LANGUAGE ARTSThe middle school language arts curriculum builds on the foundational skills taught in lower school. Students are given a firm grounding in grammar, usage, and mechanics, and they also learn strategies for acquiring and using new vocabulary. The writing curriculum challenges students to use these skills in a concrete way, while at the same time teaching them to draft well-developed, organized, and interesting essays in a variety of genres. The reading curriculum uses short stories, poetry, books, plays, and traditional stories to further develop comprehension strategies and analytical skills. These four areas of instruction work together to help students develop critical thinking and communication skills.
SCIENCEThe goal of middle school science is to make high school science easy. This rigorous curriculum is accomplished through a hands-on, minds-on approach. Students regularly engage in experiments and projects, and are asked to think critically and apply their knowledge. Sixth grade focuses on the five kingdoms and systems of the body. Seventh grade focuses on earth science, including plate tectonics, soil, weather, and space. The eighth grade focuses on chemistry and physics including Newton’s Laws of Motion, the periodic table, the Law of Conservation of Energy, and thermal energy.
The middle school Spanish curriculum is designed to give students a solid foundation in Spanish to prepare them for high school Spanish. The goal of middle school Spanish is to develop student proficiency in listening, reading, writing, and speaking a foreign language. All students in seventh and eighth grade will take the National Spanish Exam in the spring. In sixth grade, students learn basic vocabulary and conversational skills. In seventh and eighth grade, students complete the equivalent of high school Spanish I. They cover a diverse range of grammar and vocabulary, as well as develop more advanced reading and listening comprehension skills.