The Middle School academic program includes courses from grades six through eight. The sixth grade program focuses on basic skill development while providing students a transition from the self-contained classroom experiences students have likely encountered in elementary school. The seventh and eighth grade courses are divided into ability-based groups that reinforce the middle school curricular objectives. Classes in the middle school are small, averaging ten students. Course offerings for middle school students include English, social studies, math, reading, and science. Art, drama, music, ESL, and other elective courses are offered during the fine and practical arts period each day. The Fine and Practical Arts classes (F-PAC) electives are not core classes and consequently do not carry academic credit; grades are given based on participation. Physical education courses are offered to the sixth grade students. Mandatory athletics in three seasons meet the physical education requirement for seventh and eighth grade students.
Reading and the study of literature are the centerpiece of the Middle School’s curriculum. Teachers seek to instill a lifelong love of reading in boys. Instruction is intended to strengthen reading ability through frequent reading, and strengthen comprehension through frequent discussion of literature and study of literary concepts. The English curriculum focuses on writing first, with complementary emphases on basic grammar, speaking and spelling skills. The social studies curriculum begins in sixth grade with a study of ancient civilizations and continues through seventh and eighth grade with a study of American history and geography. The mathematics curriculum calls upon students to develop computational and problem-solving skills. The science curriculum combines lecture and lab activity to build knowledge and skills in research, life science, physical science, and chemistry. Throughout the curriculum and courses, students are encouraged to develop an interest in reading through the Accelerated Reader Program, and meeting expectations in that program is a requirement for successful completion of the Middle School curriculum. (see “Reading Culture”)