Middle School

When students move to the middle school years, Core Knowledge (English and History), Amplify Science, and Singapore Math are blended seamlessly with the Cambridge Lower Secondary learning objectives.

Along the way, students are assessed with formative, summative, and external assessments including curriculum-based assessments, the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), and Cambridge International assessments. Our assessment program is designed expressly to provide insight into a student’s learning so that we can adjust appropriately, not the other way around.

As students move into high school, we guide them through the IGCSE (finishes after grade 10) and onto graduation. What we teach is highly articulated, rigorous, and grounded in a college-preparatory tradition. How we teach is based on research, current best practices in pedagogy, and building a growth mindset.

In our science classrooms, TASIS Portugal students learn to think, collaborate, and communicate like scientists. They are taught how to make sense of evidence they gather from reliable and varied sources and to develop sound scientific arguments about real-world phenomena. With an emphasis on practical application extended beyond the Amplify course, our students learn how to collect and interpret data to reach valid conclusions through varied laboratory activities. Furthermore, they begin to reflect on the methods used in experiments to identify and analyze potential problems and weaknesses. These investigations are incorporated into a rigorous program of scientific knowledge which seeks to provide students with the facts and concepts required to make sense of the main branches of science. Having attentively streamlined the course progression into IGCSE, our aim is for students to leave grade 8 with a thorough understanding of key aspects of biology, chemistry, and physics, which will see them well prepared for further study in IGCSE and ultimately IBDP. 

The Amplify Science course is based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), incorporating the practices that scientists engage in as they investigate and build models and theories about the natural world. Where appropriate, we have supplemented these standards to ensure a seamless transition into the international qualifications that students will pursue in grades 9 and above.

Mathematics

TASIS Portugal is a truly international school – nevertheless, there is one universal language that unites us: Mathematics. Math itself does not differ as we cross borders or cultures, yet the sequencing and methods of instruction are the things that make a significant difference in terms of knowledge and understanding for students. 

Using the same rich approach and amazing foundations as the elementary years, Singapore Math continues in Middle School. This curriculum was thoughtfully developed to ensure students are well prepared for rigorous High School curricula, and its intentional progression of concepts enables students to access to high-level problems which are designed to encourage using Math in real-life contexts. This unique way of teaching requires ongoing teacher training and is vastly different from methods utilized in most schools. 

Read more about the Singapore Math program here.

Coding and Robotics

It is essential that students are prepared to navigate the ever-changing world of technology. Our children exist in a time when the internet, computers, artificial intelligence, and advanced electronics are ubiquitous.

We teach students the art and science of coding, as well as the fun and learning of robotics. We instill in students the values that will guide them to use technology ethically and safely.

Our devoted, native-speaking educators help students develop competency and a passion for languages including French, Spanish, and Portuguese (three levels).

French and Spanish classes are designed so that new learners study alongside more advanced students.

We help start the journey toward proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

The ability to speak articulately, convincingly, and publicly is an essential life skill. TASIS Portugal middle schoolers have rhetoric training and exploration built into their curriculum.

All TASIS Portugal students practice this each year, demonstrate their aptitude within their classes and at assemblies, and in front of the entire school community during our annual TASIS Speaks event.

Physical Education
We believe physical education is as important to a student’s growth, health, and development as other core subjects. Our physical education program helps students develop the motor skills, knowledge, and mindset needed for active living, physical fitness, sportsmanship, self-efficacy, and emotional intelligence.

Our PE curriculum meets the needs of all students, keeps them active, teaches self-management, emphasizes knowledge and skills for a lifetime of physical activity, and, best of all, is fun! After school, we offer team sports including basketball, soccer, and volleyball, as well as a dance academy for all ages.

Competitive Sport
Sports are an important part of our education program here at TASIS Portugal. Competition plays a role in motivating students to perform and excel and offers more than just the winning prize. It improves teamwork and collaboration, enhances social and emotional learning, increases intrinsic motivation and tenacity, builds mental and physical toughness, fosters a spirit of sportsmanship, and helps individuals deal with stress. Students who compete learn resilience from losses and how to win with grace.

Our middle school students are required to choose at least one competitive sport for at least one school term per year. Examples include:

• Football (Soccer) 
• Basketball  
• Tennis  
• Volleyball 
• Golf 
• Track & Field  
• Rugby 
• Cross Country Running 

We have built a comprehensive after school sports and clubs program that helps expand both the mental and physical development of our students. We believe in our students' development and preparation for life through team sports, healthy competition, and access to a wide variety of activities designed to meet individual interests.  

Music
Our middle school music students apply an increasingly wide range of techniques in their composition and performance. They continue to collaborate with their peers, compose with growing independence, and perform and improvise as soloists. In the classroom, they work together to rehearse and perform, explore the make-up of musical pieces, and engage with new and different methods for writing music. Students explore a range of music, becoming more confident in talking about their own and others’ contributions by considering the broader development of music across time and cultures.

Performance
We invite our middle school students to expand their performing arts learning experience by providing more challenging opportunities. All students can participate in the dramatic process, feel free to express themselves, and learn to communicate ideas and feelings to an audience. Aspects of the Core Knowledge Curriculum are woven into our performing arts, encouraging the exploration of classical and modern works while honing skills and understanding. In addition to an introduction to dance, TASIS Portugal offers a dance academy.

Art and Design
Artistic learning objectives are designed to reflect the interwoven stages of the artistic process and give learners a platform to express themselves. Students learn how to articulate personal responses to their experiences and to think about how
their artistic development supports them throughout all areas of their education. They learn to see themselves as artists, increasingly reflective and independent.