MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSES

SIXTH GRADE (all classes available to 6th graders) ENGLISH » English 6 HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES » Global Cultures MATHEMATICS » Math 6 SCIENCE » Life Science WORLD LANGUAGES » Introduction to the Romance

Languages ARTS » Art 6 » Dance 6 » Exploring Music » Wind Ensemble » Beginning Winds & Percussion » Beginning Strings » Middle School Advanced

Orchestra » Theater Arts 6 PHYSICAL EDUCATION » SHAPE 6 COMPUTER SCIENCE » Discover Computer Science SKILLS » Middle School Skills SEVENTH GRADE (all classes available to 7th graders) ENGLISH » English 7, Honors English 7 HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES » Ancient Civilizations MATHEMATICS » Pre-Algebra, Honors Pre-Algebra » Honors Algebra I SCIENCE » Earth and Environmental Science WORLD LANGUAGES » Introduction to French, French I » Introduction to Latin, Latin I » Introduction to Spanish, Spanish I ARTS » Art 7 » Dance 7 » Strings » Winds & Percussion » Advanced Wind Ensemble » Middle School Advanced Orchestra » Middle School Choir » Theater Arts 7 PHYSICAL EDUCATION » SHAPE 7 COMPUTER SCIENCE » Design and Discovery (Computer

Science and Engineering) STEM » STEM Elective SKILLS » Human Growth and Development EIGHTH GRADE (all classes available to 8th graders) ENGLISH » English 8, Honors English 8 HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES » Citizenship in Action MATHEMATICS » Introduction to Algebra » Algebra I, Honors Algebra I » Honors Geometry SCIENCE » Physical Science WORLD LANGUAGES » French I, French II » Latin I, Latin II » Spanish I, Spanish II ARTS » Art 8 » Dance 8 » Advanced Wind Ensemble » Middle School Advanced Orchestra » Middle School Choir » Theater Arts 8 PHYSICAL EDUCATION » SHAPE 8 COMPUTER SCIENCE » Digital Makers STEM » STEM Elective SKILLS » Changes & Choices

The Middle School years are a time of many changes in the life of a girl. It is important that she be equipped to understand and process the emotional, physical, and social aspects of adolescence and be constantly supported along the way.

At GPS, preparation in life and study skills is an integral part of the Middle School program and a crucial part of preparing girls for a lifetime of emotional and physical health.

This course introduces skills essential for being a successful sixth-grader and Middle School student at GPS. Students will work on staying healthy, managing stress and anxiety, communicating effectively with peers and teachers, resolving conflict with peers and parents, using social media and technology appropriately, and maintaining self-esteem. Topics Covered: » peer relationships » personal hygiene » study skills » how our brains » organization and bodies work » self-awareness

The next step in the health and wellness curriculum, Human Growth and Development, teaches students how their brains and bodies change and about human reproduction. Students explore adolescent emotions, practice resolving conflict, and identify choices that nurture their bodies and brains through nutrition education and proper hygiene practices. An emphasis is placed on self in the context of relationships. Objectives Include: » self-awareness » boundary-setting » self-care » finding balance » self-esteem

This interactive class is designed to assist eighth-graders as they learn to make informed decisions based upon factual information and to identify and discuss ways to cope with their emotions and social pressure. The class encourages girls to have self-respect and to choose wisely as they encounter new freedom and experiences. Topics Covered: » responsibility » effective » respect for others communication » decision making » relationships » dealing with » appearance ideals peer pressure and media » proper nutrition

“The more we provide girls the opportunity to find relevance in their own lives, to personally connect with the people and topics they are studying, and to bring to life the content, the more they learn and comprehend.”

—LYNNE MACZIEWSKI, GPS HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL What can a girl discover if she knows where and how to look?

Due to the cooperative nature of the Middle School humanities faculty, the English, world languages, ancient civilizations, citizenship in action, and global cultures teachers are able to blend concepts and values across disciplines for the benefit of their students. This interdisciplinary approach, combined with an inquiry-based process, prompts a student to learn while employing a variety of resources. As a result, she becomes a careful reader, a curious questioner, and a clear communicator.

Most GPS Middle School humanities classes begin the year with essential questions— queries that drive the curriculum and provide a way for girls to connect the content to their own lives. For example, simply asking, “How do I fit into a global environment?” can drive analysis of a literary text or reflection about another civilization or country. She also experiences cultural immersion in her world language classes.

Girls are exposed to many different lived experiences—both of their peers and students around the world. They are taught how to curate evidence and gather quality information, as well as share their thoughts and ideas through civil discourse. Whether through a Socratic seminar or the Harkness method, sharing of thoughts, ideas, and perspectives with peers in a respectful and supportive learning environment leads to a greater understanding of the subject matter. In English, her teachers integrate Latin into methods to increase her vocabulary.

Often away from their desks and spread across the classroom floor or huddled in small groups, girls might use design-thinking to propose solutions to real problems such as creating an artistic map on how a bill becomes a law. In every project, students are challenged to use evidence to support their findings—aloud or on paper—and to consider more than one position along the way. Acquisition of these skills sets the stage for success in the GPS Upper School and beyond as our girls become global citizens and critical thinkers.