Middle School
McLean’s Middle School bustles with a diverse population of students in grades 5 through 8. The academic program, both challenging and nurturing, provides the skills and strategies for students to achieve success. Energetic and striving for independence, these young adolescents discover their learning styles, maximize their potential, and assume responsibility.
The curriculum builds on previously learned material and prepares students for more advanced study in Upper School. Middle School courses include English, Literature, Mathematics, History, Science, Spanish or Latin, Art, Music, Drama, Technology, Physical Education and Health Education. Some classes move at a fast pace with minimum support from the teacher; other classes require more extended teacher assistance. The outstanding faculty utilizes innovative teaching methods designed to accommodate different learning styles; in turn, students discover and understand how they learn best. All Middle School students engage in PE on a daily basis, and students in grades 7 and 8 meet for interest-based clubs twice a week. Students also participate in community service projects and student government, both of which help to foster an awareness of the needs of others.
The structure of Middle School supports students and teachers in their quest for learning. The counselor, the learning specialist, and the two deans of students, play significant roles in assisting students as they strive for their personal best. Assessing students on their own or responding to teacher requests, these specialists provide students with strategies, and problem-solving techniques, as needed to meet students’ needs. All students are assigned to a homeroom (grades 5 and 6) or an advisory (grades 7 and 8), where they can find an advocate and a sense of belonging to a group. Middle School teachers are members of an academic department and work closely with the department chairs on issues related to curriculum, textbooks, scope and sequence.
Administrators, teachers, and parents maintain lines of communication with each other. The e-mail process, letter mailings and telephone calls enable the exchange of ideas and information. Parent-teacher conferences take place once a year, and at other times upon request; quarterly progress reports are mailed home. For those students who are faltering, weekly meetings assess performance and offer academic recommendations and behavior modification procedures. The Middle School assures that students feel well supported by teachers and resources and that every effort is made to secure each student’s self-esteem and self-confidence.
Descriptions of the courses offered in grades 5 through 8 follow.