The Writing Center

In addition to being a source of support for students in all of their classes (and not just English—think history research papers and even science lab reports), the Writing Center is a space for students to share their creative ideas and practice more unstructured writing.

BY SARAH LUCENTE Middle School Humanities Co-Teacher

The Writing Center, physically located in the English department knuckle outside Head of Middle School Flynn Corson’s office, is a place for students to have a conversation about their writing. They can bring anything from a concern about an essay, a question on a homework assignment, to a creative piece they want feedback on, and a teacher will be there to discuss it with them. The newly revamped Center is staffed with Humanities faculty on a weekly rotation, all of whom ask the students to read their work aloud and to enumerate for themselves what they’re concerned about, so the teacher can give the most direct and productive feedback.

In addition to being a source of support for students in all of their classes (and not just English—think history research papers and even science lab reports), the Writing Center is a space for students to share their creative ideas and practice more unstructured writing. Periodically, short writing challenges are announced, with winners chosen and given an authentic audience for their work. For the first prompt of the year, students were asked to write a biogra- phy of the colorful, giant, abstract giraffe statue outside of the Middle School, and the writing of the winning student, seventh grader Shep O’Keeffe, was put on a plaque for the giraffe, now named Harold. More recently, students have been asked to share a favorite holiday memory, and even for their own suggestions for Writing Center prompts.

BY ETHAN PARSONS Middle School Student Support Teacher and Video Production Teacher

Tiger News, shown every Monday morning in every Middle School homeroom, is a weekly video bulletin filmed and produced by Middle School students. The broadcast includes general school announcements, the lunch menu for the week, and a space to recognize notable student accomplishments (known as Props!). The students who create the bulletin are part of a video production class offered every semester. In class, they learn the basics of operating equipment, including the camera, micro -

Tiger News speaking,

DEVELOPING VOICE IN:

Grade 6

Each student begins to develop an authentic voice through the composition of creative and expository writing. The year culminates with the composition and presentation of an original poem that explores an element of their identity.

Grade 7

Students explore the theme “The Individual in Society” through rich novels, short stories, and poetry. Seventhgrade students are introduced to the Harkness method and build agency and leadership skills as they work together to identify the deeper meanings of texts and dissect essential questions.

Grade 8

Students invest in their own agency with experiences like contributing poetry to The Art Poetry Project, crafting their own Tiger Talk, and directing their chosen course of reading in the Reading Workshop. Working collaboratively, practicing effective communication skills, and using feedback help students polish their writing skills and learn how the power of their own voice can impact a community.

STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES

At the end of the first semester in early February, Middle School students reflected on their achievements and challenges in preparation for student-led conferences. Through one-on-one meetings, advisors worked with advisees to prepare for the conferences with their parents.

As they create presentations on different aspects of their school life, students come to understand themselves as learners and, therefore, become well-positioned to exercise greater agency over their academic experience, now and in the future. In this way, the conferences help to place students in the “driver’s seat” and become self-advocates, which is consistent with Country Day’s broader ambition of providing a student-centered experience that prioritizes the development of transferable academic skills and dispositions. )

“This conference let me watch my daughter shine with (Tiger) pride about her personal growth and future goals. Her discussion of what she brings to the GCDS community made her feel valued as a student and as an individual person—she understands individual differences and that human diversity should be embraced.”

—Rebecca Colin, GCDS Parent

View a GCDS video about developing voice in Middle School