At Midtown Community School, we believe every student deserves a rigorous, joyful, and well-rounded education. We pair high-quality, evidence-based curricula with a strong commitment to social and emotional well-being because we know that how students feel shapes how they learn. Our goal is to develop curious, capable, and compassionate learners who are ready for whatever comes next.
At Midtown Community School, we believe that literacy sparks curiosity to engage and think critically about the world around us. Our K-8 ELA curriculum from Great Minds and Wilson brings our belief to life. Beginning in K-2, Arts & Letters is our new comprehensive curriculum, rooted in the Science of Reading that immerses students in authentic and grade-appropriate knowledge rich text. In grades K-3, the literacy curriculum is paired with Fundations to ensure students receive explicit phonics instruction that engages students in a multisensory approach to building students’ phonics, spelling, and handwriting skills.
Wit & Wisdom is our 3-8 grade literacy curriculum where students strengthen their language arts skills by diving into rich, high-interest science and liberal arts texts. It guides students through close reading of high-quality literary and informational text, builds vocabulary, analytical thinking, and writing craft along the way. Instead of covering isolated skills, Wit & Wisdom intentionally connects reading and writing to meaningful content to develop both literacy skills and deeper understanding of the world.
We believe that math is the universal language and every student can learn to be exceptionally literate in this content area. We have recently moved to Eureka Math2 as our K-8 math curriculum. Developed and refined by Great Minds, Eureka Math2 takes our students on a journey of building deep conceptual understanding alongside procedural fluency. In this approach to learning math, our students shift away from memorizing procedural steps and build inquiry around why the math works. This aids in making connections across concepts and grade levels that prepare students to think mathematically in any context.
Our middle school math classes benefit from the expertise of a math specialist through the Elevate K-12 program, a virtual program used by schools nationwide and supported by a school staff member as a classroom coach.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional approach designed to give students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills by working over an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a real, complex question, problem, or challenge. Rather than receiving direct instruction and then practicing isolated skills, students actively engage in authentic work that requires them to apply what they are learning across multiple disciplines.
At the primary level (K-2), students build knowledge and skills through an Our World Literacy (OWL) instructional block. They engage in integrated science and social students units that will culminate in a project where they will showcase what they have learned. This builds students’ communication and collaboration skills, while preparing them for project-based learning at the intermediate level and beyond.
Once students move into the intermediate and middle school levels (3-8), they engage in a combination of full project-based learning units and traditional science units. We provide an integrated approach to PBL instruction in our science classrooms to engage students in the world around them and activate the ability to be change agents in their community now. We use a combination of Impactful Projects and Open Sci Ed. curriculum for our students.
At Midtown Community School, we recognize that students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs are deeply connected to their ability to learn and succeed in school. Our approach includes three levels of support: building a positive school culture, providing proactive instruction and prevention programming, and offering targeted intervention when students need additional help. Through schoolwide implementation of Conscious Discipline, CharacterStrong, and restorative practices, students develop skills such as self-regulation, empathy, communication, conflict resolution, and responsible decision-making.
When additional support is needed, students have access to counseling, skill-building groups, and school-based mental health services provided by both school staff and community partners. This comprehensive approach allows us to support students’ well-being while helping them develop the skills necessary to be successful learners, classmates, and community members.
Every day our elementary students participate in a specials class, which rotates between music, art, and physical education. Our middle school students enroll in two electives each semester, which both take place in the Operation Breakthrough MakerSpace. Offerings vary but include choices such as culinary arts, debate, fiber arts, digital media, music, and robotics.
Citizens of the World – Kansas City is now Midtown Community School!
Over the course of the summer, you’ll start to see more transitions to the new name, such as our website, building signage, and uniform info. When we come back together for the first day of the 2026-2027 school year on August 12th, we will do so as Midtown Community School!
Social Studies
We believe that understanding the world is just as important as reading about it – and that the two go hand in hand. Our new social studies curriculum for grades 3-6 is Our World Literacy, a dedicated instructional block that immerses students in the stories, places, people, and ideas that have shaped our world. Anchored by Studies Weekly curriculum, this block strengthens reading, writing, vocabulary, and critical thinking through compelling social studies content, helping students become not just stronger readers, but informed and curious citizens, all while preparing our students for the rigor of social studies content at the secondary level.