Curriculum

Sussex School's curriculum offers innovative instruction in mathematics, language arts, science, social studies, foreign language, music, art, drama, skiing, rock climbing, and more. Learning is enhanced by working in classrooms rich with hands-on materials and technology as well as by field trips. The challenging curriculum is designed to develop students' critical thinking skills, tolerance of others, environmental awareness, and appreciation of the arts, while they gain knowledge and understanding in traditional disciplines.

Sussex Activities & Events

Camp Paxson

Each September, the Sussex School community travels to Camp Paxson on beautiful Seeley Lake to enjoy three days and two nights together in the out-of doors. This is a special time for the teachers, students, parents and other community members to bond while participating in activities like kayaking, fishing, canoeing, swimming, orienteering, hiking, a ropes course, singing around the camp fire, and performing in a talent show. Students help with all aspects of camp life, including cooking and cleanup chores. Parents are also a vital part of the Camp Paxson adventure, participating in and supervising activities, including overnights in the student cabins.

Bigs and Littles

Each year, entering kindergartners are assigned a "big," an eighth grade student who acts as a guide, friend, and mentor for the school year. Similarly, first grade "littles" are paired with seventh grade "bigs," second grade with sixth grade, etc. The designation of bigs and littles fosters both formal and informal interaction between age groups at Sussex.

Drama Productions

Every two years, interested Sussex 5th through 8th graders prepare and perform a drama or musical production. The school hires a special director (and musical director for the musicals) for the event, and parents help create a set and gather costumes. Past productions have included themes as diverse as "A Christmas Carol" to productions centering on Halloween, the "groovy" 60s, and even a werewolf comedy. The 2005 production, "Flapper," ran for two nights in November at the school to sell-out crowds.

Halloween

Sussex students celebrate Halloween each year on the afternoon of the school day nearest Halloween, when all students and teachers dress in costume, carve pumpkins with their "bigs" and "littles," and participate in some time-honored Sussex traditions, including a haunted house prepared by the eighth graders, doughnut bobbing, egg tossing, and various games of skill and chance.

Holiday Program

On the last afternoon of school before the December holiday, all Sussex classes perform in a holiday program for parents and other community members. This is a time for the students to showcase songs learned in music class, share art and other work with the community, and for each class to announce its favorite "wish for the world."

Ski Program

Starting in January of each year, all Sussex students participate in the downhill ski program. The school travels to a local ski area one afternoon per week for six weeks for alpine skiing, telemarking, or snowboarding lessons. Sussex teachers and parents chaperone and enjoy skiing with the students when lessons are over. Sussex School also has a Nordic ski program for students to ski-skate and classic stride on Missoula's groomed ski trails.

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day provides an opportunity for a midwinter fling at the Sussex School, with an all-community party and talent show.

Adventure Program

The Sussex Adventure Program teaches 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students basic rock climbing, mountaineering, whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and backpacking and camping skills. Local experts first cover basic skills and safety and then take the students to favorite climbing areas, mountains, and river stretches in the area to test the students' abilities. The program includes day trips and overnight camping at local rock-climbing haunts, river stretches, and mountain ranges. This program is a favorite with students - providing challenges for all levels of ability while building confidence in students who approach it with some trepidation.

Spring Field Trips

Every spring, all Sussex School classes go on age-appropriate educational field trips. Past trips have included travels to the historic Daly mansion, Butte mines, homesteads by Flathead Lake, Hutterite Colonies, the Big Hole Battlefield, Yellowstone National Park, Arches National Park, the Grand Canyon, as well as rafting the San Juan River and sailing on an historic schooner in Puget Sound. The students are an integral part of planning the destination and activities on these spring field trips. Teachers work with students to study the history, science, and cultural aspects of their destination before departing. Depending on the age of the students, the trips range from a single overnight to an entire week or more. Except for food costs, the trips are paid for by money the students earn during the annual Ecothon.

Ecothon

Sussex students raise funds for their spring field trips with an annual Ecothon to give Missoula a "spring cleaning." Students gather pledges for a day of collecting garbage and cleaning up various areas of Missoula.

Middle School Sports

Middle Schools in Missoula have organized competition in soccer and basketball, and Sussex School fields teams in these competitions.

Mathcounts

Coached by Sussex School founder and math teacher Bente Winston, 7th and 8th graders at Sussex School participate in Mathcounts, a national math competition sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Sussex students compete regionally against other western Montana schools, with the opportunity to move on to state and national competitions if successful. Despite its small size, Sussex School has produced some of the strongest teams in Montana over the years, commonly placing first in the western region and winning multiple state level trophies. Moreover, many Sussex students over the years have placed in the top four in the state, earning the right to compete on Team Montana at the National Competition in Washington D.C. For more information, visit the Mathcounts website at www.mathcounts.org.