taking, test preparation, using reference materials, and working cooperatively within a group to accomplish a common goal. Students expand their experiences by considering how the past affects us now and into the future and how events in other parts of the world influence what happens in the United States.

The general science courses develop and reinforce the scientific process skills. These skills include measuring, comparing, inferring, calculating, recording data, making predictions, and applying information to daily life. It is taught as a three-year cycle that includes topics in life science and earth science.

• Year 1: Earth’s Atmosphere, Diversity of Living Things, and Earth’s Water
• Year 2: Life Over Time, Space Science, and Ecology
• Year 3: Human Biology, The Changing Earth, and Earth’s Surface

The development and implementation of skills and strategies are emphasized throughout instruction and participation. Activities also help increase a cognitive awareness of the physical and social benefits of exercise. Teamwork, cooperation, sportsmanship, and safety awareness are fundamental principles that are addressed.

Our health courses help students obtain, interpret, and understand health information and develop life skills essential to enhancing and maintaining overall wellness. Students are engaged in learning through participation in class discussions, role-plays, group initiatives, peer teaching, and other hands-on classroom activities.

The art program develops a foundation of art knowledge to equip students with the skills to study, critique, and create successful art. This is achieved through the study of the elements and principles of design, creating art using different mediums, creativity, art history, and peer critique.

The home science courses provide fundamental life skills, including basic cooking, sewing, and clothing/fabric care. Home Science lessons engage students in multi-sensory and interactive classroom activities providing natural opportunities for peer socialization, collaboration, and teamwork. Global, cultural, and nutritional influences are integrated into the curriculum, encouraging students to explore new foods, recipes, and cooking techniques.

Each Middle School student is provided a laptop computer with assistive technology to support learning. They are taught how to use it and our school network as well as finding and accessing information online, responsible computer use, and other basic computer knowledge.

Students build self-confidence and develop good social and communication skills that can help improve their learning ability and comprehension within our school and in their future lives. In middle school, the majority of the theater curriculum focuses on audiovisual arts and communication, participation in the production of the weekly Groves News broadcast, creating news and information podcasts, or writing and filming PSA presentations for in-house use by the health department.

The music courses provide a well-rounded musical experience covering music fundamentals, music creation, performance, and critical listening skills. The many activities include (but are not limited to) active participation in music ensembles, exposure to a variety of live and recorded music, and exploration of music recording and transcribing technology.