Middle School Curriculum
Headwaters provides a supportive and constructive environment where Middle School students feel the freedom to explore their passions while being guided on the road to independence. Our students’ wellbeing is our highest priority. We promote collaboration and communication, depth over breadth, and genuine engagement—an approach to learning that is shared by International Baccalaureate schools around the world. The IB Middle Years Programme for grades 6-10 provides a framework for building essential, future-forward skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, global perspective, and social-emotional learning. You will revisit key concepts across all five years of MYP, engaging with increasing depth and complexity. Through this spiral approach, your understanding will expand as guides layer new connections to relevant, global contexts. MYP is a bridge between our Montessori curriculum for young children and the IB Diploma Programme for grades 11 and 12. We are intentionally implementing MYP with each new 6th-grade class, starting with the 2026-27 academic year, but program principles will guide our teaching at all grade levels. | 6th to 8th grade River Campus801 Rio Grande Street Our nine River Campus buildings are full of unique character and take full advantage of our location in downtown Austin by embracing our City As Classroom approach. The River Campus is also close to UT Austin, the Austin Recreation Center, city parks and museums, the Central Library, and so much more. |
The CurriculumWe work hard to create an environment where students can be curious, take risks, stretch their limits, and make mistakes. The job of our guides is not to simply impart knowledge, but to help students to make meaning from knowledge. Most of all, we believe that joy is a key component of learning, and we help students maintain that spark as they navigate their Middle School years. Every class begins with a moment of intention-setting, but the formula ends there. Each guide has the autonomy to decide what form of lesson delivery works for their class. On any given day, your student may take a pop quiz, engage in silent reading, type up a paper, or set up a lab experiment. There will be discussions, mini-lectures, group projects, art creation, and self-directed study. At the end of class, everyone pauses to debrief to observe and communicate what worked, or what could be improved in our own process, the classroom environment or in the lesson itself. |
Middle School Highlights
From the IB Middle Years Programme to daily advisory and student-led leadership, our Middle School experience builds curiosity, character, and confidence through hands-on learning inside and outside the classroom.
IB Middle Years ProgrammeMYP is a globally recognized framework that builds on what we do best at Headwaters. It encourages curiosity through inquiry and exploration, fosters empathy through connection and reflection, and strengthens confidence with voice, choice, and real-world context. You will build lifelong learning habits and the skills to tackle any challenge that comes your way. | Outdoor EducationMiddle School students participate in movement-based courses including team sports, yoga, group games, outdoor education, and urban hikes. These activities encourage social-emotional learning, leadership, and executive functioning, as well as bonding with guides, coaches, and peers. | Project WeekEvery year, each student invests in a personal project. They pick their topics in January and develop their projects through early March before presenting at our annual Project Week Fair. Along the way, students explore their passions and career interests, and develop their planning and organizational skills. | ||
Inspiring guidesOur Middle School teaching staff is committed to building relationships with students and developing skills and knowledge through engaging experiences. They care about the whole child, they foster a sense of community that extends to every corner of camps, and they scaffold the learning process to help students prepare for a lifetime of curiosity. | AdvisoryMiddle School is a time of transition and self-exploration, and our advisory curriculum creates a daily support structure for academic and personal success. The course focuses on positive character development, self-advocacy skills, executive function, and long-range thinking. Students set goals, conduct holistic self-evaluations, and take part in community dialogues and activities. | Student leadershipStudent voice is key to our culture. Community Leaders are chosen by peers and guides to help shape the direction of the school. Students on the Admissions Council review applications, essays, and interviews to determine if Headwaters is the right fit for prospective students. And in weekly Pitsos, the full student body joins in discussions, performances, storytelling, poetry, and peer acknowledgements. |
Signature Programs
City As ClassroomHeadwaters is just blocks away from local government, businesses, parks, museums, and cultural sites—offering countless opportunities to put classroom learning into context while being an active member of our community. | International ProgramsExperience history, language, and culture through personal exploration and meaningful connection. International experiences are core to our mission to encourage inquiry and intercultural understanding. | Fine ArtsIn our fine arts program, you can learn creative problem-solving, practice your craft with dedication, and give voice to your thoughts, ideas, and feelings about the world. |
Assessment and Support
Assessment at Headwaters happens in many ways, with guides considering your student’s participation, homework, projects, and tests as part of their class grade. Assignments are recorded by the guide and available to parents and students in our Learning Management System, the Nest. Students write a weekly update to their advisor and their parents to summarize their academic progress, grades, and plans.
This ongoing dialogue gives the student consistent opportunities for advisor feedback and self-evaluation. Guides provide formal comments at mid-semester and report cards are sent out at the end of each semester. To give a holistic perspective on a student's academic and character progress, the advisor submits a comprehensive narrative evaluation as well.
If your student is seeking additional help from a guide, standing office hours are available during lunch. In some cases, guides may require students to come to office hours if they have concerns for the student’s long-term success. If more help is needed, our Learning Specialist can help recommend a path for further tutoring and other tools.
Middle and High School | Grades 6-12
| What is the International Baccalaureate Programme? What grade does it start? |
Headwaters School is an IB World School offering the Middle Years Program starting in 6th grade with our inaugural class in 26-27. We offer the IB Diploma Programme in grades 11 and 12. We are also a part of The Texas IB Schools association. These schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Headwaters School believes is important for our students. It also offers a natural progression from our Montessori-based Early Childhood and Elementary programs. |
| Tell me more about the food truck. |
Our goal is to provide nutritious, convenient, and reasonably priced food options for your middle and high school students through our on-campus food truck. In addition, once permitted by the school and parents, High School students receive off-campus privileges. Students may also bring their lunch from home, but food deliveries are not allowed at any time. |
| What does homework look like for students? |
For Middle and High School students, homework takes a variety of forms, including: reading and reflecting on an article presented in a language class; responses to guided questions about the role of the U.S. government in the creation of the Panama Canal; or geometry questions that challenge students to stretch their understanding of proofs. Regardless of format, homework shares the following traits:
|
| What is the dress code? |
We value the process of identity formation and self-expression. We expect our students to dress in a way that reflects our reverence for the learning process and for our Purpose, Promise, and Principles. Nothing should be worn that is discriminatory or makes other community members feel unsafe. For safety reasons, shoes should be worn at all times when moving around campus. When a guide or staff member finds a student dressed inappropriately, they can choose to either talk to the student privately or send the student to the Division Director. We also highly recommend dressing in weather-appropriate clothing. |
| Will my student need a laptop for middle and high school? |
Yes, Headwaters School is a Bring-Your-Own-Device school. Students will use a laptop computer to work on assignments and to view communications from their guides. Students are required to have a charged laptop and charger with them every day. |
| What is the daily schedule? |
Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, the school day for students in grades 6–12 will shift to 9:00 a.m.–4:20 p.m., with class periods extended to 85 minutes. We will follow an A-B schedule during most weeks Some weeks, we will have a special C-Day schedule on Wednesdays. These days are designed to be a “deep dive” in order to give students extended time for deeper instructional work, interdisciplinary learning, time for community and independent project work, enrichment opportunities, additional IB HL support, and focused skill-building. On these days, the academic program will start at 9 a.m., and students are dismissed at 3 p.m. For students who need to stay longer at school, we will offer programs including our Extended Care, Tutoring, and Athletics. |
| Do you have athletics or after-school programs? |
We offer robust auxiliary programs, such as athletics and after-school enrichment. River Campus students will end their school day at 4:20 p.m. (and at 3 p.m. on Deep Dive Wednesdays). After school, students have the opportunity to engage in a variety of enrichment opportunities, including extended care for families who need it. Middle school athletics will take place during the school day, typically during 4th period on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
Learn More About Middle School Enrichment and Student-Life Learn More About High School Enrichment and Student-Life |
| Do you offer before- and after-care? What about activities after-school? |
Yes. On the River Campus, we offer extended care hours for middle and high school students at the start and end of the school day. Early Arrival runs from 7:45 a.m. until the start of the school day. Extended Care runs from the end of the school day until 5:45 p.m. Learn More About Middle School River Campus Extended Care Learn More About High School River Campus Extended Care |
| Can you tell me more about the campus? |
Located in downtown Austin at 801 Rio Grande Street, our River Campus is home to our Middle and High School programs. Each of our nine River Campus buildings are full of unique character, housing classrooms and administrative offices. Our River Campus classes take advantage of our downtown location. We are close to UT Austin, the Austin Recreation Center, parks, museums, the Central Library, and so much more. We love to use the city as a classroom. |
What if my student does not attend Elementary School at Headwaters, and enters in 6th grade or 9th grade? Is there space, and will he/she fit in if the kids have all been educated together in the lower years? |
It is quite easy for new applicants to transfer in at the 6th and 9th grade levels since those are the beginning years of those programs. We find that new students are always welcomed with open arms and open hearts. Approximately one-third of our 6th grade class comprises students who matriculated from our Elementary program. Approximately half of our 9th grade class includes students who matriculated from our Middle School. |
| How many students are in a class and a grade? |
Our average class size is 16 students. We have 30 to 40 students in each grade level. |
| What classes do students take? |
All students take six classes per year: English, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language, and an Arts class of their choice. For physical education, Middle School students take a daily PE class on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and a series of wellness seminars on Wednesday. High School students are required to earn a physical activity credit each year through our school sports program, the Outdoor Leadership program, or activities in the community. High School students also take courses in College Planning as well as various electives. Every student participates in an advisory curriculum to foster character development; earns yearly community service hours; and executes an independent project with extensive planning requirements, practical experience, and a presentation in our Project Fair. |
| Is the Middle and High School a Montessori program? |
We offer a natural progression from Montessori to IB. Our 6th graders start with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program (MYP). This program runs through the 10th grade. Then, our 11th and 12th-grade program is an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). |
