Throughout their entire Middle School English experience, students learn to read actively and mindfully, to analyze and to question, and to realize that there is no “wrong answer” as long as an idea is well founded and well supported.

As expository writers, students learn that clear writing is clear thinking. As creative writers, they are encouraged to look closely at the world, to take risks in expressing individual points of view, and to use detail to help the reader see what they see. As listeners, they are encouraged to respond compassionately to the work and ideas of their classmates.

Reading and writing poetry strengthens their individual voices, and feeds their hearts as well as their minds.

The history program is designed to inspire life-long historians, independent thinkers and effective citizens of a democracy.

Students learn to comprehend primary and secondary historical texts, become practiced at absorbing and analyzing historical information from various sources, and gain the ability to speak and write like historians.

We stress research skills at all levels, and work with the library staff to promote consistent and effective research methodology that trains students to generate research powered by their own thinking and questioning skills.

Through an inclusive and focused program, our students learn to see the world and their place in it in a sophisticated way, as they gain an appreciation of the shared humanity and common challenges of the world’s peoples and cultures.

Sixth and seventh graders study humanities, an interdisciplinary course combining history and English.

Students explore broad themes of the human experience and address open-ended questions that encourage critical thinking about issues of importance in history, literature and the world today.
Such questions include:
“How do the decisions we make impact our own and others lives?”
“What does it mean to be a hero?” and
“What happens when people from different cultures meet for the first time?”
These essential questions are grounded in the study of historical periods and related to the world of today.

The humanities course meets in a 90-minute block, five days each cycle. This double period allows for in-depth examination of topics, better reinforcement of skills, increased use of technology, and flexible allocation of time for project-based learning.

The goals of the Latin program, which begins in seventh grade, are threefold:
• To teach students the fundamentals of Latin vocabulary and grammar, with a view to reading the rich literature of the Romans; to
• To enhance their memory and reasoning power
• To help them appreciate Roman history and culture.

Studying Latin enriches and expands our knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar. An inflected language that we study analytically, Latin provides an intellectual, puzzle-solving process that improves organization skills and fosters methodical thinking. Through texts and discussions we teach the students about many aspects of Roman culture and its affinity with our own.

The Middle School mathematics program has two major goals that lay the foundation for future mathematical studies:
• The first is to help students solidify the knowledge of arithmetic concepts and skills gained in the Lower School.
• The second is to begin a mathematical study characterized by abstract reasoning and symbolic representation.

Through this process, we hope to build students’ mathematical self-confidence, organizational skills and study habits. We always strive to make our subject enjoyable and compelling by creating courses in which all students can be successful, and by providing a curriculum appropriate for those who demonstrate an interest in the more challenging aspects of mathematics.

The study of French or Spanish, which the child began in Lower School, becomes more formalized in Middle School, with the introduction of grammar. The program continues to emphasize communicating effectively and accurately in a second language, to foster an appreciation and understanding of cultural differences, and to promote enthusiasm for language study.

Proficiency in the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) becomes more focused. We continue to interweave various elements (such as dramatizations, visits from native speakers, cooking, videos, computer programs and games) to help students develop a facility with the living language and a sense of cultural appreciation.

The Middle School science program provides a learning environment that promotes curiosity, keen observation, rigorous experimentation and thoughtful analysis involving both inductive and deductive reasoning.

Students participate in field and lab activities each year:

• Grade six studies the life sciences
• Grade seven studies energy and
   the environment
• Grade eight studies physical science
• Grade nine studies high school biology

Throughout the years, we aim to instill in our students a respect for the beauty and elegance of the natural world, and to give them the confidence to apply the methods of science to solving problems that confront them as individuals and society in general.

The art program seeks to provide an art experience that focuses on process as well as product. The program builds visual intelligence, self-esteem and problem-solving skills while exposing the children to a vast array of media and methods.

Students study the work of artists from Rousseau to Warhol by experimenting with their styles. Self-portraits and projects such as personality boxes also help the students understand themselves through art.

We teach the students about other cultures through interdisciplinary projects, helping them to understand themselves and to respect individual differences.

The overall goal of the program is to instill a life-long love of and appreciation for art.

The technology department provides a rich and supportive learning environment that enables and encourages confident, practical and imaginative uses of technology. We seek to help faculty and students realize the potential of information technology across the curriculum.

The drama program provides students with an understanding of the importance of drama as an expression of human experience, as well as an appreciation of the role of the many forms of theater in cultural literacy. Since drama fosters creativity, we give all students the opportunity to improvise, act on a stage and write plays, as well as design, build and participate in the technical aspects of the theater. Learning the discipline and craft necessary for this constructive creation builds reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Our program provides students with tools for critical assessment of what they read, see and hear; with models and standards of excellence; and with a sense of the emotional power of theater, its ability to stir and inspire an audience. Because theater illuminates the constancy of the human condition, its study furthers the students’ understanding of themselves.

The 47,000 volume Frank Perrine Library provides a welcoming and attractive space so students will always believe that libraries are wonderful places where they can find literature to feed their imaginations and information to answer their questions. We endeavor to enrich the educational environment of the school by providing students, teachers and families with a comprehensive and up-to-date resource center that:
• supports the classroom curricula with carefully selected materials in both traditional and technological formats
• promotes the learning of information skills to enable our students to become intellectually curious, life-long learners; and
• inspires creative and critical reading, thinking and writing.

The music program nurtures children’s natural love of music. We provide opportunities for students to develop basic skills, to explore many genres of music, and to experience vocal, instrumental, and dance performances. We encourage the students to create their own music. By laying this foundation, we foster a high level of understanding and appreciation of musical arts.

By focusing on cooperation, skill development and fitness, the physical education program emphasizes participation and fun. We provide opportunities for all students to learn and practice age-appropriate skills, and to develop the concepts of fair play and good sportsmanship. Students learn to enjoy physical activity and its benefits, and to develop an appreciation of a wide variety of sports, both as spectators and as participants.

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