Collegiate Middle School Curriculum

Middle School Curriculum

From the Head of Middle School Middle School Parents, For Collegiate Middle School students, learning is an incredibly active experience. Learning takes on all shapes and forms every minute of the day throughout every classroom, from solving mathematical algorithms in small groups to singing harmony in a sectional in the choral room.

At its very core, Collegiate’s Middle School values learning as an ongoing process that celebrates successes and builds resiliency from challenges. Success is not defined simply by high marks on assessments, but rather by the ability to understand and reflect on complex concepts through a commitment of inquiry, engagement, skill development, problem-solving and communication. These learning principles make up the very foundation of Collegiate’s outstanding Middle School curriculum and guide our focus to ensure that all students grow as inquisitive thinkers, responsible citizens and compassionate learners.

To this end, the curriculum is intentionally all-encompassing. It is our hope that, while at Collegiate, Middle School students are pushed outside of their comfort zones, but also have opportunities to explore the interests of their choice. With a programmatic offering in mathematics, English, science, history, world language, physical education, STEAM and the fine arts, our breadth is wide and our focus is deep.

This preparation includes not only being ready for Upper School, but helping to create lifelong learners well beyond their Collegiate experience.

Sincerely, Jeff Dunnington Head of Middle School 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE COLLEGIATE EXPERIENCE ............................................... Pages 4-5 PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE ..................................................... Page 6 RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP.................................................... Page 8 ENVISION RICHMOND CAPSTONE ............................................ Page 10 STEAM ................................................................................. Page 12 TECHNOLOGY ....................................................................... Page 13 MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNING PRINCIPLES ................................. Page 14 THE 5TH GRADE EXPERIENCE ................................................. Pages 16-19 THE 6TH GRADE EXPERIENCE ................................................. Pages 20-23 THE 7TH GRADE EXPERIENCE ................................................. Pages 24-27 THE 8TH GRADE EXPERIENCE ................................................. Pages 28-32 PHYSICAL EDUCATION............................................................ Page 33 FINE ARTS - MUSIC ............................................................... Pages 34-35 FINE ARTS - DRAMA .............................................................. Pages 36-37 FINE ARTS - DANCE............................................................... Page 38 FINE ARTS - ART.................................................................... Pages 40-41 FINE ARTS - WOODWORKING.................................................. Page 41 LIBRARY............................................................................... Pages 42-43

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The Collegiate Experience From Junior Kindergarten through 12th Grade, a comprehensive, integrated and innovative curriculum empowers our students to develop the skills, knowledge and dispositions necessary to thrive as scholars, citizens and leaders. Throughout students’ Collegiate experience, we instill in them lifelong traits that help build character, shape perspective and equip them not only for graduation, but also for the world that awaits.

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Lower School LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING From the first day our youngest students arrive, they are active participants in warm and welcoming classroom communities. Lower School students learn to negotiate new paths with confidence, whether it be the first time on the Fort Cougar monkey bars or figuring out fractions. Our commitment to inquiry-based learning taps into the natural curiosity of young children, and our teachers encourage deep thinking and provide opportunities for skill development as our students explore and connect the disciplines.

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Upper School THE LAST FOUR YEARS HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE Collegiate’s Upper School experience is based on an in-depth college preparatory curriculum. Hallmarks of our program include small class sizes, advisories and the support of guidance counselors, learning specialists and a team of college counselors. Advanced opportunities for growth in academics, arts and athletics give students the freedom to explore new things or dig deeper into what they love and expand their knowledge base. Their college prep process also includes opportunities to get to know themselves better and to find the confidence to stretch and grow into new opportunities — skills that will serve them well in college and beyond.

Middle School A WORLD OF EXCITEMENT AND CHANGE As students cross the bridge to Middle School, they discover classrooms filled with the same focus on integrated academics, inquiry-based learning and nurturing guidance. During this time of rapid transition and discovery of a student's sense of self, Middle Schoolers are separated by gender in most academic classes to allow teachers to focus intensively on students’ developmental and academic needs and to give boys and girls room to grow, speak up and be themselves.

"EXCELLENCE AT COLLEGIATE IS EMBRACING ALL THAT IT MEANS TO BE AN INQUISITIVE THINKER, COMPASSIONATE LEADER AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN. THE VERY BUILDING BLOCKS TO EVERY IMPORTANT AND MEANINGFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE BEGIN IN OUR LOWER SCHOOL AS OUR STUDENTS EMBARK ON THEIR JOURNEY ALONGSIDE SUPPORTIVE AND JOYFUL TEACHERS." — TUNG TRIHN, DEAN OF FACULTY

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The Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship Guided by Collegiate School’s founder, Helen Baker, and her vision of the School’s graduates as “good citizens in the widest sense,” “the mission of The Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship at Collegiate School is to empower engaged, contributing citizens by nurturing students’ compassion, creativity and purpose.” Collegiate’s promise is to nurture and equip its students as scholars, citizens and leaders. The mission of the Institute and promise of Collegiate are actualized through collaborations with faculty and full integration of programs in JK through Grade 12 that build the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary for today’s and tomorrow’s world through the identified areas of Economic Literacy, Entrepreneurship, Inclusion, Global Engagement, Civic Engagement, Ethics and Sustainability.

Focusing on the identified areas, common elements of The Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship programming include a student-centered approach to learning, opportunities for experiential learning, collaboration, development of leadership skills, use of the community as a classroom, incorporation of public sharing as a way of demonstrating understanding, content taught in the context of applied skill sets, design thinking and a reimagined approach to assessment.

Here’s how we define the focus areas of Responsible Citizenship: CIVIC ENGAGEMENT promotes civic literacy, addresses issues and builds community both locally and globally through action by individual and collective citizens. Service Learning, one teaching strategy for civic engagement, connects meaningful service rooted in community needs with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience.

ECONOMIC LITERACY instills in students the foundations of economic education and financial literacy through experiences in and out of the classroom.

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP structures opportunities for exploration, human-centered design, decision-making and risk-taking that cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset while contributing to social impact.

ETHICS challenges students to employ empathic understanding and compassionate consideration of others to critically assess situations, work through reasoned decision-making, arrive at morally sound solutions and then practice those principles.

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT provides learning and experiences that empower students to become global citizens through true engagement with their world.

INCLUSION ensures that all members of a community feel fully respected and valued through consistent work across all areas of school life.

SUSTAINABILITY integrates eco-literate practices that enable the community to value and understand the interconnectedness of human and natural systems and to take action for both to thrive.

Some examples of The Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship programming include: our Lower School Garden, 3rd Grade Social Studies unit focusing on connecting economic concepts, classroom lessons and activities focused on fostering belonging, classroom visits from students and faculty from Collegiate’s international partner schools.

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Capstones at Collegiate Guided by the mission and common elements of The Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship, the Capstone Program brings to life students’ classroom learning in a real-world context.

Occurring in the final year of each division, Capstones create space, opportunity and challenge for our students to help prepare them for their futures. Each Capstone has a developmentally appropriate focus. 4th Graders participate in Envision Collegiate, 8th Graders participate in Envision Richmond and 12th Graders participate in Envision Your World.

8th Grade Envision Richmond CHALLENGE Our 8th Graders connect with organizations and leaders leveraging design thinking to identify and address challenges in the Richmond region. Envision Richmond fosters collaboration, empathy, creativity, communication and problem-solving techniques so students feel better equipped to improve the city around them.

COMMUNITY The Capstone experience immerses the entire 8th Grade student body in the local community with an intensive leadership and civic engagement curriculum.

DESIGN THINKING JOURNEY For one week in the fall, students leave the traditional classroom to visit Richmond sites, wrestle with a variety of issues and work in teams to develop a potential solution to identified challenges. Examples of past topics explored during Envision Richmond include food insecurity, foster care, first responders and the military.

PUBLIC PRESENTATION| Team-identified potential solutions are presented to community leaders whose daily lives are part of, or impacted by, the challenge addressed by the students.

CONTINUING THE JOURNEY Student teams come back together in the spring to identify ways to affect change in their topic area using The Points of Light’s Civic Circle framework.

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STEAM at Collegiate STEAM at Collegiate means an integrative learning approach to science, technology, engineering and mathematics with frequent, intentional and meaningful collaboration with the arts and humanities from JK through 12th Grade. Across the divisions, students take a design-based approach to problem-solving.

This consistent methodology provides relevant, hands-on opportunities for our students to develop the skills, understandings and habits of mind necessary for today’s and tomorrow’s world.

LOWER SCHOOL (JK-4TH GRADE) • Dedicated Makerspace in Burke Hall for engineering and math labs • Engineering curriculum beginning in Kindergarten • 1:1 iPads in 1st-4th Grade • Coding curriculum beginning in JK • STEAM coordinator collaborates with teachers and designs STEAM-related curriculum • Maker Faire • Quest STEAM opportunities

MIDDLE SCHOOL (5TH-8TH GRADE) • Dedicated Makerspace in Reed Gumenick Library • Technology classes for all 5th and 6th Grade students, elective for 8th Grade • STEAM and maker-related activities and clubs that support and reinforce classroom activities and other projects • 1:1 iPads in 5th-8th Grade • STEAM coordinator collaborates with teachers and designs STEAM-related curriculum • Underwater ROVs and SeaPerch compete each spring • Maker Faire • Quest STEAM opportunities

UPPER SCHOOL (9TH-12TH GRADE) • Fab Lab and Robotics Workshop • Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach to the use of instructional technology • STEAM coordinator collaborates with teachers and designs STEAM-related curriculum • AP Computer Science Principles Course • AP Computer Science A • Programming for Mobile Devices • STEAM Collaboratory/Engineering and Robotics Elective • Dedicated Farmbot garden • Maker Faire

ROBOTICS • First Lego League (FLL) Jr. in 2nd and 3rd Grade • FLL Teams in Middle School • FIRST Robotics Team in Upper School

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Technology in Middle School Technology in the Middle School supports all areas of the curriculum through enhancing and extending learning goals. We strive to help our students become empowered learners, good digital citizens, knowledge constructors, innovative designers, computational thinkers and creative communicators.

How we do this can take many forms depending on the grade and age of the student. With wide exposure to a variety of skills and applications, Middle School students receive direct instruction, have integrated instruction throughout content area classes and have the opportunity to explore and learn further in a wide variety of activities scheduled during Activity Periods. All Middle School students are issued iPads to enhance their involvement in the learning process, becoming responsible digital citizens with an intermediate knowledge and skill base in technology. Middle School students take their iPads home daily. Students receive Collegiate email accounts beginning in 5th Grade, and all Middle School students use Schoology as their learning management system.

MIDDLE SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY CLASSES

5th Grade eLAB Foundations is aimed at helping our 5th Graders build on and grow the tech, STEAM and modern project-based learning skills that they were introduced to in Lower School, while laying further foundations for what will be introduced throughout the rest of Middle and Upper School. During the quarter of this arts rotation, students will pull from all areas of learning and life interests to complete projects utilizing 2D and 3D design and production, engineering and various coding languages.

6th Grade eLAB Advancement picks up where our content and skills left off in 5th Grade, including design, coding and critical problem solving via project-based learning. During the quarter of this arts rotation, students will pull from all areas of learning and life interests to complete projects utilizing 2D and 3D design and production and various coding languages.

In 8th Grade, students can select from two semester-long electives in technology. More details on these classes can be found on page 32.

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Middle School Learning Principles Collegiate Middle School values dynamic learning and thinking. Learning springs from active engagement and inquiry, progresses through skill development and collaboration with others, and results in imaginative solutions and ideas, breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding. Learning evolves through continuous reflection on the learning process.

Inquiry Learning is purposeful, energized by curiosity and characterized by student-initiation, open-mindedness, making connections and increasing knowledge and depth of thought.

Active Engagement Learning relies on attentiveness, independence, resourcefulness, organization and resilience.

Skill Development Learning advances when skills necessary for current and future study develop systematically and are employed across the curriculum.

Problem Solving Learning taps creativity, critical thinking and innovation to solve problems and develop further questions and ideas.

Communication Learning requires that ideas be expressed, often in collaboration with others in the school community and beyond.

Reflection Learning is enriched by thinking about process, learning from mistakes, making adjustments and applying this knowledge to future learning.

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5th Grade Curriculum Overview

5th Grade Language Arts READING Reading is thinking in 5th Grade! Students begin the year by exploring strategies to build a rich reading life and learn essential skills to write about reading. In addition to this, they develop systems for reading and engaging in thinking work both in and outside of class. Using a workshop model, students independently read and practice comprehension strategies that promote deep thinking about the text. With a stong focus on literary analysis, students participate in realistic fiction book clubs in the fall and fantasy book clubs in the spring. Through these book club experiences, students are able to examine an author’s craft and analyze literary elements such as setting and character. To sharpen nonfiction reading strategies, students immerse themselves in informational texts while growing their foundational skills and fluency. Across the year, students are assessed on decoding skills, independent reading and comprehension through both written and oral literary analysis. Through this all, a primary goal for students is to foster a love of reading.

ENGLISH Both written and oral communication skills are emphasized in 5th Grade English classes. Students write for varied purposes and in different genres as the year progresses. Some of this writing is practiced in a Writer’s Notebook, where experimentation takes place with various writing techniques. Formally, students focus on writing narratives, informational articles, poetry and essays with topics of their choosing. Our young writers journey through the process of drafting, revising, editing and finally publishing and sharing their work. Spelling, grammar and vocabulary concepts are taught and emphasized throughout the year to improve writing structure and clarity. Students are assessed on the application of these concepts along with written content, organization, expression and mechanics.

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5th Grade Math 5TH GRADE MATH 5th Grade Math students explore the properties of whole numbers and the relationship between multiplication and division, including factors and multiples, divisors and products. Students extend this background knowledge to investigate when common factors and common multiples are helpful in solving problems. They learn how to find the prime factorization of a number and how to use the prime factorization to more efficiently find the greatest common factor or least common multiple of two or more numbers.

Students explore the order of operations and distributive property. They deepen their knowledge of fractions and build an understanding of ratios and unit rates as a comparison of two numbers. They recognize fractions and decimals as numbers on a number line and use this knowledge to compare, count, partition and decompose numbers. Students become fluent with moving among fractions, decimals and percents and develop ways to add, subtract, multiply and divide both fractions and decimals. We expand on previous knowledge to build a deeper understanding of area and perimeter, and their connection to each other within the shapes of triangles, rectangles and parallelograms.

5th Grade continued 5th Grade Science The Middle School science curriculum is a comprehensive, four-year study of science that incorporates life, earth and physical science. This approach to science instruction allows the students at each grade level to seek a greater and deeper understanding of topics across the various science disciplines. The curriculum will feature the interdisciplinary themes of science, engineering, technology and real-world applications.

Science in 5th Grade builds upon the natural curiosity of young students by allowing them to develop an understanding of topics in life, earth and physical science through exploration and experimentation using a variety of scientific instruments. Students are introduced to the study of classification systems of living organisms and begin a survey of the structure and function of plant cells and animals. Students acquire an understanding of Earth Systems by examining relationships within ecosystems and natural resources.

An introduction to the Periodic Table of Elements is explored and related to the composition of all matter.

Family Life studies begin in the 5th Grade with boys studying the structure and function of the male reproductive system and girls studying the structure and function of the female reproductive system.

5th Grade History In 5th Grade history, students expand their global perspectives as they explore the foundations of ancient civilizations and components of culture in the Fertile Crescent, Egypt, Arabia, India, Greece and Rome.

There’s an emphasis on content area reading as well as general study strategies, such as note taking, assessment preparation and essay writing. Within these units, students learn about the origins and main tenets of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. Students connect their historical understanding of these religions to the community by site visits to houses of worship for each religion. The study of these civilizations is also connected by the role of water in the development of civilization and the challenges of water scarcity. By examining the role of water in the development of Richmond, students effectively connect history to their own lives. The water theme is extended into other courses as a cross-curricular focus. Each spring, students take a field trip to the Pump House Park on the James River for a service learning field trip in which they connect ancient, global and local connections around water.

5th Grade World Language In the Middle School, 5th-8th Graders develop an intellectual and cultural appreciation of world languages. French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese emphasize oral, aural and written communication in an interactive setting taught in the target language. Most students study Latin Foundations concur18

rently with their modern language in 7th Grade, with the option to deepen their study of Latin along with their modern language in the 8th Grade. The Middle School World Language experience prepares students for continued language courses in the Upper School.

SPANISH Spanish in 5th Grade introduces language and culture through thematic units to help build basic vocabulary and awareness of grammar elements. A multi-sensory pedagogical approach is used with the necessary repetition and practice of vocabulary. Aural and written exercises accompany each lesson, and reading material is presented at a linguistically comprehensible level. Oral and written production emerge as a natural part of this early language acquisition stage and students get many opportunities to practice their communicative skills. Cultural elements from throughout the Spanish-speaking world are integrated within each unit.

FRENCH French in 5th Grade continues the application and exploration of language and culture as students continue to develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Grammar and vocabulary are taught in thematic lessons with a multi-sensory approach designed to advance the students’ communication skills and build a foundation for continued language study. Students are introduced to verb conjugation (-er verbs, être, avoir, faire, aller), interrogative structures and adjective agreement. Francophone culture is integrated so that students can reflect on what is similar and what is different between their community and the many Francophone communities about which they learn.

MANDARIN CHINESE Chinese in 5th Grade continues to build upon basic Chinese characters and culture with the focus on daily life situations that engage and increase the students’ awareness and understanding of Chinese-speaking cultures. A variety of multisensory activities are used to strengthen the reading of Chinese characters. Instructional strategies guide the students to build a foundation for learning how to read and hand write Chinese characters in proper stroke order. The Pinyin system is reinforced with a focus on building awareness of tonal differences and the accurate pronunciation of basic Chinese sounds. Students learn to keyboard Chinese characters. Chinese culture is introduced through language study, holiday celebrations and project-based learning.

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6th Grade Curriculum Overview

6th Grade Language Arts LANGUAGE ARTS Sixth Grade Language Arts students develop their reading comprehension skills and ability to interpret literature. Students read and analyze a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and short stories through a workshop experience, direct instruction and book clubs. The course includes the components of grammar consistent with creating accurately constructed sentences as well as the components of organized writing, both single paragraphs and multi-paragraph essays of varying style and purpose. The students practice and learn new vocabulary to increase word knowledge.

This course includes practice of oral communication skills in formal and informal settings. Assessments and instructional activities include both individual demonstrations of understanding and collaborative assignments.

6th Grade Math 6TH GRADE MATH The math curriculum in 6th Grade begins with an exploration of data. Students construct line plots, dot plots, frequency charts, ordered-value bar graphs, histograms and box-and-whisker plots and interpret the patterns they see in these displays. Students compute the mode, median, mean, range, interquartile range and mean absolute deviation of a data set and use these statistics to describe data and make predictions. Students continue work that began in 5th Grade with different ways to represent parts of a whole. They review adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions, mixed numbers and decimals. They apply percents through the contexts of tax, tip and discount. Students are introduced to algebraic concepts through the exploration of situations that change. They explore three ways of representing these changes: a description in words, a data table and a graph. They also use algebraic equations as a shorter, faster way to give a summary of the relationship between two variables. Students discover how negative numbers impact adding,

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subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, and incorporate these algorithms to evaluate multi-step expressions using the Order of Operations. Students use fact families throughout the year to find missing values in one-step equations. Students investigate simple and compound probability. They explore the likelihood of single and multiple events and use probability to make predictions of future outcomes.

6TH GRADE ADVANCED MATH In 6th Grade advanced math (pre-algebra), students begin by refreshing fraction, decimal and percent concepts and elevating their understanding to a higher level. Students explore patterns over time and how to represent relationships between variables in multiple ways. They expand the number line to include negative numbers and explore operating with integers in real-world financial situations. Students delve into proportional reasoning and focus on how to use ratios, rates, percents and proportions to solve real-world problems. Students investigate linear equations and the relationships between tables, equations, graphs and situations. In advance of the next level, students solve multi-step equations and begin to investigate the relationship between perfect squares and square roots. Students also investigate the volume and surface area of 3D shapes. They explore ways to derive the formulas needed for these computations.

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6th Grade continued 6th Grade Science The Middle School science curriculum is a comprehensive, four-year study of science that incorporates life, earth and physical science. This approach to science instruction allows the students at each grade level to seek a greater and deeper understanding of topics across the various science disciplines. The curriculum features the interdisciplinary themes of science, engineering, technology and real-world applications.

In 6th Grade, science continues to challenge students’ reasoning ability, knowledge base, laboratory skills and enthusiasm for the subject matter. Through inquiry-based and student-driven activities, classes further their study of earth systems, including the forms of weathering, erosion and deposition of the world’s oceans. Further study of the water cycle, biomes, tectonics, maps and topography is taught as each relates to the world in which we live. Students will apply knowledge about the natural world by using the engineering design process in investigations such as our rocketry unit. The human growth and development curriculum continues in the 6th Grade with a study of the male and female reproductive systems and the physical and emotional changes that occur during adolescence.

6th Grade History The 6th Grade history curriculum examines how past events in Africa, Central and South America, Asia and Europe have shaped modern life. Throughout the year, students explore the connections between economic concepts and world events. In addition, 6th Grade history students learn the locations of the countries on these continents, while discovering elements related to their religions, music, sports, dress, food, types of government and other aspects of culture. While honing various academic and cognitive skills such as critical thinking, creativity, empathy and how to study, students become more engaged global citizens.

6th Grade World Language In the Middle School, 5th-8th Graders develop an intellectual and cultural appreciation for world languages. Classes in French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese emphasize oral, aural and written communication in an interactive setting taught in the target language. Most students study Latin Foundations concurrently with their chosen modern language in 7th Grade, with the option to deepen their study of Latin along with their modern language in the 8th Grade. The Middle School World Language experience prepares students for continued language courses in the Upper School.

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SPANISH In 6th Grade Spanish, students build upon their prior knowledge with an expansion of their vocabulary and with an emphasis on production of language through speaking and writing. Grammatical concepts studied include basic sentence structures. Reading and listening skills are strengthened through the use of comprehensible reading and various audio tools. Games, songs and conversation are used to enhance language skills and promote the love of language learning. Cultural examination is incorporated throughout each unit.

FRENCH In 6th Grade French, students continue to explore the Francophone world with an immersive experience that emphasizes oral and aural proficiency. Songs, stories and creative projects enhance the language learning experience. Students continue their study of grammatical concepts, including basic sentence structure, subject pronouns and verb conjugations, forming questions and adjective agreement. Students engage in one-on-one conversations and present to groups as they develop their speaking skills. Francophone culture is integrated in lessons so that students can better understand the people, stories and traditions of diverse French-speaking communities.

MANDARIN CHINESE In 6th Grade, students build on their prior knowledge of language and culture by expanding their vocabulary and concentrating on oral proficiency and pronunciation. Students attain basic language skills for communication through skits, role-play dialogues, stories, Chinese rapping and project-based learning to increase students’ awareness and understanding of Chinese culture. Students integrate the study of Chinese culture into the daily curriculum. They learn about traditional Chinese holidays by studying the solar and lunar calendars and about Chinese cities through units on community, geography and the world. This sequence of instruction provides students with a solid foundation of Chinese language skills.

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7th Grade Curriculum Overview

7th Grade English In 7th Grade, English students develop their reading comprehension and interpretation of literature. Students read and analyze a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and short stories.

The course emphasizes the components of grammar needed to compose effective and artful sentences and paragraphs. Students learn the components of organized writing, both single paragraphs and multi-paragraph essays of varying style and purpose. The students progress in individualized vocabulary development, increasing word knowledge. This course includes practice of oral communication skills in formal and informal settings. Assessments and instructional activities include both individual and collaborative demonstrations of understanding.

7th Grade Math 7TH GRADE MATH The 7th Grade math (pre-algebra) course begins with a study of similar figures which transitions into how similar figures relate to ratios, rates, percents and proportions. One of the goals students work toward is learning different ways of reasoning in proportional situations, as well as recognizing when such reasoning is appropriate. Students study 3D figures and develop a formula for finding the volume and surface area of any (right-angle) prism and cylinder. Students also study linear relationships. They investigate the relationship between the different representations – a written description, an equation, a graph, an ordered pair and a table.

Students develop strategies and procedures for solving equations and explore the slope of a line and writing equations in slope intercept form.

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7TH GRADE MATH 7 PLUS Math 7 Plus Course is an advanced pre-algebra course covering the same topics as Math 7, but at a faster pace, with greater depth and several additional enrichment units. Students begin by studying proportional reasoning. Ratios, fractions, percents and rates are used to compare and scale quantities.

This understanding of proportional relationships is expanded upon later in the year, as students deeply investigate all types of linear relationships. Students will also study 3-D figures, probability, spreadsheets and data. Throughout the year, they will also develop the procedural skills necessary for algebra: rational number operations, simplifying expressions, solving equations and more. In order to build a strong conceptual understanding of these concepts, all work in Math 7 Plus begins grounded in real-life contexts before transitioning to more abstract ideas. Students engage with topics through graphs, data, tables, words and equations, and learn to make connections between these multiple representations.

7TH GRADE ALGEBRA I The 7th Grade Advanced Algebra I course utilizes a problem-based approach to bridge the gap from the concrete to the abstract as students explore how expressions and equations can model the world around them. Through a fast-paced curriculum that builds on itself through interleaving, students study the following themes: writing and solving equations, linear relationships, inequalities, absolute value functions, systems of equations and quadratic relationships. These themes are developed through meaningful, contextual problems that build a foundation for conceptual understanding. Students engage with topics through multiple representations, including words, graphs, data, tables and equations. Emphasis is placed on algebraic modeling and mathematical communication.

7th Grade Science The Middle School science curriculum is a comprehensive, four-year study of science that incorporates life, earth and physical science. This approach to science instruction allows the students at each grade level to seek a greater and deeper understanding of topics across the various science disciplines. The curriculum 25

7th Grade continued will feature the interdisciplinary themes of science, engineering, technology and real-world applications.

In 7th Grade, science provides students with opportunities to make meaningful connections from the previous years while continuing the study of the sciences with respect to cells, body systems and global health. Students are provided with opportunities to work independently and as members of small groups to encourage sharing ideas, decision-making, technology integration and collaboration.

Students will further study cell structure and function, explore human genetics and investigate how different body systems work together to function and defend against diseases. Students will use this information to understand worldwide health issues such as epidemics, the response to epidemics and the responsible use of genetic information. By the end of 7th Grade, students develop a richer understanding of how the sciences relate to the real world.

7th Grade History In 7th Grade, U.S. history covers the narrative from 1860 to 1939: The Civil War, Reconstruction, growth of the United States, World War I, the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. Using a text, teacher-prepared materials and various online resources, the nation's story is related to modern-day conditions. The development of skills and study habits is of paramount importance during the year. Skill development includes close reading of challenging text, note-taking in various methods and formats, preparing for assessments, formulating and supporting thesis statements and learning independently through research. At the completion of the course, 7th Graders have acquired both a working knowledge of the historical narrative and a solid foundation of skills.

7th Grade World Language In the Middle School, 5th-8th Graders develop an intellectual and cultural appreciation of world languages. French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese emphasize oral, aural and written communication in an interactive setting taught in the target language. Most students study Latin Foundations concurrently with their modern language in 7th Grade, with the option to deepen their study of Latin along with their modern language in the 8th Grade. The Middle School World Language experience prepares students for continued language courses in the Upper School.

SPANISH The 7th Grade Spanish curriculum begins the two year sequence of Spanish 1 and continues to expand high-frequency, productive vocabulary and grammar skills to build oral and written proficiency.

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Through sequenced instruction, multi-sensory exercises and varied practice opportunities, students learn to apply grammar concepts, including more complex sentence structure and a variety of regular and irregular verb conjugations. A practice use of the language approach is used to build foundational communication skills such as conversation, asking and answering questions and circumlocution.

Cultural examination is incorporated throughout each unit.

FRENCH The 7th Grade French curriculum begins the two-year sequence of French I and continues with an immersion approach to emphasize oral and aural proficiency while advancing written expression. The sequenced instruction of D’Accord! Level 1 and dynamic classroom activities allow students to build interpersonal communication skills. Students learn to apply more complex and personalized grammar and vocabulary in context so that they may express themselves more accurately when speaking and writing. Francophone culture is taught in the warmup activities and in projects designed for inquiry-based learning.

MANDARIN CHINESE The 7th Grade curriculum begins the two-year sequence of Chinese I. Throughout the course, students engage in oral, aural, written and reading skills. They gain a deeper understanding of prior knowledge and lay a solid foundation for learning Chinese pronunciation, radicals and characters. Students engage in interpersonal communication and give brief oral presentations on a number of topics. Basic grammar concepts are introduced and expanded into various sentence structures and vocabulary usage. Chinese culture aspects are explored through language study, holiday celebrations and project-based learning.

LATIN Latin Foundations offers students a broad understanding of the many ways in which Rome has impacted aspects of world history. The curriculum presents many aspects of the Latin language which highlight Latin’s influence on, and similarity to, both English and the modern world language which students are concurrently studying. Class discussions center on relevant Roman cultural and historical topics, Latin vocabulary and the Romance language equivalents, Greek and Roman culture, history and mythology. Students build their understanding of the Latin language by reading mythological and historical texts for comprehension.

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8th Grade Curriculum Overview

8th Grade English In 8th Grade English, students improve skills and increase confidence in the areas of reading and writing. In order to achieve these goals, students read and respond to a range of texts, including short stories, poems, plays, essays and novels. Shared texts include Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of a Slave as well as at least one of Shakespeare’s plays. By spring of 8th Grade, choosing from a menu of book options, students have gained the skills and confidence to read and respond to advanced literary texts more independently. Grammar instruction and assessment, as well as vocabulary building, are significant features of this course. Throughout the school year, special attention is given to the principles of effective writing, and students routinely produce expository, persuasive, narrative and descriptive essays to help improve their communication skills.

8th Grade Math 8TH GRADE INTRODUCTION TO ALGEBRA 8th Grade Introduction to Algebra focuses on strengthening a learner’s math foundation and confidence in preparation for Upper School algebra. Students focus on using multi-modal teaching and learning strategies to address gaps in knowledge as well as to develop and enhance number sense, mathematical reasoning, practical and efficient problem-solving and interdisciplinary skills conducive to algebraic operations. The Introduction to Algebra course aims to reinforce past skill sets and deepen self-assurance and habits of inquiry in a wide range of mathematical contexts.

8TH GRADE ALGEBRA I The 8th Grade Algebra I course utilizes a problem-based approach to bridge the gap from the concrete to the abstract as students explore how expressions and equations can model the world around them. Through a curriculum that builds on itself through interleaving, students study the following themes: writing and solving equations, linear relationships and inequalities, absolute

value equations and inequalities, and systems of equations. These themes are developed through meaningful contextual problems that build a foundation for conceptual understanding. Students engage with topics through multiple representations, including words, graphs, data, tables and equations. Emphasis is placed on algebraic modeling and mathematical communication.

8TH GRADE ALGEBRA II In Algebra II, students build on their foundation from Algebra I as they develop two types of essential math skills: conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. Throughout the year, students investigate different families of functions and learn to apply the appropriate function type to model a given situation.

Types of functions studied include an expansion of prior knowledge of linear, absolute value and quadratic functions, as well as new types of patterns: exponential, logarithmic, rational, higher-order polynomial and sequences. Students also learn to solve a wide variety of equation types and manipulate algebraic expressions.

8th Grade Science The Middle School science curriculum is a comprehensive, four-year study of science that incorporates life, earth and physical science. This approach allows the students at each grade level to experience a deeper understanding of topics across the various science disciplines. The curriculum features the interdisciplinary themes of science, engineering, technology and real-world applications.

In 8th Grade, science builds upon prior knowledge of the structure and function of atoms, the Periodic Table of Elements and the interactions of matter. Students develop an understanding of scientific mathematics, explanations for physical and chemical changes that include electron configurations, bonding and chemical reactions. Laboratory-based activities are an integral part of 8th Grade physical science, and forming conceptual links among topics and experiences is emphasized. Students explore force, motion, friction and gravity as they pertain to the world around us. This approach enables students to

8th Grade continued increase scientific skills such as designing controlled experiments, collecting and analyzing data and making clear and descriptive observations.

8th Grade History History in 8th Grade begins with an examination of the foundations of the United States government through a study of the U.S. Constitution, elections and current events. The unit culminates with a project-based learning unit in which students create their own political parties. During the remainder of the first semester, students study World War II, focusing on the events in Europe and the Pacific, in addition to events and social ramifications on the homefront. A field trip to the Virginia Holocaust Museum helps students fully grasp the horrors and complexities of war. In the second semester, students investigate post-World War II United States to the present. Many themes appear over the course of the year, with special focus on trends related to civil rights, the economy, foreign and domestic policy and advancements in technology — to name a few. Students further develop their writing, research and organizational skills to prepare for the Upper School. In addition, throughout the school year, students build toward creating an in-depth research paper by writing and by analyzing sources on a regular basis.

8th Grade World Language In the Middle School, 5th-8th Graders develop an intellectual and cultural appreciation for world languages. French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese emphasize oral, aural and written communication in an interactive setting taught in the target language. Most students study Latin Foundations concurrently with their chosen modern language in 7th Grade, with the option to deepen their study of Latin along with their modern language in the 8th Grade. The Middle School World Language experience prepares students for continued language courses in the Upper School.

SPANISH FOUNDATIONS Spanish Foundations is an entry-level Spanish course for 8th Graders built on the Orton Gillingham approach, which uses multi-sensory techniques. The goal is to provide students with a grounding in Spanish I that supports their deeper understanding and confidence with language learning. Students begin with a concentration in pronunciation and practice strategies for language learning. This course enhances students’ oral communication in Spanish through a variety of activities and games. Culture is explored through various films, providing a deeper global lens through which students can grow their understanding and their love of learning Spanish.

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SPANISH Our 8th Grade Spanish I course prepares students for Spanish II, with an emphasis on oral proficiency.

Students are expected to participate and engage in the target language using detailed verbal and written skills to show mastery of concepts learned throughout their Middle School language studies. The course includes a variety of proficiency-building activities as well as supplementary cultural materials to give students meaningful, real-world practice. Audio and video programs are supplemental to provide extra practice for listening, reading and writing. Students work both independently and in group activities to role play situations and learn to perform a variety of language functions such as asking questions, describing situations, expressing opinions and defending them. Students learn how to read passages and write paragraphs in Spanish.

FRENCH Our 8th Grade French I course prepares students for French II, with an emphasis on oral proficiency.

Students are expected and encouraged to take risks in the language orally and in written paragraphs.

Activities designed to enhance oral interaction occur during every class. Students constantly change partners and groupings. They also use the online software Supersite to strengthen their ability to understand a variety of voices in French conversations and in question-and-answer formats and as reinforcement for verb and other grammatical structures. The present tense of regular verb groups and many common irregular verbs is studied and practiced. An introduction to the past tense rounds out the study of verbs in Level I. Progress in written paragraphs emphasizes correctness of verb forms, use of transition words and variety of vocabulary usage and creativity. Music, stories and creative projects enhance the language learning experience.

MANDARIN CHINESE Our 8th Grade Chinese I course prepares students for Chinese II, with an emphasis on oral proficiency.

Students are expected to use accurate pronunciation of tones, detailed vocabulary and proper oral and written sentence structures. The course guides students to develop learning strategies through a variety of activities: “Quick Response,” which enhances oral interaction; “Models for Presentational Modes,” which develops presentational and written skills; and “Suggested Reading Strategies,” which emphasizes reading skills. Audio, video and online visuals, as well as keyboarding in Chinese, are interwoven throughout the course. Chinese culture, history and society are explored and discussed through student research and presentations.

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8th Grade continued 8th Grade Electives LATIN I – FULL YEAR Drawing upon material presented in Latin Foundations, Latin I seeks to prepare students for Level II, while at the same time offering students an in-depth understanding of the many ways in which Latin has impacted Western culture. The course presents structural aspects of the Latin language, including noun declensions, verb conjugations, active voice and expansion of prior vocabulary knowledge. Students gain experience recognizing parts of speech and vocabulary words through translation and reading comprehension. Additionally, the course builds upon previous knowledge about Roman cultural, political and historical topics relevant to world history. In-depth discussions center on Latin grammar, vocabulary and the five Romance language equivalents, and the culture, history and mythology of the classical world.

8TH GRADE ELAB: PRODUCTION – HALF YEAR In this semester-long class, students explore various ways in which modern, professional and digital tools can converge to communicate and tell stories. With a focus on creativity and individual passions, students plan, design, iterate and present media projects that bring their ideas to life using 2D and 3D design and production, interactive fiction and other relevant tools.

ENGINEERING DESIGN & ROBOTICS – HALF YEAR In this Integrative STEAM class, students use engineering and/or technology design-based projects as the starting point for investigating mathematics and science content. They gain experience with CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and VR, hand and power tools, as well as programming LEGO robots, Arduinos, the Raspberry PI and the RoboRIO, the FIRST Robotics Competition brain. Group and independent projects are required over the course of the semester.

This class is offered each semester.

Other 8th Grade electives can be found in the arts listings on pages 34-41.

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Middle School Physical Education 5th and 6th Grade Physical Education The Middle School physical education curriculum introduces and develops competency in many sports in which Collegiate students will have the option to participate starting in 7th Grade. Activity units include basketball, baseball, softball, dance, field hockey, football, lacrosse, racket sports, soccer, volleyball and wrestling. In addition, students have a fitness unit in which movement competency, coordination, balance, agility, strength, speed and overall athletic development are cultivated. Throughout each activity unit, sportsmanship and teamwork are emphasized.

7th and 8th Grade Physical Education In 7th and 8th Grades, the emphasis shifts from athletic activities to the development of the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to work toward lifelong wellness. Students participate in units in fitness, games and health. The fitness unit continues the development of coordination, balance, flexibility, strength, speed and overall athletic ability. The games unit focuses on a variety of activities that students might one day play recreationally for enjoyment and/or adopt as a means of maintaining a health-enhancing level of physical fitness. The classroom units include lessons on drug prevention education, nutrition and human sexuality. Sportsmanship, teamwork and respect for self and others are emphasized throughout all classes.

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The Arts in Middle School Music 5TH GRADE MUSIC

Students learn the fundamentals of melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture and form in compositions from various eras around the world by playing recorders, pitched and unpitched percussion instruments, and by experiencing music through movement. Skills are developed in score reading, ensemble playing, composition, improvisation and the rudiments of music theory.

5TH GRADE CHORUS

The 5th Grade students sing in either Boys or Girls Chorus. The format of this course is group vocal singing which focuses on reading rhythm and oral/aural pitch establishment while allowing an active opportunity to perform music of varying repertoire. Students will combine at the end of the semester for a culminating performance.

6TH GRADE MUSIC

In the 6th Grade music rotation, the primary objective is to have all students “make music.”

Students gain familiarity with fundamental terms and forms through singing, playing pitched and unpitched percussion instruments, reading musical scores, composing and improvisation.

Students explore the music of various world cultures through movement activities, singing, listening and playing. Students will explore musical styles from the Baroque through modern eras through a unit on famous composers in which students present their research in class.

7TH GRADE MUSIC

In the 7th Grade music rotation, students experience the elements of music through movement activities, composing pieces for ensemble performance, creating original music through group improvisation, collaborating on a music media project and further developing analytical listening skills. Style and form are presented through excerpts of classical and folk music of various world cultures, with special emphasis on American folk styles of the past century as well as 34

ways in which music is used as a means of influence.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BANDS

Middle School students have the opportunity to participate in 5th-6th Grade Band or 7th-8th Grade Band. Each group explores the fundamentals of instrumental musicianship, including proper instrument care, posture, technique, note reading, playing by ear, expression and appreciation of music from a variety of cultures. These groups focus on age-appropriate repertoire, aural skills and include additional opportunities for improvisation and composition. Each group performs several concerts during the year.

MIDDLE SCHOOL STRINGS

Middle School students have the opportunity to participate in 5th-6th Grade Strings and 7th-8th Grade Strings. Each group explores the fundamentals of instrumental musicianship, including proper instrument care, posture, technique, note reading, good intonation, expression and appreciation of music from a variety of styles. Each group performs several concerts during the year.

MIDDLE SCHOOL GUITAR

Middle School students have the opportunity to participate in three different guitar classes depending on ability and grade level: 5th-6th Beginner Guitar, 5th-6th Intermediate Guitar and 7th-8th Guitar. Each group explores the fundamentals of instrumental musicianship, including proper instrument care, posture, technique, standard note reading, tablature note reading, expression and appreciation of music from a variety of cultures. All groups will perform together in the Spring Guitar Concert.

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The Arts in Middle School continued Drama 6TH GRADE DRAMA

The 6th Grade nine-week drama rotation begins with learning physical and vocal warm ups used to begin daily class sessions as students prepare for public speaking and acting. Using physical acting exercises and games, students explore how to create characters for the stage.

Pantomime and imagination tasks encourage students to tap into their personal creativity. Students are introduced to the basic elements of a Single Setting Scene in an outline format of setting, character, sequence of events, conflicts and staging. This framework of devising is applied to performing projects and culminates in a Process Drama Workshop in which family members and other Fine Art students are invited to see what students have created as an ensemble.

7TH GRADE DRAMA

The nine-week rotation begins with sharpening focus and concentration skills and audience behavior. Improvisation and acting exercises encourage students to create characters and to apply the Single Setting Scene framework to their creative projects. Students research a topic of their choice and apply their research findings to write, perform and produce a monologue as a final project. Student chosen presentation options include audio/voice acting, video monologue or live performance monologue. Students learn how to use the light and sound equipment in the drama room and give technical support to their classmates during final monologue performances.

8TH GRADE DRAMA FALL SEMESTER: BEHIND THE SCENES WITH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

What does it take to create a production at Collegiate? Students explore all aspects of a theatrical experience with a strong emphasis on acting. The class creates basic scene designs from student chosen scripts and builds scaled models of individual designs. Students explore a variety of acting

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approaches and technical theatre elements, which include creating production design in lights, set, makeup, costumes, props, sound and publicity. Final projects will include scripts for storytelling, design choices as architecture and sound and lights to create atmosphere and mood.

8TH GRADE DRAMA SPRING SEMESTER: THE ART OF IMPROVISATION

The spring semester focuses on character development through improvisation and comedy sketch work. The course approach to acting explores many acting techniques including, Viewpoints, Meisner, and Stanislavski and is applied through long- and short-form improvisation. Students will guide ensemble work in the foundational approach to a “yes, and…” situations and the basic principles in a character’s point of view. A field trip to Maymont provides unique locations for students to explore using the art of improvisation.

MIDDLE SCHOOL THEATRE ENSEMBLE/MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY

The Middle School Theatre Ensemble is an activity offering for Grades 5-8 that meets during the Wednesday Activity period (1-1:45 p.m.). In January, students will also work on Tuesday and Thursday after school (3:45-5:30 p.m.). With the collective goal of putting on a production, the Middle School Theatre Ensemble plays theatre games, explores improvisation and a creative response to all aspects of theatre. The Middle School Theatre Ensemble has a no-cut policy and will create the cast and crew members from the ensemble to rehearse and put on the production for our school community in February.

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Fine Arts in Middle School continued Dance 5TH/6TH/7TH GRADE DANCE COMPANIES

Offered as activities, the 5th, 6th, and 7th Grade dance companies meet one day a week, yearround. Dancers learn warm-ups, dance technique and choreographed combinations to better themselves as technicians and performers. Each dance company learns and rehearses one piece to be performed in the Collegiate Dance Concert in the spring.

8TH GRADE DANCE

8th Grade dance is offered as a semester and an all-year course. Students begin the year by learning specific warm-ups to get their bodies prepared for a full technique class and rehearsal. Time at the beginning of this course is spent learning, translating and executing an extensive list of ballet vocabulary. Dancers learn faculty-choreographed combinations throughout the courses, many of which are placed into their final dance pieces for the Collegiate Dance Concert. During the rehearsal process, dancers watch rehearsal videos and self-assess in journals to better understand the rehearsal process, noting what they do well and what they need to improve. The remainder of the course includes a final group choreography project, where students choose their music, costumes and choreograph complete pieces to be performed on the last day of school.

COLLEGIATE DANCE CONCERTS

The Collegiate Dance Concert in the spring serves as the pinnacle of the rehearsal process.

Dancers experience performing in a professional-style dance concert with costumes, lighting and large audiences. These concerts provide dancers with the opportunity to perform in a supportive and inclusive atmosphere.

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Fine Arts in Middle School continued Art 5TH GRADE ART

The 5th Grade art program builds on students’ previous knowledge and experiences as they develop creative problem-solving skills, art appreciation and manual dexterity in making art.

Students learn about the traditional elements and principles of art and design as well as how to incorporate those concepts into their own individual and group projects. Students work with a variety of media and techniques, including drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking and crafts. As they create through their art, students plan, brainstorm and reflect on the work 6TH GRADE ART

Art in 6th Grade encourages students to explore various media and techniques as they strengthen their art making skills and work to make pieces that are personally meaningful and relevant. Helping students render images more realistically encourages their creative problem solving abilities.

During the course of the nine-week art rotation, students gain confidence and new skills as they work through various 2-D and 3-D techniques and make art with a variety of materials. Students look to various cultures, artists and time periods as inspiration for art and explore big ideas, themes and concerns that are personally relevant to them.

7TH GRADE ART

The major emphasis of 7th Grade art is on drawing technique, which is studied through still life, contour drawing and sketchbook assignments. Students will progress through three indepth units of study: Unusual Object Drawing, Pastel Drawings and Linoleum Printmaking. The focus of each unit builds on one another, beginning with drawing realistically, adding color to realistically depict nature and carving and printing.

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The goal of 8th Grade art is to deepen the existing knowledge that students have in their creative tool belts while also introducing these young artists to new skills, techniques and materials. Students execute projects that are well-crafted, meaningful and relevant as they learn about various artists, cultures and time periods that can inspire their own art. Throughout the course, students will explore a variety of media, techniques and processes as they draw, paint, make prints and sculpt with clay and other materials.

Woodworking 7TH GRADE

7th Grade woodworking is a hands-on, tool-oriented course. Students receive a thorough foundation in the safe use of traditional woodworking tools, including chisels, planes, various saws, marking and measuring tools, rasps and squares. On a given project, students will often use one to three different tools. All students design and build multiple projects, including a craft-oriented piece and a student-designed project focusing on form over function. Possible woods for student use include mahogany, cherry, pine and walnut depending on which species is most suitable for the student and the task at hand.

8TH GRADE

8th Grade woodworking is a semester-long; hands-on and tool-oriented course. Students receive a thorough foundation in the safe use of traditional woodworking tools, including chisels, planes, various saws, marking and measuring tools, rasps and squares. More experienced students can use this early part of the term to explore new areas such as sharpening, plane tuning, use of specialty planes, use of curved edge chisels, exposure to more complex forms of joinery and other new skills. On individual projects, students typically use numerous tools and create more complex designs, building upon the knowledge of the 7th Grade course.

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Library in Middle School The Reed-Gumenick Library serves our Middle School students in a variety of ways. Connections between students, faculty members and librarians, and between students and students, are the soul of the library program. These relationships are built through play and exploration in the Makerspace, reading and research classes, one-on-one reader's advisory and research assistance as well as through technology that connects us with others beyond Collegiate.

Reading We love books, and our primary goal is to foster a love of reading through reading classes, book talks, book clubs and, most of all, through individual recommendations. We have a collection of more than 13,000 books, and we aim to strike a balance between offering those titles that are "fun" and in high demand and exposing students to titles that go beyond what is popular in order to broaden their perspectives and knowledge. Using both professional reviews and suggestions from students and faculty, we offer a vibrant collection that circulates heavily.

Research Through whole-class instruction and individual support, the librarians provide research support to students and faculty. As technology allows us to access increasing amounts of information with a single search, it is important for our students to receive guidance on how to find appropriate resources. We also incorporate visible thinking routines into research instruction, which provides students with a simple structure for analyzing and processing the information they find as they conduct research — as apposed to simply restating it. As students use these thinking routines, they connect the new information with their prior knowledge and discover new questions and avenues for further research.

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Making The Makerspace in Reed-Gumenick Lbrary is home to a range of creative options, including sewing, electronics, 3-D printing, crafting, coding and beyond. Each year, we host a number of activities that students can sign up for, and we also welcome students before and after school and during some recess times. The philosophy of the Makerspace is “Come with your ideas and we will try to help you make them real.” Whole classes can also use the Makerspace to work on assigned projects. The range of supplies available, plus the ability to create visual projects while at school, has made this an increasingly popular option for teachers and students.

The Reed-Gumenick Library is the place to come for students who need help finding a new book to read, assistance finding information and answers or a space to explore their creative side. We are here to connect them with what they need.

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103 North Mooreland Road, Richmond, VA 23229 www.collegiate-va.org | 804.740.7077 The School admits qualified students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, scholarships, and loans, and its educational, athletic, and other programs.