Middle School

Students gather to work on an assignment

Tweens and teens reach a level of mental maturity where they are hungry to take on more complex ideas and subjects; we know that middle school is not a time to be wasted. We offer an environment where our youngest students have autonomy and the opportunity to go deeper with the subjects they love.

Our homework policy means that all of our students have homework balance built into their school day as they explore in classes, clubs, at sports games, and in our music and theater productions.

By the time our students reach 8th grade, they have the freedom to select high school courses in the arts, math and world languages. Our classes and extracurriculars are designed to spark our middle schoolers imagination and inventiveness as they transition into young adulthood.

Strong Educational Foundation

Middle school students build their educational foundation with courses in English, history, mathematics, science, world language, and the arts, and develop mind-body awareness through the Social Emotional Learning and Physical Health (SELPH) and athletics programs. Sixth graders take their courses as pass/fail without letter grades, though they receive significant feedback on their performance in the form of standards-based grading, which is individualized by the teacher of each of their classes. In 7th grade, students may begin taking high school-level foreign language and mathematics.

Safety to Explore & Engage

Our combined middle and high school campus is a cohesive space that provides a safe environment in which to foster cross-grade relationships and peer-to-peer mentoring.

There are many classes in which you might find 7th and 11th grade students working side by side on the same problem. Middle school students are inspired by the focus and engagement of the older students, while high school students straddle the role of learner and mentor, which improves their focus and comportment.

We encourage our middle school students to explore their creative, intellectual and physical potential in a playful and supportive environment. This is achieved through ample mentorship, supportive staff, and an educational foundation that fosters the development of intellectual and creative capacity, mind-body awareness, critical-thinking, problem solving skills and how to work effectively--both independently and in groups.

Academic Skill Development

To succeed in a rigorous college preparatory environment, students need to develop solid study skills. Sixth through eighth grade students receive embedded study skills training in all classes.

The middle school study skills training breaks down the various skills into organization and time management, planning, note-taking techniques, and test-taking strategies. Self-advocacy is also developed with frequent opportunities for leadership roles. Students are frequently invited into increasingly complex academic challenges with positive reinforcement through scaffolding and regular feedback.

Textbook List

Download the 24-25 Curriculum Catalog

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