Moore Square Museum Magnet Mid

301 South Person Street

School District

Wake County
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:11
Type

public

School Map for Wake County School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 26, 2023

My child has enjoyed his first year at Moore Square. The electives are absolutely amazing and he has enjoyed most of them. He is in special ed and the teachers have been very supportive. We've had generally good communication with teachers and the administration. Homework hasn't been too challenging but appropriate. Even with an early morning start, he looks forward to going to school, which is a strong endorsement.
Submitted by parent on August 12, 2021

From the first we were impressed with Moore Square. We value the school's diversity & inclusivity, including toward nuerodiverse students. The slightly smaller size & the range of electives were also big draws. Some teachers' proactive and positive attitudes impressed us from day one, including standout Science, Math, Social Studies & Band teachers. Sadly, the principal and two rock star 6th grade teachers, as well as the AIG coordinator, have since left the school. One downside of Moore Square seems to be the ELA program. The school uses a pre-packaged ELA curriculum. The current ELA staff at Moore Square seems to find it a challenge. As a result, kids are often left to muddle through a strangely disconnected series of topics on their own or just with peers. Overarching literary concepts, compelling or relatable instruction, and basic composition and grammar are missing, and much of this is left to your home to fill in the gaps . If your kid is not a big reader, they'll struggle. An enthusiastic or energetic ELA teacher could possibly navigate the ELA curriculum well, but the current ELA program often saps joy out of the literary experience. My child is a very good student, and a HUGE reader. But they also found the ELA classes very dry. Also, like some of the others, we too have had trouble communicating with M2's administration/asst. principals. During the "covid" year, after some students returned in person, there were a lot of negative changes for virtual (VA) students. Some teachers didn't have a sense of how long assignments took, and any downtime or mental health breaks went by the wayside. An average day has upwards of 9 hours online. The admin staff question whether this was an issue, didn't seem to know about the time (including mandatory breakout sessions), and pointed the finger back at families. Also, when a 7th grade teacher was recording incorrect grades, missing grades, and struggling to communicate professionally, we tried to enlist the help of the 7th grade asst. principal. It was shocking how little she did. It seemed clear to us that our kid was being targeted, & the inaccurate messaging was intense to deal with. Our kid put up with a lot that year, and we were saddened that the "happy friendly everything is fine" image at Moore Square took precedence over our serious concerns. I also think proximity to retirement may have also limited Moore Square's desire to take action. But who knows. I hope some of these issues get resolved soon.
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2018

Amazing staff! Amazing students doing amazing things with an abundance of opportunities other schools don't have!
Submitted by student on October 04, 2017

I would rate this a good 3.5 out of 5 because Moore Square is a good Middle school they just have OK teachers and hard homework with pointless rewards that they don't even give out. But mostly it is a small school with lots of cool electives and after school clubs that you can join if you are really interested. Overall you should definitely go to Moore Square Middle School for at least one year.
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2017

We have had an amazing time at Moore Square Middle School. My youngest can not wait to follow in her siblings footsteps. Great teachers, exciting clubs, and lots of field trips!!!!
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2017

The administration at this school is horrible. They do not follow up, nor do they return calls. It takes sometimes several days to a couple of weeks to get a call back. The school splits the student by AIG and all other kids and only focuses on the AIG kids. If your kid is not in the AIG/GT program, do not send them to this school. They will be put in classes with problem kids that the teachers can't control and they do not care about the success of these kids! There is also a major bullying problem that the administration does nothing about. My child was listening to audio books in his Language Arts class instead of reading. Please do not send your kids to this school!
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2016

My daughter is now an 8th grader at MSM. We loved her 6th grade year when Dr. Bass was the principal. The school ran smoothly. After the new principal took over, we felt that the school got worse. There was a lot of teacher turnover, all of the great organization was gone and the feeling that we had selected a great school was no longer there. My daughter was now repeating electives, not getting in certain classes, scheduling seemed like a disaster, they did not know how to manage the AIG kids very well, and each year started treated the kids like they were in elementary school rather than rising high school students.
Submitted by parent on August 02, 2016

We have had a wonderful experience at Moore Square Middle School. We selected it for the small size. Our daughter started last year in the 6th grade. I loved that there were only 6 - 6th grade teachers. I felt I got to know all of them since there were so few of them. This year there are 6 7th grade teachers. Whenever I have had a question or concern, the teachers responded to my messages very quickly. Last year when I had a concern about my child's progress, I very easily set up a meeting where all her teachers were present. Teachers would email or call me directly if they had a concern. After school tutoring was provided every week if needed. I truly felt each teacher took a personal interest in my child. This year, in the 2nd week of school, I've already had great communication with my daughter's teachers. The Guidance Counselors are extremely helpful and supportive and the other administrators TRULY have an open door policy. The class sizes are small and my daughter has been able to benefit from great AIG instruction for those classes where she needed that stimulation. My daughter has participated in superb electives thus far. It was easy for her to get the electives of her choice because of the small school size. She learned so much in her Piano elective last year that this year, when we began private lessons, her current piano teacher was able to skip her ahead in the beginning books she is using. I also love the way the teachers use the downtown Raleigh neighborhood to enhance the curriculum through walking field trips to museums and other downtown attractions!While no school is perfect, if you're searching for an intimate middle school experience, you should really give Moore Square a look!
Submitted by student on July 30, 2016

My daughter is in 8th grade and has loved, loved her middle school years here!
Submitted by parent on December 30, 2015

We are a family that has been very involved with our child's education and tend to be very involved in school volunteering and getting to know the administration. We enrolled our child at Moore Square AIG/GT Magnet School after comparing our options at other AIG/GT magnets, our extremely large neighborhood school and charter schools. We believe we made the right decision and are so happy we chose the Square. Transitioning to middle school was a breeze for our child. Many things contributed to our decision and her easy transition. First, the AIG/GT magnet program with its core classes and elective offerings were of primary importance. All students benefit, especially at this age, from diverse offerings. They may love science or math or social sciences, but at this school they can relate those passions into electives that actually implement those core subjects. You might have chess, Genetics, Military History, Battle of the Books, drama, and on and on. This is where future interests and possible career paths can take shape. Also, students in the AIG program here are grouped in their Core Classes with other AIG or high-performing students. So if identified in math, they get AIG Science. For Language Arts, they also get AIG Social Studies. Four full classes per day of AIG instruction--no pull-out. Second, the intimate size of 450 affects everything in a positive way: class size, carpool time, communication with teachers and administration, behavior issues, getting additional help if needed. Students and parents can feel part of the community and not a number. Third, the location is fantastic. Downtown is thriving and the students partake in walking field trips to the performing arts center, history and science museums, corporations and community gardens. The size of the school is easy for middle schoolers to get around and it feels like home very quickly. Athletics are joint with Ligon, so students try out and play on Ligon's teams, which is about a mile away and an activity bus transports them. The fact that students here come from all over the Triangle is a testament to its desirability. Students are getting the atmosphere of a private school at a WCPSS school. Dr. Jordan, the fantastic new principal, is on a mission to take Moore Square to the next level. Book a tour, look at the school and imagine your child thriving there.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2015

We are at Moore square this year. Have a sixth grade boy who is AIG and young. We wanted a smaller school so that he wouldn't be lost in the shuffle. We love Moore Square! The teachers are so supportive and great with the kids. They are super dedicated and he has learned so much already. There have been a few fights mostly girl fights but I think that is mostly because it is middle school. Those were dealt with immediately and they have kids in fight do mediation before going back to class so that any conflict is really resolved. I have never heard of this anywhere else. The communication is great! Most teachers use remind for homework and they send school updates every week. The homework does not take two hours like they tell you. We were worried about that. They have changed over relatively recently to AIG Gt and I hear it's getting better every year. The electives are amazing and the kids really get what they ask for. The band is run by an amazing teacher and the kids cheer for each other in concerts when they mess up. There are a few issues with scheduling and the change over to AIG and new principal but they are making great improvements. I think it will be a top tier magnet that has a super long wait list within two years. I hope not because I like it small! My child loves it there and has many favorite teachers and he is not been a school loving child. The kids are very diverse which we love. It is not a school within a school like Ligon or carnage. My child has made friends with lots of different kids. The band concerts and honor roll awards assembly included families from all backgrounds. Everyone was there to support the kids. It was very nice. The only thing we really don't like is the busing so we drive and it's not fun! But he is doing so well it's worth it to us. Also the female PE teacher is great but the male PE teacher needs some major help. He does not like his job and it shows. We may find other problems along the way but so far so good
Submitted by parent on October 14, 2015

Major turnover of staff. Lots of brand new teachers with no experience. Kids sitting with subs weeks on end without instruction. Beware and look past superficial smiles.
Submitted by parent on November 05, 2014

Our experience with Moore Square has been fantastic. The communication has been the best we have experienced. From communicating at the beginning of the year all of the school events and key dates so that busy parents can plan ahead to attend (much appreciated!), the weekly reminders and regular updates on student progress. Our children are being challenged and the communication with teachers and staff has been the great. We have also found the teachers and administration to be energized and engaged. So glad we made the move to Moore Square. There are great things happening there!
Submitted by other on June 03, 2014

i love Moore square it's one of the best ever middle school ever. they have good staff in there all teachers are kind with their student that is one of the best middle ever. :)
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2014

Thoroughly pleased with our exprience so far. Ms Mandora is engaging and Ms Noa is one point 105% of the time. More importantly, most of the teachers have been great. I'm thankful!
Submitted by parent on March 11, 2014

HIDDEN GEM! My son transferred to the Square in seventh grade from out of state. I have not enough words to describe the impact his time at the Square has had on him. The administrators, staff, & teachers are exceptional. My son has evolved from a shy, quiet follower to a confident, caring leader. The staff know him by name and address him with kindness & respect. This year the magnet theme has changed to GT/AG. The opportunities are endless. As for academic, his testing speaks for itself. He scored 4 on all 7th grade EOGs. On the ACT explore testing 99% of the kids in the US who took the test scored below him. Thank you Moore Square!!
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2013

I have a son that attended this school from 2009-2012. He claims he did NOT like any of the teachers, they were overall horrible & disrespectful to the students. He pointed out various instances where the teachers would make students cry or run out of the classroom due to feeling so humiliated. My son is a very quiet well behaved child so he says he sat in disbelief & in shock compared to how he was raised & with how the staff had little to no control over their students. Now he's at Sanderson High School, doing very well & extremely happy. My son kept A LOT about this school quiet from me until now, where he has experienced more, become out spoken & experienced better schools.
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2013

This is our second year at Moore Square and we LOVE THIS SCHOOL!!! I love having our son in a smaller middle school, as it has helped his adjustment to middle school so much. The staff learn the students so quickly, and they are so accessible to the parents. Can't wait to send our second child here.
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2013

My son was at M2M3 last year. He was extremely sad to leave this school. He had great teachers and made good friends. He had all the support he needed to be sucessful and is now taking all honor classes in high school. My daughter is an AG student. She has thrived at Moore Square. The location is great. The staff is supportive. I recommend this school very highly.
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2013

This has been a great 3 weeks, after transitiating from elementary!! Glad we chose the Square!!