Boarding Middle School in New Hampshire for Boys

Cardigan Mountain School:
Cardigan Mountain School (CMS) is an accredited, boarding and day middle school for boys in grades 6-9 located in Canaan, New Hampshire in the New England region of the northeastern United States. At CMS we instill a love of learning and promote intellectual curiosity and growth, recognizing that each person learns differently.

Boarding & Day Middle School for Boys (Grades 6 - 9):

Core Courses:
The curriculum provides each student with instruction in all the core courses and exposure to a number of other complementary subject areas. Cardigan requires all students to take yearlong courses in:

- English
- History
- Mathematics
- Science
- World language (French, Latin, or Spanish) or Building Confidence in English (BCE)

Additional Courses:
Beyond the core courses, the School also requires each boy to broaden his horizons and strengthen his scholastic preparation through additional course work. Sixth and seventh grade students are also required to participate in the Gates Invention and Innovation Competition.

Cardigan also offers a course to all students called Personalized Education for the Acquisition of Knowledge & Skills (PEAKS), which helps students become better learners and self-advocates.

Additional courses include:
- Life Skills
- Leadership
- Music
- Art
- Woodworking.

Gates Invention & Innovation:
Gates at Cardigan is designed to encourage creative thinking, risk-taking, and entrepreneurial spirit, and to develop an appreciation for hard work and accomplishment to students in grades six through nine.

The Charles C. Gates Invention & Innovation Competition offers students the opportunity to participate in a creative process, to identify needs or new business opportunities, and to develop practical solutions.

Flexible Scheduling:
Cardigan provides for the fact that a boy’s ability may vary in different academic disciplines. For example, boys who are struggling in the area of language arts but are more capable in mathematics may be placed in a middle level section for English, history, and science, but in an accelerated level for mathematics. It is not uncommon for a boy to be in accelerated levels of some courses and middle levels of others.

Progress is evaluated regularly by the director of studies, department chairs, and teachers and a boy may be changed from one level to another to increase the degree of challenge or enhance his opportunity for success. Alternatively, a boy may be also moved to a more appropriate level if a course is found to be too demanding for that student.