Distinctive Programs

Rube Goldberg


Design and the Arts


Whitewater Rafting West Virginia

Whitewater rafting and participation in obstacle courses are designed to strengthen relationships, build leadership skills and explore the natural beauty of our country while pushing students to stretch outside of their comfort zones and develop inner strength.

Socratic Circles

In English 8, students engage in Socratic circles, where they plan and participate in formal discussions, based on a text, in which the leader asks open-ended questions. Within the context of the discussion, students listen closely to the comments of others, thinking critically for themselves, and articulate their own thoughts and their responses.

Bradford Woods Retreat Indiana

The students spend a night camping and utilizing programming designed to exercise both the minds and bodies of the 6th grade.


Throughout the year in Global Studies, students group up as “demigods,” nurturing a fictional civilization from early agriculture to political revolution, confronting issues of hierarchy, law, religion, trade and more. Students engage with the ancient world through design thinking, debate, problem-solving and alternate history.


Students brainstorm, design, and create solutions to world problems, integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics to develop and prototype working inventions.

City Museum, St. Louis

7th grade students will tour Busch Stadium, ascend the Arch, spend the night in the City Museum, visit the zoo and stroll through two parks with large modern sculptures. Teachers and students use this excursion as a team building activity and a fantastic learning experience in an urban environment.

ME Project

The ME Project is an opportunity for each 8th grade student to reflect on their own growth over the course of their entire middle school experience. Students share their reflections in a ten minute speech in front of their classmates and families. Students strengthen their writing and public speaking skills, as well as acknowledge those people who have made positive contributions to their lives.



Character Education
In small groups gathered in the school counselor’s office, students participate in discussions and activities on topics such as understanding one’s role in relationships, improving self-advocacy, setting healthy boundaries, and handling gossip/rumors and bullying.

Students use Lego Mindstorms to do computer programming, problem-solving and proportional reasoning. They also have opportunities for creativity, designing their own challenges and robots.