Middle School

Middle School teachers challenge their students to accept academic responsibility, develop and defend a personal point of view, advocate for themselves, and expand the boundaries of their intellectual imagination. In addition, teachers in every discipline reinforce academic and study skills in the context of their course work. These skills can be concrete in nature (organization of materials, time management and academic responsibility), or they may reach for more abstract goals (reflection, synthesis and self-assessment, among others). Through a blend of nurturing guidance and self-discovery, Middle School boys come to understand their own strengths and weaknesses while learning the skills and habits of mind necessary to find success in an academically rigorous environment.

This rigor is best realized in a community which places value on the relationship between teacher and student. These relationships develop in the classroom, around a lunch table, in advisory, on stage, and on the athletic fields. During these three years, boys make a plethora of decisions about who they are, what they believe in, and the types of lives they will ultimately lead. In a safe atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, students are liberated to work hard, develop strong bonds with teachers and fellow classmates, and find both fun and meaning in their lives.

The Head of Middle School is Douglas Norry '90.