Middle School
Curriculum
The Middle School campus is in the heart of St. Margaret's Episcopal School just as its grades, sixth, seventh, and eighth, are in the middle of our Pre-K through 12 structure. The school climate reflects warmth, seriousness, and a lively sense of order. With 300 students and average class sizes of 18, students enjoy opportunities for socialization and a wide variety of peer relationships, yet the campus retains a comfortable, small atmosphere that promotes involvement and eliminates anonymity. To add to this already rich mix, fifty highly qualified, new students join the sixth and seventh grades each year.
The program is departmentalized, with each course taught by a special subject teacher. Strong study habits are developed to enhance the skills necessary for the college preparatory work in our Upper School. The combination of academic rigor and a variety of extracurricular activities encourages students to establish positive values for learning and life. Although academic achievement lies at the heart of our mission, we remain committed to shaping the entire young person through spiritual, artistic, social, and physical experiences.
Fine arts classes expose students to art history, music history and theory, drama, instrumental music, dance, and hands-on art through required enrichment courses in the sixth and seventh grades, with the eighth grade course offerings being elective. Opportunities for credit in music classes are offered before and after school. These classes are repeatable and are offered to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. In place of the regularly scheduled enrichment course, Instrumental Music is offered as an elective during the enrichment block to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who play an instrument. Students learn about and share our school's Episcopal identity through weekly chapel services. The middle school years are conducive to the inculcation of the values of generosity and service, so regular service learning opportunities punctuate students' lives. Positive character traits are instilled in students through authentic, personal interactions with thoughtful, caring adults who assist our early adolescents in the challenge of making positive choices and behaving with proper decorum. Every student is assigned an advisor who acts as his/her mentor and advocate.
It is our most earnest wish that students completing our program embody the values in the Middle School Creed, our touchstone and moral rudder.