Daniel Feigin Division Director Middle School Grades 6 - 8

The Middle School Division (Grades 6 - 8)

The program in grades 6, 7 and 8 is dedicated to the Middle School concept of developmentally appropriate academic, social, and emotional expectations and goals. The emphasis is on the student’s emerging understanding and increasing skills of collaboration, self-responsibility, and critical thinking.

The advisor program is a unique developmental feature of the Middle School. It is specifically designed to support actively the student’s intellectual and social growth in the crucial time between the ages of 10 and 14, when the student’s attitudes about learning and self-esteem are most challenged. Each subject area teacher is an advisor to a group of approximately 10 advisees. The advisor acts as the student’s advocate and academic counselor, as well as the family’s liaison—the person responsible for communication between family and school.

The Common Room is another unique feature in the design of the Middle School program. When students and faculty are not assigned to a class, the time is called a discretionary period. During that time the Common Room, where teacher/advisor desks and study tables are located, provides a learning space for collaborative and individual study where students and teachers are immediately available to each other. This accessibility is important time for teachers and students to follow up on students’ individual learning goals. During discretionary time students may also choose to go to the library for research or quiet study or, by appointment, to the science labs or art studios.

The academic program of the Middle School is departmentalized. Although students in grades 6 through 8 follow a traditional curriculum of English, mathematics, social studies, science and foreign languages, there is a broad repertoire of class formats, which frequently provides students with the opportunity to work collaboratively or independently as a project or assignment or their learning styles warrant. The schedule is designed to introduce active, independent, self-disciplined students to academic subjects taught by specialists. Visual arts, performing arts and physical education are also required to complete the course of study, qualifying students for entry into the High School’s college preparatory program.

Class preparation is assigned daily in most subject areas. Some assignments are short-term objectives, due the next day, while others are long-term, requiring planning and practice in time management. Assignments are given in class and are also posted in the Common Room. The quality of assignment preparation is explained and assessed through rubrics and performance standards rather than through numerical or letter grades. Performance assessment serves as a crucial element of the learning process. As part of that process, all students are expected to use a laptop computer (See below). The word processing, spreadsheet, and PowerPoint applications are just a few of the ways that digital technology supports a student’s academic and intellectual development.

All Middle students are required to have a laptop computer that runs the Windows operating system, Microsoft Office and a variety of academic software applications specific to Trevor. A technology course, which covers laptop use and basic maintenance, internet safety and acceptable use of Trevor technology, is provided to grade six. Wireless network connections to TrevorNet are available throughout the building providing students with ready access to printers, the internet, e-mail, and class assignments on an anytime, anywhere basis. Middle School faculty also have a laptop computer thus enabling students and teachers to broaden their communications beyond the classroom and Common Room.