Middle School

Middle School is a time of transition and growing independence for Classes 6–8. As the bridge between Lower and Upper School, this Division supports students through many developmental changes.

Foundational Learning

Student Choice & Voice

Middle School continues to focus on foundational skills with an emphasis on practicing and strengthening reading, writing, and math skills while giving students choices in their academic schedule. In Class 6, students are exposed to multiple languages and then select the foreign language they want to continue.

In their later Middle School years, students are placed in more advanced courses as appropriate to their performance, and in other areas, students may opt in to additional or more challenging coursework. Students also begin to select co-curricular and extracurricular activities to explore their interests outside of the classroom.

More about the Middle School Curriculum

Classroom Model

Developmental Readiness

Our single-gender classroom model develops confidence. Research shows that boys and girls in this age group behave very differently and have vastly different needs. Students are better able to exceed their own expectations in challenging courses like an all-girl chemistry class or an all-boy poetry class. We begin to mix genders when appropriate as we prepare students for our co-ed Upper School. Clubs, dances, and extracurricular programs like the Middle School play are all integrated activities.

Character Education

Ready to Lead

Character development and leadership are integral to the Middle School experience. We actively seek out opportunities for students to lead, and we are intentional about recognizing students who set good examples. At the same time, we are firm but fair when students make mistakes, guiding them in the learning process. The Middle School experience reinforces the concepts of self-confidence, continuous reevaluation, and honest reflection.

Tradition and Innovation

A Balanced Experience

Our Middle School students find success in learning traditional skills with an innovative mindset and global awareness. As students take on a more rigorous course load with different teachers for each course, they begin to develop strong executive functioning skills—managing deadlines, planning ahead, and asking for help when needed. Simultaneously, students learn to think critically, problem-solve, and to generate create solutions.