The word meridian was chosen because it captured two aspects of schooling that were important to the founding families and teachers. A meridian is a great circle about the globe symbolizing both inclusiveness and the making of connections. Meridian is also defined as a pinnacle of achievement. In the spirit of these definitions, Meridian Academy will be a community of learners striving for excellence in their exploration of the world.

When it is at full size, it will consist of seven grades (sixth through twelfth) with nearly 100 students. Classes are mostly organized by divisions which consist of two adjacent grades. Some classes involve a greater mix of age groups. Because students regularly work with the students in the grades one year above and below them, they will have an academic peer group of 45 students.

The two core integrated courses, Humanities and Mathematics, Science and Technology, are taught by one or two teachers with content strengths that are both broad and deep. Our student-teacher ratio is 7:1 making it possible for teachers to mentor research projects and provide detailed documentation of student work. The school is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools (www.essentialschools.org).

Teenagers are young-adults-in-the-making. They require multiple opportunities to practice doing what adults do: establish goals, weigh complex options, avoid inappropriate ones, take leadership and make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. Large high schools are rarely capable of making sure that any but a few of their students get those opportunities. Meridian is a small school because students need the attention, guidance, and safe environment to try out adult responsibilities and freedoms gradually.

Meridian's size allows teachers to know each student's strengths and challenges and to offer activities that will be an appropriate next learning step for each. Meridian students and teachers will be able to work together for more than one year and build on the progress made in prior courses.

Contrary to first impressions, Meridian's small size offers students better resources than those typically available in traditional schools. Meridian has the flexibility to take advantage of the many superior programs and resources available in the Boston area such as research laboratories, public and college libraries, community organizations, and natural settings.

Being small does present challenges as well. As they get older, teenagers often want to be exposed to a larger peer group. Meridian will build a larger social environment through partnerships with other local small schools for both academic and extra-curricular activities.

College is a vast world of unstructured academic and social opportunities. Students who can provide their own structure, initiative, and sense of purpose are best prepared to make the most of these opportunities. Meridian's mission is to nurture these attributes — to help its students become responsible, engaged young adults. Meridian students will have had experiences working with adults so that they will know how to approach and work with their professors to receive guidance and mentoring. They will have explored, in a safe environment, how to make healthy and ethical decisions so that they will be better able to find and build a healthy peer culture once they reach college.

Meridian's curriculum includes all of the subject matter that colleges typically require. Students will be ready to take the SAT and SAT Subject Tests required for college admissions. Students will be prepared for several SAT Subject Tests including English Literature, Mathematics, History, and Biology. Because their subjects will be integrated and studied for more than one year, Meridian students will have an advantage in preparing for tests in subjects such as biology and history that other schools typically prepare for in a single rushed year.

Meridian's teachers and trustees have extensive experience and success working with colleges to present the rich achievements of students working in a project-based curriculum. It is these projects that convince colleges that a student is ready for the more complex work required of college.

The current national focus on testing ignores the fact that many important academic efforts such as designing and carrying out a scientific experiment, writing a poem, or doing historical research cannot be completed in one room in an hour or two. These efforts require time to create, reflect, and revise. They also require students to master many of the skills that are the focus of standardized tests. Students cannot learn technical skills effectively and know when to use them without actual experience doing so. For example, a group of students who are building a stage set for a play will practice using ideas from physics and geometry but within a setting that adds real world complications. These meaningful challenges help them to appreciate both the theory and practice of the disciplines.

Meridian has been reviewed and approved by the Boston School Committee. Meridian will also be a candidate school for accreditation with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC, www.neasc.org). NEASC is the oldest regional accrediting association in the United States (founded 1885). Once the school has added most of its grades, we will complete the year-long accreditation process of self-study and outside review. Members of Meridian's board and faculty are experienced at leading both independent and public schools through successful NEASC reviews.