Organizing middle school students into teams puts a structure in place that provides security in a world that students sometimes see as being hostile. Offering a strong core academic program for all students is essential in a middle school, with the major subject areas identified as math, science, reading, language arts, and social studies. These five subject areas make up the core curriculum at South and Thomas Middle Schools, and each team of teachers includes specialists in these areas. While South and Thomas place appropriate emphasis on these basic subjects, they also encourage students to explore other curricular areas, including foreign language and fine and practical arts. With the specialization that takes place in high school and college, middle school may be the last time students are exposed to some of these subjects.
Technology is incorporated into all curricular areas.
The instructional program in a middle school is designed to ensure that all students have opportunities for success in school. Middle schools encourage cooperative learning and other school experiences that involve all students and help them succeed. The middle school concept encourages heterogeneous grouping of students rather than grouping by ability level. The instructional programs at South and Thomas have been designed to include a variety of types of learning experiences so that students with many different learning styles can benefit from the programs. Most classes are heterogeneously grouped.