Middlesex Middle School

I have had three kids go through MMS my youngest is now there. This is an excellent school. The teachers and admin staff are excellent! The team system works well especially because every year the kids get exposed to different groups of kids so that they get to know kids from all over town before they head to Darien HS. many people that had their kids in private school have sent them to MMS because they feel it is better than the private schools in the area. Also, I know for a fact that one of the most prestigious private schools sent their language teachers over to MMS in the summer so they could adopt the MMS model of teaching languages; which in the first year is more focused on learning about the culture through fun things like games and songs. I love MMS and so do my kids!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I I have 2 children there and I wish I could send them elsewhere. The ASPEN system reflects the way the school is run. In a word...Rubbish!
—Submitted by a parent

This school is terrible. The teachers are super mean and don't help you when you get a bad grade. They are lazy and yell at you a lot. I've had 5 kids go through Middlesex and every single one of their teachers were horrible. Bullying is also a bad thing in this school. Overall, send your kids to private school for 6-8th grade and they'll be much happier and a lot more prepared for high school. This school is horrible!
—Submitted by a parent

I love MMS! I totally disagree with the one-starred reviews. I think this school is excellent. The teachers are nice. Some of them might seem a little mean/weird but as long as you stay on their good side, you should be ok. They do give a decent amount of homework but don't worry. The students are a little cliquey but just about everyone makes at least one new friend. Also, the cafeteria food is actually pretty good. MMS is a blue ribbon school and I think it definitely deserves that award. Goo Middlesex!!

This school is so fake. It looks great, but it sucks. Good things: tops, school paper, play Bad things: bullying, cliques, no diversity, way too much homework and tests, too much pressure, clubs are a joke, mostly mean teachers and staff, snobby, only cares about ratings, lots of bullying on buses, really chaotic drop off and pick up. principal that doesn't do anything, not enough discipline. This school sucks!

I LOVE MMS! the teachers are great, and the pricipal is very nice. they also offer a lot of after-school sports, which is really important to me and a lot of my friends. overall, middlesex is the best school i have been to, even compared to private schools.
—Submitted by a student

Bullying in this school is an issue. Teachers and administration ignore it. They are only interested in their school ratings and will do anything to try and pacify the situation until they can officially get credit for your child and let other schools take care of their failures!
—Submitted by a parent

Not only does Middlesex have an unsatisfactory and unchallenging curriculum, the whole Darien school system does. I moved from out of state in elementary school and was not only substantially farther in my studies than my fellow classmates, but also was entirely unimpressed by new material when it eventually came my way. When I came to Middlesex, I found a few fantastic teachers, a lot more inadequate ones, and a group of students so uninspired that they cared more about sports than academics. I am still in correspondence with a friend of mine from the Midwest, and recently found out that her equivalent of 'regular math' had done so well the past year that 'regular math' ceased to exist, and the kids from it moved up to our equivalent of 'advanced math'. And here we are, with our regular math kids getting C s and D s. Enough said.
—Submitted by a student

Wonderful! But the food isn't very good.
—Submitted by a student

Middlesex is a great school for students to learn and thrive. The teachers are responsible and very well educated. Students recieve a little more homework than necassary, but grades come out usually high! The students love the school and many fundraisers are supported for causes such as UNICEF, Molly's Miracle and more. In fact, Middlesex's community has been in first place for most amount of money donated to UNICEF for 2 years now! Clay Akin, winner of American Idol one year, came to Middlesex to congradulate the children on their hard work. We CURRENTLY are MMS students and we thouroly believe MMS has a lot to offer! WE <3 MIDDLESEX MIDDLE SCHOOL!
—Submitted by The MMS, a student

There are many exciting clubs for my child to participate in. the teachers are excellent and the amount of homework is a little more then needed but not overwhelming.
—Submitted by a parent

A great school for your child to learn alot! When my 6th grade son brings home math homework, its like the homework I had in 12th grade! Also helps your kids socially... I definitely recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am impressed with this school . My third child is in 6th grade. My older children received an excellent education. I find the principal and staff to be very responsive. The team approach works very well and the team meetings that are offered if your child needs them are a conducive way to help your child build on their strengths and improve their weak areas. I think they teach the whole child-academics, social, emotional. It is a beautiful facility as well and I highly recommend it.
—Submitted by a parent

School is academically very hard for kids transferring in from out of state and even in state. Most teachers are unresponsive and do not communicate with parents to keep them informed on their child's issues. Morning drop off and afternoon pick ups are extremely messy and unorganized. Principal leave the school immediately after school and no one directs traffic.
—Submitted by a parent

Middlesex (grades 6-8) runs the school on a 'team' system. Each grade usually has 4 teams, and depending upon which team your child is on, you will have a unique and different experience from other teams. The team approach is a wonderful way to ensure individualized attention in a large school - your children's teachers will really know who they are. The only problem with this is that sometimes the workload will not be equitable among teams. A child 'stuck' on a 'harder' team may end up with a poorer performance record than his/her peer on an 'easier' team. The extracurricular activities are all wonderful including orchestra, band, theater, and intramural sports. The facility is very new and the overall environment is supportive and safe. Parents are very involved in the parents' association and a scoial alternatives planning group which is good but spends too much energy planning dances.
—Submitted by a parent

Three of my children either attended or is attending the middlesex middle school. It is terrific, the teachers are well qualified and very interested in the welfare of their students. All around it is a terrific school. I am a parent.
—Submitted by a parent

Overall a bad school...my son hates going to school everyday due to the teachers, bullies, and plain mean principal....i had to send my son to Fairfield Country Day School in Fairfield, CT where he is now enjoying school, his friends and his teachers.
—Submitted by a parent