The Middle School

The Dalton Plan in practice, Grades 4 through 8

The Dalton Middle School has developed a program to address the unique academic and social needs of young students during this crucial stage in their development. It provides a transition from the protective, self-contained classrooms of the First Program to the departmentalized High School. The Middle School years offer students many opportunities to explore their identity and to discover how to navigate individual needs within a community rich with multiple needs and perspectives. During this time of self-discovery, students are encouraged to participate in clubs, find their voice academically, make connections with teachers using the Lab system, and increase their social network. To foster this, the Middle School environment is one where equity in all its forms— gender, race, religion, economics —is valued and present in the curriculum, in House, and in Health classes. The hallmarks of the Middle School program include: n A home base within the school community guided by caring, experienced adults. It provides a social environment that is warm, secure, and student-centered (House). n Opportunities for the exploration, development, and expansion of knowledge, skills, and critical- thinking capacities while providing for individual interests and talents (Assignment). n Personalized, specific assessment and evaluation of student work, and regular student-teacher conversation ensuring support and feedback (Lab). The House is central to the Middle School program. House Advisors guide students through the school year by carefully following progress in all disciplines, by mentoring young students, and by functioning as the primary liaison with parents. Middle School teachers serve as House Advisors. This special role as an advocate and mentor assists teachers in building special partnerships with students. The greatest benefit of the House system in the Middle School is that it provides adequate time and space as well as a forum for students to learn important life skills and to engage in cooperative discussion. House is a time for dialogue, learning, reflection, and problem solving. It is an important time of the day when students learn about community, and it is a place where they are able to contribute their perspectives on important issues. This learning and sharing is guided by the House Advisors in a warm and supportive environment. Here students can communicate and discuss their ideas, take risks, mediate and resolve issues, and learn and model civic responsibility. In the fourth and fifth grades, students work and learn largely in self-contained classrooms where much of their instruction takes place. Guided by House Advisors who provide support and a caring environment, students become confident learners, expand their knowledge, and refine their social skills.

In the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, when the academic program is fully departmentalized, the House Advisor’s role as advocate and mentor is crucial. Each House meets at the beginning of every day and for an additional period each week. House Advisors help students develop necessary social and organizational skills to become successful, independent learners.

The Assignment provides an organized plan for teaching and learning. When Assignments are presented and discussed in any discipline, teachers help students identify what skills are needed to complete the various tasks, where the resources might be located to research a topic or advance a level of learning, and what timetable should be followed to meet the expectations of the Assignment. As students progress through the grades, Assignments increase in complexity and grow to encompass up to six week units, providing greater opportunities for students to select options for learning within each assigned topic and area. The Lab provides students with opportunities during the schedule to work with their teachers individually or in small groups. Lab also provides time to use the libraries and to locate other specialized resources to pursue topics, complete assignments, and enrich or remediate student learning. Classes are grouped heterogeneously in most areas throughout the Middle School. Individual learning styles and levels are recognized by grouping within the classrooms, by expanding upon the Assignment to augment learning, and by providing enrichment and support through Lab. Through the Dalton Plan, in particular the Lab and Assignment, students learn skills that include:

The ability to set goals and to determine priorities consistent with the stated course objectives and the student’s own progress; to establish habits conducive to learning independently or with others; to follow a schedule that meets expectations for both short and long term projects. n The ability to define, locate, and use resources external to the classroom (e.g. library, studio, laboratory materials and methods, primary and secondary documents, visual materials, and information available through various information systems including computers and digital displays); to combine data obtained from such sources with information shared in the classroom.

Student cumulative progress is evaluated formally four times each year through skills checklists and narrative reports. In addition, conferences between parents and House Advisors are held twice a year. Letter grades are not reflected on reports for fourth through seventh grades but are introduced in eighth grade in preparation for High School. Grades and other methods of assessment, however, are used to evaluate individual assignments. Student work is thoughtfully evaluated in ways designed to assist the student in growth and progress.

The Middle School faculty are highly skilled professionals who have special training and interest in working with children in this age group. In addition to the regular teaching staff, the Middle School employs specialists in the areas of psychology, health services, enrichment reading, developmental math, and organization and study skills. Children interact with these specialists individually or in small groups. Dalton students come to think of themselves as global learners in New York City, using its many resources to extend the classroom. The school’s commitment to “the city as a classroom” is evident in all curricular areas. Teachers make use of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim Museum, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Museum of Chinese in America, The African Burial Ground National Monument, The New York Tenement Museum, The Bronx Zoo, the American Museum of Natural History, The Cooper Hewitt Museum, The Jewish Museum, The Morgan Library & Museum, the New-York Historical Society, and many other resources within the city. Students also have opportunities to travel outside of the city with their classes on various field trips throughout their time in Middle School. Students take field trips outside the city to Black Rock Forest in upstate New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

Curriculum

The Dalton Middle School provides a balance between attention to the basics through the coverage of necessary skills and body of knowledge, and the need for students to explore a wide variety of interests and experiences.

The Middle School curriculum is vibrant and intellectually stimulating. It engages and challenges students in grades fourth through eighth with courses in English, mathematics, and social studies, as well as science, world and classical languages, the arts, computer science, and physical education.

Fourth and fifth grade students are taught social studies and language arts by their House Advisor. Most classes mix students to provide appropriate levels of challenge. Specialists provide additional support and enrichment for students.

The sixth through eighth grades are organized around teaching teams that work with a core group of students. This assures that every student is well known to the group of teachers and will be assessed in a thoughtful and meaningful way. Each child in these grades works with three core teachers, one each in English, math, and social studies. These teachers share a common set of students, a common schedule, and a common planning time. As a result, they have adequate opportunity to meet and discuss the individual needs of students and the structure of curriculum within their grade level. In all grade levels, world and classical languages, art, music, science, dance, and physical education are taught outside the core subjects of English/Language Arts, social studies and math. In these disciplines, students interact and work together in common course work. Teachers communicate regularly with the House Advisors and core teachers to ensure that student progress is evaluated and advanced.

English/Language Arts

The Middle School English/ Language Arts program stresses the appreciation of literature and creative writing as well as the basic skills of reading, writing, and speaking. Students hone their spelling, grammar, and vocabulary skills in each successive Middle School year.

In fourth and fifth grades, students read independently and have opportunities to write daily using a variety of literary formats to develop fluency. Because writing is integral to learning, fourth and fifth graders are encouraged and directly instructed in how to rethink, rearrange, and polish their words. They learn strategies for good writing during the writing, revising, and editing stages of their work. Spelling and grammar are taught in a meaningful context.

The fourth grade Language Arts program introduces students to a scholarly approach to literature while continuing to develop their love for reading and writing. Fourth graders are transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn. In addition to whole class explorations of a rich array of texts including classics, historical fiction, poetry, and folk tales, they continue to select and read books of their own choice. The curriculum includes E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, Ai-Ling Louie’s retelling of Yeh-Shen, and Angela Carter’s translation of Charles Perrault’s Cinderella. Through close reading, annotation, discussion, written responses, and creative projects, literary analysis is introduced.

The fifth grade Language Arts program is based on the continuous development and integration of writing and reading skills. Class books are selected around the theme of “The Individual within a Community,” one that is deeply tied to the interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum, as students explore the ways in which protagonists survive, evaluate, and adapt to their environments. Texts include Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, Lois Lowry’s The Giver, and Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me. The literature program works hand-in-hand with the fifth grade social studies program that emphasizes how the first ancient cities were settled and culture was created. An approach incorporating guided and independent reading—featuring Roger Lancelyn Green’s Tales of Ancient Egypt—fosters a love of literature and emphasizes comprehension, critical thinking, and interpretative skills.

In the sixth through eighth grades, students read and explore a variety of literary genres. At the same time, all students are taught how to write cogent, clear, and precise prose and how to revise and edit their writing, using correct usage, punctuation, grammar, and spelling. The sixth grade reading program is committed to educating students to examine literature with a critical eye. Over the course of the year, sixth grade students are introduced to the process of becoming proficient in close reading and annotation, inference, and analysis. They are also beginning to broaden their understanding of the foundational elements of Greek myth and theatre in addition to studying a range of work such as Yoshiko Uchida’s Jar of Dreams and Gary D. Schmidt’s Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy.

The seventh grade English curriculum strives to help students consider authorial intent and the impact of the audience in literature. Furthermore, in the seventh grade, students work to understand language as an art form and learn how it can be used to create and shape not just narrative, but also imagery, voice, and tone. The overriding goal of the year is to help students achieve a comfort level with language that will allow them to consider and internalize the way an author utilizes style and technique to shape his or her work.

The literature curriculum in seventh grade features a variety of genres to achieve these goals. Plays such as Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet complement short story and poetry texts as students solidify their critical reading skills and understanding of characterization and plot. The literature provides excellent fodder for large group discussions and serves as a bridge to the essay writing component of the course.

The eighth grade English curriculum focuses on helping students take ownership of their reading and writing skills. Building on the grammar and vocabulary foundations established in previous years, students increase their functional grammatical knowledge—specifically focusing on punctuation—while acquiring a broader base of vocabulary words gleaned from the texts. The literature curriculum emphasizes twentieth century American texts, such as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Public speaking also holds a formal place in the curriculum, as students study famous modern and historical speeches and learn about Ethos, Pathos, Logos, and the rhetorical devices that make such speeches successful.

The writing component of the curriculum aims to give students the confidence to break away from the structure and strictures of the five-paragraph essay. Students engage in a wide variety of writing tasks—ranging from informal journaling to passage analysis work to formal essay writing—all with the goal of providing practice in utilizing the entire writing process. Great emphasis is placed on students independently working to create outlines that allow them to analyze literary questions in an individual style. In-class and take-home assignments vary throughout the year in an effort to prepare students for the assortment of tasks they will be faced with in High School English classes.

Social Studies

The Middle School Social Studies program strives to familiarize students with the basic tools, vocabulary, and skills of the social scientist, and to make students aware of different ideas and cultures around the world, past and present. The program encourages students to address the question, “How do we know about the past?” Through the curriculum they learn that new discoveries by archaeologists, scientists, and historians change our view of history and that historical understanding matures and evolves.

Fourth graders begin by studying continuity and change in their own school locality. Having graduated and moved from the “old country” of the First Program to the “new country” of the Middle School, students study emigration. They learn about citizenship, the law, and civic responsibility. Their studies continue with the history of the Pilgrims, culminating in a grade-level trip to Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts.

Fourth graders participate in an emigration unit in social studies thinking skills necessary for an ongoing study of history. Students focus on the overarching concepts of geography, city development, kingship, religion, and trade through a year-long study of two ancient civilizations: Bronze Age Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.

Sixth graders continue their study of the roots of western civilization, examining the ancient Assyrians, Greeks, and Romans. Ancient Greek and Assyrian history is studied using Archaeotype, a software program developed at Dalton to assist students as they construct interpretations of the history of these ancient sites. Students work in groups around a graphic computer simulation of an archaeological excavation to “dig up” artifacts, measure them, and make observations about their findings.

Seventh grade history examines two pivotal areas of the early modern period. Students examine the Islamic World between the 7th and 16th centuries, focusing on the basic tenets (beliefs and practices) of Islam and the life of Muhammad, Muslim expansion, art, architecture, trade, and travel. After learning about the development of Islam in Arabia, they examine the Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman Empires, and end the unit with a look at the impact of the Crusades on both the Islamic and European worlds. Students then shift westward to Europe where they explore the Italian Renaissance. They examine the art, architecture, and literature of the Italian city-states and study the impact of ideas and technologies from the Middle Eastern world on European society. After that, students turn their attention to the Northern European Renaissance and the Reformation investigating what happens when people challenge authority and refuse to conform to societal expectations. Seventh graders also explore the impact of technology on the transmission of ideas and beliefs.

The eighth grade social studies curriculum develops skills through the study of American history. Students complete a range of Assignments pertaining to Colonial America, Westward Expansion, the Civil War, the growth of Urban America, the Great Depression and World War II, and the struggle for civil rights for all Americans. The curriculum also includes a “Model Congress” Assignment in which students write and vote on their own bills as a legislative body. Students develop arguments using primary and secondary sources. They write traditional essays and research papers, but also have the opportunity to develop their skills creatively through presentations, historical role-playing, and writing historical fiction.

Mathematics

The Middle School Math program is carefully structured to lead from the concrete arithmetical work that absorbs younger students to the more abstract conceptual work presented in the seventh and eighth grades. The mathematics program in the fourth grade builds upon the skills and concepts that were introduced in the First Program. Exercises in algebraic thinking, searching for patterns, and deconstructing word problems, allow for the development of a range of problem-solving strategies. Underpinning all units is an emphasis on place value in the base-10 number system. Students are expected to master their multiplication and division facts, become fluent in multiplication with large numbers, and are introduced to the long division algorithm. Fractions are more deeply explored as students learn to find equivalents, to order and compare, and to add and subtract rational numbers. The understanding of place value is further deepened through an introduction to decimals, their relationship to fractions, and their use in basic operations. The study of geometry focuses on polygons, area and perimeter of quadrilaterals, and spatial logic. Measurement skills are incorporated throughout the year.

Fifth grade mathematics is the final year of basic arithmetic where children solidify the computational skills introduced and reinforced in fourth grade in anticipation of sixth grade pre-algebra, where facile application of these skills will be necessary. While solidifying their computational ability, students strengthen and deepen their conceptual understanding and utilize both in problem-solving situations. Children apply the four basic operations to whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents. In addition, the students explore concepts related to place value, number theory, data analysis, measurement, and plane geometry. As the children examine all areas of study, they further develop their number sense, specifically their estimation skills, so they may evaluate the reasonableness of their answers.

The sixth grade pre-algebra curriculum is a transition from the arithmetic-based curriculum of fifth grade to the beginning of algebra presented in seventh grade. The course reinforces the computation, estimation, and problem-solving skills necessary for a solid foundation in mathematics, while also exposing students to algebraic concepts and developing their abstract reasoning skills. Word problems are incorporated throughout the course of the year to support and strengthen students’ facility in applying their knowledge. In sixth grade students extend their computational skills with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions to include operations with integers, exponents, and rational numbers. They broaden and deepen their understanding of ratio, proportion, and percent concepts, and they also use the language of algebra to write and solve equations. In addition, students are introduced to the Cartesian Plane. In sixth grade math, long-term Assignments are also incorporated into the curriculum, and these include a graphing project and the Stock Market Game. During the interdisciplinary Greek Festival, students research Greek temples and build scale models.

The seventh grade math curriculum builds on the prealgebra learned in sixth grade. During the first two months of the fall semester, seventh grade students review several elementary algebra skills and concepts and then begin to extend their knowledge base during the rest of the semester. They study Linear Equations, Exponents, Polynomials, and an Introduction to Factoring and Radicals. During the second semester they explore Plane Geometry exercising their logic skills to informally prove some basic Euclidean theorems, developing construction skills using compass and straight-edge and deriving 2-D and 3-D formulas for areas of various polygons. They also spend a considerable amount of time learning to use Geometer’s Sketchpad to help facilitate their studies. The year ends with a thorough study of the Cartesian Plane where the algebra from the first semester is combined with the geometry of the second semester. Although conceptual students are grouped separately, all students use the same textbook and cover the same material. Conceptual students will extend their knowledge and will be challenged by asking them to apply basic skills and concepts to more complex problems.

The eighth grade algebra program is an extension of and a carefully constructed sequential step in the work students explored in the seventh grade. The curriculum is an Algebra I course with additional Algebra II topics for the conceptual sections. Students learn the material by analyzing and studying statements, illustrations, and examples. The coursework includes: solving first degree and literal equations and inequalities, operations with polynomials, factoring, solving simultaneous equations, working with functions, and simplifying rational and irrational expressions. In addition, the conceptual sections complete enhanced function work, connect solving quadratic equations with their graphic representations, and apply algebra skills to solving advanced equations.

Science

Through hands-on work in independent and collaborative projects and by regularly leaving the classroom, Middle School students develop curiosity and excitement about science. They are exposed to the major disciplines in the sciences to help them understand their world and to develop a strong foundation for in-depth scientific pursuits. The science program provides students with the basic skills of scientific methodology. In fourth and fifth grades, students learn about a variety of scientific disciplines during the year. In sixth and eighth grade, they focus on the physical sciences, and in seventh grade they focus on life science. Not only is science studied in the laboratory, but also on field trips to Black Rock Forest and Central Park. In addition, they are given the opportunity to explore in more detail, topics studied in class or to investigate related topics through supplementary projects. Dalton students are encouraged to think for themselves and to pursue their individual questions to resolution.

The fourth and fifth grade science program builds on the First Program science curriculum with a combination of topics from physical, life, earth and space, and environmental sciences. Students in the sixth grade study the scientific method utilizing Dinosaur Canyon, a computer simulation of a geological site. Students find fossils and then research and identify them to learn the history of their site, including its geologic time period, environment, and the type of life that existed there. Seventh graders focus on a comprehensive study of human biology. Students cover a wide range of topics including all systems of the body (circulatory, skeletal, muscular, respiratory, excretory, nervous, endocrine, reproductive, immune, and digestive), as well as nutrition, behavior, diseases, sexually transmitted infections, AIDS, and substance abuse (including smoking and alcohol abuse). Students in eighth grade are introduced to the nature of gravity, planetary motion, the structure of matter, and the nature of energy. In addition, students study earthquake data to establish the earth’s plate boundaries and how the plates move. By the end of eighth grade, students have a thorough foundation in biology, geology, and astronomy, as well as some basic principles of physics and chemistry.

Throughout the Middle School, students are taught to think in an inquiry-based way: they identify the directly measurable relevant facts, create a proposal relating the facts, design an experiment, graph the results, and come to understand natural phenomena.

World and Classical Languages

Middle School students study classical or world languages. Options include Latin, Mandarin, Spanish, and French.

The Spanish program that began in First Program continues into fourth grade at the Middle School. Students continue to build on their proficiency through immersive lessons with a cultural theme and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) content connection. At the end of fourth grade, students are given the opportunity to continue with Spanish or make a switch to French, Latin, or Mandarin.

In their early years of language study, students learn to communicate in simple social situations and learn basic linguistic structures, often in playful activities. As they progress, students concentrate on the more advanced structural foundations including the study of grammar and vocabulary. They learn to write increasingly advanced compositions and study the cultures of French, Spanish, and Mandarin-speaking peoples.

The study of Latin is pursued within the context of the Roman civilization. Students learn vocabulary and the fundamental structures of grammar and syntax, developing basic translation skills so that by eighth grade they are working with historical texts.

The Arts

Middle School students study dance, music, and the visual arts as a regular part of their weekly schedule. Beginning in seventh grade, students select two courses in the visual or performing arts, choosing from dance, music, theater, and the visual arts.

The Middle School Dance program at Dalton approaches dance as an intellectual and creative art form that is concerned with the expression and communication of ideas in an academic environment. Technical development includes alignment, strength, flexibility, and coordination. Creative exploration integrates improvisation, phrasing, and choreography.

A variety of dance styles are introduced throughout the year, including modern dance and jazz. All students participate in dance in fourth through sixth grades and may elect to dance in seventh and eighth grades. The eighth grade course is an extended study of dance that includes choreography, performance, and master classes with guest artists.

Students are required to take music in fourth through sixth grades, including general music, music skills development, singing, and introduction to instrumental music. Fourth grade students are introduced to string instruments and the recorder. Fifth grade students elect to begin the study of voice or an instrument of their choice. In the seventh grade, based on recommendations, students may continue their musical studies by becoming members of a number of vocal and instrumental performance groups. These groups include Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, String Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Chorus, and in some special cases, the High School Orchestra. In addition to the winter assemblies and the annual spring concert, other performance opportunities are pursued to allow the groups to share their achievements. Past venues have included nursing homes, holiday store events, and the Interschool Choral Festival for the Chorus; Interschool Instrumental Festival at Alice Tully Hall for various ensembles; and the “Music in The Parks” adjudication for the Jazz and Percussion Ensembles where they recently received Excellent and Superior ratings.

Theater is integrated into the sixth grade as part of Greek Festival. In seventh grade, students may elect to concentrate in theater as one of two required arts courses. Theater study touches upon the many aspects of acting and stage production during the year, including rehearsing, performance, and improvisation exercises and games. All students in sixth through eighth grades may audition for, and participate in, the annual Middle School theater production.

The Middle School Visual Arts program encourages personal expression and inventive thinking through imaginative exploration of art materials and methods. Students in fourth through sixth grades must take visual arts. These courses introduce the various forms of artistic techniques and the materials used to create art. In the seventh grade, students may choose to solidify their basic artistic skills through two required visual arts courses, Drawing and Design, and Dimensional Design. The visual arts curriculum for eighth grade is rich and varied and includes Ceramics, Painting and Composition, and Media Arts. Students are also introduced to the use of computers as a tool in art-making through new media techniques.

Athletics and Physical Education

In fourth through sixth grade classes, students pursue a program rich in skill development complemented with a variety of sports and modified games. In addition, students also participate in lifetime fitness and wellness activities. Indoor classes are held at the 87th Street Physical Education Center. For sixth grade, outdoor classes take place at Randall’s Island in the fall and spring.

The interscholastic athletic program for the Middle School begins in seventh grade. The goal of the program is for children to participate in athletic competition while learning the value of teamwork, skill development, and sportsmanship. Dalton has a “no-cut” policy in Middle School; any child who wishes to participate on a team will be given the opportunity. Dalton is a member of the Manhattan Private Middle School League.

Clubs and Student Organizations

Students are also encouraged to participate in extracurricular and elective activities during the school year. Student-led clubs are a vital part of community life. Clubs such as Service Learning, Asian Cultures, Environment, and Human Rights connect Dalton students to the outside world.

In recent years, the Middle School has added clubs from activities that range from Debate to early- morning Ping Pong. The list of clubs in the Middle School changes each year depending on student and faculty interests.

Dalton’s numerous robotics teams attract boys and girls with interests in engineering and computer science where they learn to design, build, and program Lego Mindstorms NXT robots. They collaboratively develop solutions to robot game missions and real-world research challenges. Dalton’s robotics teams compete in tournaments and have placed first among peer teams from other schools in the area as well as receiving top place awards regionally, nationally, and internationally.

The literary magazines, performing arts productions, and Middle School Yearbook provide additional creative outlets. There are also several opportunities for math extension. Students may participate in math teams or join the Math Olympiad club and many compete in national mathematics competitions.

Students may also participate in the Middle School Government that is run by students who are advised and counseled by two faculty advisors. Membership of the Middle School Government consists of two elected representatives (one male, one female) from each House in fifth through eighth grade, as well as the elected officers. Elections are held in House in early October. Middle School Government organizes social events such as dances, sports evenings, and assemblies.

After School Program

Dalton offers an After School Program for all K–8th grade students. Where Serendipity (K–3rd grade) ends Encore! begins. Encore! is the 4th–8th grade After School Program and is a natural extension of Serendipity at First Program. These programs work together to create a sense of continuity and natural progression between the two programs. The Encore! After School Program runs from 3:30 to 4:30 pm daily with course offerings at Encore! including Art, Dance, Guitar, Comedic Performance, Retro and 3D Game Design, Homework Club, and more. Courses such as Dalton Rock Band and languages through The Dalton Language Initiative work in collaboration with the Dalton Music and Language departments to reinforce the practices and philosophies that students learn during the regular school day. For the more advanced chess players, the Dalton Chess Academy also offers continuing instruction. For those families requiring an extended day service, students can join Homework Club after other classes and continue to work on homework or just relax after a long day until 5:45pm. For seventh and eighth grade students who return to school after athletics, the After School Program also offers Study Lounge where students can settle into daily and long-term assignments. Study Lounge runs daily from 3:30 to 5:30 pm and is on a sign-in basis; there is no need to enroll.

The mission of Encore! is to be responsive to students’ changing wants and needs, and to provide relevant and meaningful after school experiences. The After School Program is offered on a fee basis with a sliding scale for those families receiving tuition assistance.

Service Learning

Community service and service learning are essential to the Middle School experience. Students during this time are developing a sense of themselves vis-a-vis their communities and the world at large. House Advisors, classroom teachers, and club advisors work with students in many areas to enhance their appreciation for the perspectives of others, help them further develop empathy, and guide them to understand how they can make a difference. Students in grades four through eight participate in service-oriented clubs and in House campaigns to raise awareness about housing, health, and hunger. Students also often initiate new projects every year and as a community, the school often responds to an immediate local or global need.

The Middle School Day of Service for seventh and eighth grade students provides young adults with opportunities to be civically engaged and make a difference in the local community. Preparation leading up to the Day of Service provides each student with an authentic experience grounded in purpose and engagement. Before the actual day, Houses review information about the non-profit they are partnered with and engage in activities about the issues the non-profits hope to address. On the actual day, students are paired across grades to engage in meaningful work on site—at schools, parks, shelters, soup kitchens, and retirement homes, among others. At the end of the day, students gather in House to reflect on their experiences and develop plans for continuing their work. Through experiential learning and reflection, students further develop a sense of responsibility for others and become young leaders who are informed, caring, and contributing global citizens.

Examples of service learning in the Middle School in recent years include: n As an extension of their social studies study of ancient river-valley civilizations, fifth grade students partner with a school in Tanzania to discuss water equity and conservation. In addition, fifth graders raise money for their Tanzanian partner school to purchase books and other school supplies. n A group of eighth graders led several Houses from across the Middle School in raising money to purchase an ambulance for a remote village in Mozambique. n A fifth grade robotics team participated in a competition in which they developed a website to provide support to homebound senior citizens. Sixth grade Houses participated in the World Education Games in support of UNICEF. n Eighth grade Houses create birthday cards and decorate shopping bags used to make food deliveries for God’s Love We Deliver. The cast and crew of the Middle School musical always choose an organization to which part of the proceeds of their ticket sales are donated.

Middle school students, along with a faculty member, organized a doll-making project. These handknitted dolls were then donated to the Notre-Dame School in Haiti as part of a Dalton school-wide commitment to this economically challenged school which serves young girls in first through sixth grades. Middle School clubs with a focus on service learning and human rights: n Community Service Club: This fourth–eighth grade club runs a variety of drives for local and national organizations such as Yorkville Common Pantry and Ronald McDonald House. The club also provides leadership opportunities for its eighth grade members. n Human Rights Club: In addition to various projects, Human Rights Club sponsors a school-wide fundraising drive for Heifer International in which funds are raised to purchase livestock for a village. n Asian Cultures Club: Middle School students volunteer to work at the “ACC Teahouse,” an important yearly event in Dalton’s community. Also, members of the ACC help create a slide show to raise awareness about Asian- American month which plays on the general information screen in the Dalton lobby. n Spectrum Club: The Middle School Spectrum Club writes and performs “Public Service Skits” for Middle School assemblies that encourage students to be thoughtful in choosing words and actions that are inclusive for everyone in the Dalton community. Also, the club has raised money for the Trevor Project, an organization that supports LGBTQ youths in crisis. n Environmental Club: This club runs a school-wide assembly to raise awareness about environmental issues. In addition, they often sponsor a drive to collect batteries to be recycled. The Middle School Environmental Club also successfully advocated that every Monday be “Meatless Monday” in the Dalton cafeteria. Wildlife Conservation Club: In addition to conducting school-wide assemblies to raise awareness about conservation issues, this club also sponsors fundraisers on behalf of various endangered species.