Mike Drew, Middle School Head | Teresa McDowell, Administrative Assistant to Middle School Head | Priscilla Birdsall, Dean of Middle School Students
Our Mission The mission of Baylor School is to foster in its students both the ability and the desire to make a positive difference in the world. This curriculum guide provides a glimpse of how our Middle School students develop the skills and attitudes that help to prepare them to make that difference in high school, college, and the years beyond.
In addition to the individual courses outlined within this curriculum guide, the following programs and classes are offered to all Middle School students throughout the year:
Wellness The Middle School years are a time of significant development for students with respect to physical, mental, social, and emotional changes. Our Wellness Program emphasizes making responsible health decisions and provides information and opportunities for mature discussion on a wide range of current health topics and issues. The course is offered to all Middle School students.
Literacy Strategies In addition to receiving reading instruction in core classes, Middle School students take Literacy Strategies classes, which reinforce important skills like making inferences, drawing conclusions, and identifying main ideas. These classes also provide support for the quarterly outside reading goal expected of each Middle School student.
Information Literacy Baylor’s Information Literacy program is designed to create lifelong learners by teaching students how to access and evaluate information in the ever-expanding variety of print and electronic resources. Classes take place in the library, where students are introduced to online resources while learning to access, analyze, and evaluate materials and use information effectively. The first half of the class session is spent on instruction, while the second half allows students to apply that knowledge through specific projects. These competencies are then expanded upon each year.
Technology Middle School students learn to use the Baylor e-mail system, network, and website, improve their keyboarding skills, use Moodle, wikis, and blogs for academic exchanges, become familiar with spreadsheets and presentation programs, and conduct internet research. Students develop these skills throughout their Middle School years as teachers in various disciplines integrate technology into their classes with the help of such tools as projectors, SmartBoards, and laptop carts.
The Extended Classroom In addition to regular classes, the idea of extending the borders of the traditional classroom is deeply entrenched at Baylor. From the life science classes visiting an organic farm to Walkabout’s lessons of the great outdoors, Baylor’s experiential opportunities are an important part of our overall academic program. You can learn more about these programs by visiting our website at www.baylorschool.org.