Middle School Academics

The Middle School program offers a full curriculum that broadens and deepens the scope and sequence of studies from Lower School while preparing the youngsters for the challenges and responsibilities of the Upper School. In addition to classroom instruction, Middle School teachers are prepared to provide students with the individual help and personal attention necessary to augment the development of study skills. Further, each student meets regularly in a small group with a faculty advisor. The advisor provides academic and social guidance and acts as a liaison among the student, the studentís family, and the school.

The Middle School addresses not only the strong social and academic pressures which are felt by early adolescents but also the wide range of developmental levels that exists in grades 6-8. The Middle School seeks to provide a program that stimulates, challenges, motivates, encourages, nurtures, organizes, disciplines, and develops each student to the best of his or her potential. Courses, field trips, class projects, and other activities provide for each student a maximum opportunity for individual growth and expression.

Although time spent on homework will vary, it is expected that most courses will require about thirty minutes of homework for each class period. The due dates for research papers, book reports, and projects are always known well in advance; the responsibility for meeting these deadlines rests with the individual student. All teachers and advisors guide students to develop good study skills and to review in preparation for semester and final examinations which occur in January and in June.

English

In the Middle School the English program is dedicated to building a strong foundation in all reading and writing skills. Selected novels, plays, short stories, and poems serve as the basis for the reading program. Students add constantly to their vocabularies through the study of words in Vocabulary Workshop (Sadlier-Oxford, levels A-D) and their reading.

All Middle School students have laptop computers, which they use for writing and revision. The writing portion of the curriculum encourages imaginative and energetic responses to questions and underscores the importance of accurate diction, good usage, and correct grammar. Writing assignments are designed to generate coherent paragraphs that develop into longer essays. The use of specific details to support the writerís basic position is stressed. Writing assignments are designed to prompt the student into expressing personal observations and opinions in a convincing way. Final drafts are expected to demonstrate competency in the mechanics of writing. To this end students are asked to learn how to eliminate sentence fragments and run-ons, how to punctuate and spell correctly, and how to avoid common errors in usage.

Literature is chosen on the basis of merit and its ability to engage the Middle School reader. A conscientious attempt is made to choose books with challenging vocabulary and themes that are age appropriate. The goals of the reading program are to encourage enjoyment and appreciation, and to develop interpretive skills. Middle School reading includes such classics as Aliceís Adventures in Wonderland, Tom Sawyer and To Kill a Mockingbird. Contemporary fiction is represented by such works as Haroun, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, and Montana 1948. Shakespeare is at the heart of a drama unit in all grades.

Tests on the reading are designed to measure comprehension skills as well as knowledge of content. Tests also generally require a considerable amount of writing. All semester exams include an essay assignment. Exams in the Middle School are given in January and June, each counting as 10% of the year grade.

A summer reading program helps sustain skills during the vacation. All students entering grades 6-8 are required to read two books. These books are chosen from a list of six at each grade level. In addition, they are expected to read two books of their choice. The English Department provides a list of recommended books to help with the selection.

Advanced sections are designed to challenge superior students and afford them the opportunity for enhanced learning experiences.

Mathematics

The Middle School mathematics program is sequenced to provide a smooth path from the concrete visual world of numbers and shapes into the more symbolic, abstract study of algebra and geometry. It is designed to increase the studentís ability to communicate mathematically and to expand the studentís knowledge of number theory and arithmetic, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability, patterns and functions. Students are actively involved in doing mathematics: exploring, modeling, making conjectures, researching, making decisions, and solving problems. Students develop and use mathematical algorithms, properties, and concepts. There is emphasis on study skills, reading, writing, listening, speaking, note-taking, doing homework, and preparing for and taking tests. Computers and calculators are tools of the curriculum. Middle School mathematics classes are ability grouped. The advanced sequence concludes with an intensive course in Algebra I.

History

The Middle School history program builds on the work done in the Lower School. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical writing and thinking skills. Students are continually encouraged to ask questions regarding the course material. Increased conceptual development is emphasized in the social sciences; especially in history and anthropology. Students are introduced to the concepts of cultural diffusion and cross-cultural development and how they relate to world history as well as to American history. Included in this work is the continued development of the following skills: study skills, note-taking skills (from both reading and lecture), and organizational techniques. Emphasis is also placed on developing and strengthening cooperation, trust and respect as key elements in a free society. An important goal of the program is to help students develop an appreciation for history that will continue throughout and beyond Middle School.

The sixth grade history program traces human development through the study and comparison of numerous ancient cultures (Egypt, Sumer, China and other areas of Asia, Greece and Rome). Students are introduced to the early Medieval period and survey the Ages of Revolution in Europe. They compare and contrast civilizations chronologically by studying what was occurring in two different countries at the same time. The course also places a strong emphasis on learning geography.

The seventh grade history course covers American history from its beginnings through the Civil War. The course begins with a study of the geographical diversity of North America and the cultures of its original inhabitants. This work is followed by an in-depth study of the factors in Europe that led to the exploration and colonization of North America during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The continuing settlement and development of the continent is explained, with emphasis placed on the Revolutionary War, the Constitution, the expansion of the new nation, and the events of the 19th century that led to the Civil War.

The eighth grade course continues this study of American history with the analysis of Reconstruction and a chronological survey of major forces and events in U.S. History in the 19th and 20th centuries. The growth of the nation into a major world power is analyzed by studying economic factors as well as American foreign policy. The involvement in two world wars as well as the events surrounding the Depression are examined, as are the Cold War, the Vietnam conflict, and the domestic policies of the Great Society. Class trips to local historical sites and those farther away - such as Gettysburg or Boston - are important parts of this history program.

Science

One of the main goals of the Middle School science program is to give students a systematized approach to laboratory work. Students are taught to keep neat, accurate notebooks, to record observations in words, and to work objectively using appropriate laboratory techniques and equipment. All Middle School students participate in the annual Science Fair each spring. Local field trips are included when appropriate.

In the sixth grade, the Life Science course focuses on several areas: biochemistry, the cell, genetics, evolution, ecology (enhanced by the annual Montauk field trip) and an examination of the plant and animal kingdoms utilizing dissections. Programs at the DNA Learning Center of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory are incorporated into the course of study.

In the seventh grade, the Physical Science course involves an investigative approach to the study of motion and force, electricity and magnetism, and sound and light. Laboratory activities stress the use of science process skills such as observing, classifying, measuring, communicating, inferring, predicting, collecting, making hypotheses, experimenting, interpreting data, and making and using models.

In the eighth grade, a laboratory course in Earth Science involves aspects of astronomy, earth chemistry, oceanography, geology, and meteorology. The purpose is to develop the students understanding of their physical environment and their planet as well as peopleís impact on it.

Foreign Language

In Middle School, a student may continue French from the Lower School or begin French or Spanish in grade six. The Middle School foreign language program stresses meaningful communication through a variety of classroom activities that channel the energy and enthusiasm of Middle Schoolers. Cultural enrichment is an integral aspect of every course. Those who satisfactorily complete a foreign language sequence in Middle School begin at Level II in grade nine.

Visual Arts

In Art 6 & 7, students draw, paint, and sculpt using a variety of media and techniques. Students work one semester each year in the art studio and then switch to woodworking during the second semester. In the art studio program, students create two and three dimensional projects that reflect the work of artists and or the art movement they represent. In woodworking, students explore a variety of woodworking techniques from traditional carving through computer-based bridge and automobile design. Student art works are displayed throughout the building and highlighted during the winter and spring art exhibitions. Student work is also visible on the Portledge School website.

Students in Art 8 explore basic design principles and traditional techniques in printmaking, drawing, sculpture, and collage. They develop criteria for evaluating art and gain a personal aesthetic. Students have the opportunity to mentor 1st grade partners during a specially designed field trip to a major art museum. Student art works are displayed throughout the building and highlighted during the winter and spring art exhibitions. Student work is also visible on the Portledge School website.

Performing Arts

Classes in the Performance Arts are a requirement for Middle School students. Seventh and eighth graders choose two areas for study from Chorus, Band, Orchestra, and Interdisciplinary Arts. Chorus, Band, and Orchestra members participate in winter and spring concerts and focus on performance and ensemble skills. Interdisciplinary Arts allows students to explore musicís relationship to other disciplines, including the visual arts and literature, with examples of music from different historical periods and many cultures. Students work both independently and collaboratively on projects and written assignments and make use of the schoolís MIDI lab.

Sixth graders follow a general music curriculum, sing, study a band or orchestra instrument, and perform in winter and spring concerts.

Instrumental students in grades 6, 7, and 8 attend weekly small-group lessons. Instruction is offered on violin, viola, cello, string bass, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, baritone, and percussion.

Computer Department

Middle School students make use of both Macintosh and PC computer labs. With the advent of the Laptop Initiative for all Middle School students in the fall of 1998, regularly scheduled computer courses have been replaced by curricular integration of computer skills. A member of the computer department is present in subject classrooms as the need for skill lessons and extensions arises. The focus is upon Microsoft Office software, student-created on-line activities, Internet research, electronic encyclopedias, and software specific to the academic subject. All Middle School classrooms have been provided with sufficient connections for every student to access the Portledge network and the Internet. A music technology classroom with eight networked MIDI composition and learning stations is a core of the Music course offerings, supporting the instrumental and General Music studies. Similarly, a computer graphics/multimedia production lab is available to students in the Art department. Students who wish to work with a member of the Computer Department on programming, computer graphics, video editing or web page design are able to do so after school and on a guided independent basis.

Special Courses

Health classes meet regularly in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Topics covered include physical fitness, mental and emotional health, nutrition, alcohol and drug abuse and prevention, human sexuality, and diseases and their prevention. Town Meeting programs on these topics complement the curriculum.