Serving grades 4-8, MCCPS promotes the integration of knowledge and its application to everyday life with integrated units based on essential questions and understanding goals.  These units are an effective vehicle to ensure integration of knowledge across disciplines and application of knowledge to everyday life. At the conclusion of each 13-week trimester, all students are required to exhibit a variety of interdisciplinary exhibition projects as part of their academic evaluation. These projects are designed and developed by interdisciplinary teams of teachers to integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines, connect to real-life experiences, and cultivate essential skills and habits. Exhibition projects are geared toward enhancing academic success, encouraging productive attitudes, and developing habits of lifelong learning.

During the two years our teachers work to strengthen the foundational skills students will need to be successful in our Upper School. Our 4th graders are assigned a 7th grade mentor and that relationship continues for two years. We explicitly teach students how to be a student here at MCCPS. This includes learning new technology, public speaking skills, and how to successfully work as a team to solve problems and produce high-quality projects and presentations of learning

Grades 6-7-8 build upon the solid foundation laid in the Lower School, fostering a seamless transition for our students. As students progress, they have the privilege of enjoying increased autonomy and a stronger voice in shaping their learning paths, including the opportunity for accelerated math instruction. We encourage our students to explore their passions and take ownership of their education. Part of our commitment to holistic learning involves the cultivation of leadership skills and a sense of responsibility towards the community. In the Upper School, our students have a wonderful opportunity to mentor younger students, fostering a culture of collaboration and support within our school.

We understand that learning extends beyond the confines of the classroom and place great emphasis on providing unique and immersive experiences through project-based learning, community service learning, and community building adventures.  These real-world experiences complement the curriculum and empower students to apply their knowledge in practical, meaningful ways.

MCCPS students showcase their learning in a public exhibition of student project work that integrates important skills and content from the disciplines while addressing the relevant global theme. Many integrated projects incorporate the visual and performing arts as well as core skills and knowledge related to math, science, global studies, and/or language arts. Community service-learning is also integrated into the curriculum through project work, and many exhibition projects aim to connect disciplinary standards and benchmarks to the world outside of school.