Finding Your Voice, Making an Impact

“How do you connect to the world around you?” is the organizing theme connecting math, English, social studies and science that all seventh graders are required to study. Whether exploring environmental conservation in Science or global conflicts in Social Studies, students are asked to use reason and empathy to broaden their perspectives and see how they affect and are affected by our complex and diverse world. The core subjects complement their focus on academic skill development, so crucial during these years, with an emphasis on learning by doing projects. 

Besides the aforesaid classes, seventh graders study one or two languages from among Spanish, French, and Latin.  All students also participate in courses offered through the Health and Wellness Program, which incorporates a four-week unit one semester of theatre arts. Students may also participate in the Middle School Chorus or the Middle School Orchestra. Most students taking one language class choose one elective class from the Discovery Program. The other one-language students take A.S.K. 7 or Organizational Lab. In addition to regularly scheduled classes, seventh graders have Targeted Academic Growth (TAG) one to three periods a week. TAG is a time when students can work with teachers for specific support or enrichment, or they may work independently. There are an additional two Flex periods a week which can be extension(s) of regular class time or can be used for interdisciplinary projects connected to students’ regular academic program. Clubs, Independent Reading, the Middle School Play, and competitive sports provide additional opportunities for student choice and independence. 

Each floor in the MS Buliding is dedicated to a specific grade-level age group, with an environment that synchronizes with the educational philosophy for each age group. On the first, or sixth grade floor, students focus on their personal identity, exploring their personal story through spaces such as the MS Teaching Kitchen. On the second, or seventh grade floor, students learn through projects encouraging partnership and collaboration. The third, or eighth grade floor, environment encourages students to address our mission to “meet the challenges of the changing world and make it better.”  All three floors in the MS Building have a “Front Porch” gathering area where showcase events and presentations occur and opportunities to learn (and be inspired) are optimized.

“Our theme in the Middle School is ‘be kind’ and ‘do the right thing.’ That theme runs through everything that we do. Whether focused on a Science project, a project in English, or a Social Studies project, we always go back to ‘be kind’ and ‘do the right thing.’ If you’re rooted in our mission statement and you add on, ‘be kind’ and ‘do the right thing,’ the D-E MS is about encouraging students to be the human beings we want them to be.”