770.888.4477

Middle School

See how this math teacher helps kids be themselves.

    • Meet Mr. Martelli, Math Teacher and Soccer Coach

At Pinecrest Academy, our goal is to make the middle school years fun, memorable, and enriching. These transitional years are a time when a rigorous, yet formative and nurturing environment, is crucial for the healthy development of your child. Because we are a private, Catholic middle school, we can offer small class sizes and individual attention, both of which help lay the groundwork for a well-rounded education.
 
It is during the crucial middle school years that Christian values and habits, which form the foundation of your child’s adult character, begin to take shape. We partner with our parents in this formation of character. Our goal is to help each child develop into the unique Christian leader that God is calling him or her to be. We accomplish this through direct lessons in the classroom, virtue development throughout the school day through our Virtue Program, and the modeling of authentic Christian leadership through our teachers, coaches, campus ministers, and school leaders.

We have developed a unique transitional experience in the Middle School that moves students seamlessly from the care and comfort of elementary school to a nurturing environment that prepares them for the academic, social, and extracurricular demands of high school. Our unique method is age and developmentally appropriate for 6th through 8th grade students.

Our Middle School employs a highly structured, distinctive program that addresses the distinctive needs of this age group. Research shows that students from ages 11 to 14 learn more effectively when they are given outdoor breaks that allow for free play. The unstructured free play that occurs at our middle school recess has tremendous value in developing social, emotional, and leadership skills. We build our schedule with this in mind, allowing for multiple breaks throughout the day.

Our Middle School team works with each child to help cultivate the skills he or she will need for high school in an atmosphere that supports, teaches, and demands individual responsibility, critical thinking, and internalized discipline. Our loving teachers provide healthy and effective ways to transition a student from middle school into high school when the time comes.

In addition to providing a balanced and academically challenging curriculum, as a Catholic school, we are able to offer a loving Christ-centered environment, where prayer is a part of your child’s day, and where our team focuses on the whole child, preparing each student for our award-winning college-prep high school program.

List of 10 items.

  • Language Arts

    Language arts encompasses the areas of vocabulary, spelling, grammar, reading and literature, composition, listening, public speaking, and handwriting. Emphasis on building grammar and vocabulary proficiency will assist your child in the acquisition of effective communication skills. Extensive phonics work is used to develop a strong foundation for word attack, decoding, and spelling skills. Exposure to the world of literature is accomplished through all genres and includes poetry, novels, and short stories. Reading comprehension, composition, and public speaking are the primary focuses of instruction at the intermediate level.

  • Mathematics

    Our conceptual Math curriculum goes well beyond the mastery of basic facts and skills. Students learn more about math by solving rich, reality-based problems. They gain a deeper, clearer understanding of math concepts with visual models and scaffolds in every lesson. They are challenged to explain their thinking and solve problems in more than one way.  This conceptual approach sets the stage for AP Math classes at the high school level.

  • Social Studies

    Social studies is not just the study of history and geography. It involves civics, problem-solving, critical thinking, and a developmentally appropriate understanding of economics. Our Catholic school curriculum helps students think critically and analytically about past events, as well as provide a framework for understanding other cultural works such as art and literature. Students practice active listening, debate skills, writing, and public speaking, as they deepen their understanding of the world through meaningful learning experiences.

  • Science

    Our science curriculum is designed to awaken a curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world and how it works. Students explore by asking questions, investigating answers, and linking their science knowledge to the solving of complex problems.  They write, debate, experiment, and construct explanations from evidence and models. They are led to use their scientific knowledge to be responsible citizens of a global community and make the world a better place, which aligns with our Catholic school mission, to form Christian leaders who will transform society.

  • Catholic Formation

    The  Catholic  Formation  program  provides  opportunities  for  students  to  grow  in deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ through an understanding of the fundamental truths of Catholic doctrine, manifesting it through the practice of virtue and being a Christian witness to others.  Students are encouraged throughout the school day to form habits of virtue and integrate their knowledge and experience of faith in all subject matters.

  • Spanish

    Spanish is taught in kindergarten through eighth grades. In the elementary and intermediate grades, your child will learn basic conversational phrases, vocabulary and grammar, as well as the geography and culture of Spanish-speaking countries.

  • Physical Education

    Physical education is an important aspect of the integral formation of your child. Through physical exercises, organized sports, and age-appropriate games, your child will have fun while staying fit and learning about good health. He/she will develop strength and coordination, teamwork, communication skills, self-control, and the ability to follow directions and rules.

  • Music & Art

    Music and art help develop the aesthetic dimension of the human mind. Our music and art programs are designed to lead students to an understanding and appreciation of the great musical and artistic masterpieces, as well as to provide opportunities for self-expression as a way of celebrating the gifts God has given them.

  • STEAM

    STEAM is an acronym for an educational approach that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics to guide student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. By including the Arts, STEAM incorporates artistic and design-related skills and thinking processes into traditional STEM education. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process.

  • Technology

    The integration of technology with classroom content improves student achievement. Teachers use technology to introduce, reinforce, extend, enrich, assess, and remediate student mastery of private school grade curricular standards. Thoughtfully planned lessons help engage students to a higher degree and lead to the development of 21st-century skills, such as complex thinking, creative problem solving, and collaboration. Curricular resources like STAR Reading and Math enhance instruction and provide remediation or enrichment according to the needs of the individual student. Technology is used as one of many tools to personalize instruction and reinforce mastery of learning targets based on the individual needs of each learner.

List of 3 items.

  • Lenny Forti, PreK-8th Grade Principal

    Mr. Forti is from Buffalo, New York and was raised in an Italian Catholic family, along with three older sisters and a brother.
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  • Carter Mayville, PreK-8th Grade Dean of Academics

    Mr. Mayville holds a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA.
    Read More

  • Jay Lynch, PreK-8th Grade Dean of Students

    Jay Lynch is the PreK-8th Grade Dean of Students and the Junior Paladins Athletics Director.
    Read More

Here's what parents and students are saying:

"I am so grateful to Pinecrest Academy. My middle school children have thrived here. The entire staff knows our family. They are caring and committed to educating the whole child. I have a dyslexic child that receives OG tutoring at school by a staff member and a gifted student that receives academic rigor that meets her needs. Pinecrest meets students at their individual level and works with them to build a plan of achievement. Socially, my children have thrived and have become involved in many activities and made wonderful friends. Very grateful to Pinecrest. A well deserved recognition." - Katherine Rohlikout, Pinecrest Parent

"I have been at Pinecrest since Kindergarten, and I love how tight-knit the Pinecrest community is. I have close relationships with all of my teachers, past and present, my friends and even coaches. Pinecrest is an amazing school because there is love everywhere around you and you can grow in your faith." - Elise, Class of 2027

"I love going to Pinecrest and am so happy my parents let me go there.  I have made a lot of friends there and the teachers and Priests are very nice and helpful.  My mom got to coach me in soccer and my dad got to coach me in basketball there.  Now I play volleyball with Coach Meyer and tennis with Coach McGraw and it is so much fun.  I also love the program called ECYD that is a girls program that talks about GOD and we have retreats and fun things we do together." - Sophia, Class of 2026

Why choose Pinecrest for Your Middle Schooler?

  1. Small class sizes, where every student has the opportunity to learn and succeed (no more than 24 students per class).
  2. Exceptional teachers who know and understand the middle school child in this important stage of life.
  3. High School Preparatory Curriculum, providing each student with the needed skills to be successful during the high school years and beyond.
  4. STEAM program with hands-on problem solving to understand how structure impacts function.
  5. Opportunities to participate simultaneously in multiple clubs and sports.

Welcome to our Middle School

    • Catholic schools near me
Pinecrest Academy's private Catholic middle school is conveniently located in Cumming, South Forsyth, just minutes from Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton and Suwanee. We serve families of all faiths seeking a Christian education for their children.
Our Mission: To form Christian leaders who will transform society.
955 Peachtree Parkway
Cumming, GA 30041
Phone: 770.888.4477
Fax: 770.888.0404
info@pinecrestacademy.org