P R O G R A M O F ST U D I E S
HUTCHISON MIDDLE SCHOOL AT HUTCHISON, WE VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL AS A JOURNEY. Like every journey, this one involves asking questions, investigating new ideas, taking risks, and making thoughtful choices. By the end of each girl’s travels in Middle School, she has explored a wide range of academic subjects, athletics, fine arts, community service activities, and leadership opportunities. She has progressed along the route to discovering her own voice, passions, and strengths. She has developed friendships, gained selfconfidence, learned to think independently, and considered her place as a citizen of her community both within the school and the larger world. Our girls do not undertake this journey alone. Our teachers serve as advisors, mentors, and guides, helping each girl navigate opportunities and choices in a safe and supportive environment. The landscape through which our girls travel is a college preparatory curriculum, suited to the learning of adolescent girls; our teachers are experts in collaborative learning, classroom technology, interdisciplinary activities, and the education of girls. We delight in watching each girl discover her own pathway through Middle School. To assist her, we structure a four-year experience that serves as the map for her journey. This map includes a variety of courses and experiences delivered in distinct stages with girls in mind. It is a guide that allows for the energy, joy, and purpose girls bring to their learning and that ensures that every girl leaves our Middle School ready for an ongoing voyage that will take her anywhere she can imagine. 1
5TH GRADE:
Exploring New Frontiers EACH DECEMBER, OUR FIFTH GRADE GIRLS BECOME PIONEERS. In a two-week project we call Happy Trails, the girls create and share scrapbooks that recount a fictional journey along trails of westward expansion. They figure mathematical distances while mapping routes to California or Oregon. They compose letters to those they have left at home. In this, as in all fifth grade activities, they also become pioneers of their own education; they learn, as does every pioneer, that success lies both in developing individual strengths and in working within a community. From a science lesson at the school farm to an improvisation activity in drama or a basketball game in the gym, the girls work together to develop creativity, curiosity, and a sense of exploration. In her classes, on the stage, and on the playing field, each Hutchison fifth-grader acts both as a team member and a pathfinder, a learner and a leader.
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Engli sh
Our fifth grade girls are immersed in a culture of readers in which everyone—adults and girls alike— loves books and all that they offer. Through engaging discussions, a high level of personal choice in reading, and integrated writing, vocabulary, and grammar activities, fifth grade language arts creates a passion for literacy in girls and at the same time offers a strong foundation in reading, writing and speaking skills.
American Studies
History comes alive for the girls through study of geography, politics, and culture of the American continent from the revolutionary period to the turn of the 20th century. A thematic approach highlights and explores key topics and shifts in American history such as the transition from slavery to the civil rights movement with an emphasis on writing that explains causation.
Science
Fifth grade science focuses on living systems and the physical fundamentals of energy, force, and motion. Emphasizing a lab-based curriculum, girls develop an appreciation for the organization of the natural world and their part in it by way of class discussions, research projects, a trip to the Lichterman Nature Center, and investigations in the lab, the Hutchison lake, and farm.
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Math
Whole-group instruction, as well as small group, partner, and individual activities allows girls to link mathematics to real-world situations. Girls are encouraged to explain and discuss their reasoning and to engage in hands-on exploration as they develop feelings of confidence and interest in the study of mathematics.
World Languages: Spanish and Chinese
Building on the foundations of world languages instilled in them in Lower School, fifth grade girls begin their graded study of the Spanish language with a focus on oral proficiency. At the same time, they continue their ungraded exploration of Chinese. Through both language classes, fifth grade girls begin on the path toward fluency that is a hallmark of a Hutchison graduate.
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Fine Arts
The fifth grade fine arts rotation—in which girls participate in one quarter each of visual arts, dance, music (both vocal and instrumental), and theatre—emphasizes both the fundamental skills and the various media of each art form and a deepening of each girl’s passion for creativity, risk-taking, and self-expression. Hands-on art-making is paired with informal critiques, creating a dynamic and balanced experience in each studio. Each girl’s explorations of process and projects unlock her appreciation for the arts and confidence and joy in her creative voice as an artist.
T EC HNOLOGY Part of entering Middle School involves A NEW WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY. Through Hutchison’s 1:1 LAPTOP PROGRAM, each middle school girl receives her own laptop and creates, explores, and communicates using technology throughout the day and from home. In a digitally rich learning environment, girls develop skills to navigate the online world thoughtfully and carefully while BENEFITTING FROM THE ADDED DIMENSIONS TECHNOLOGY BRINGS to her research, innovation, and interaction with the material she studies. 5
6TH GRADE:
Building Bridges FROM TEAMBUILDING AT OUR FALL RETREAT to working in groups in pre-algebra, sixth grade is all about making connections. Step into a sixth grade music class to find girls presenting self-composed operas about the earthquakes and volcanoes they study in science. Listen to stories about the class trip to Nashville and find that the Greek myths studied in humanities come alive on a visit to the Parthenon. Or watch a sixth grade volleyball match to witness girls learning to work together, build relationships, and rely on one another. Whether she is communicating through her laptop with a girl in a different country or making new friends at school, every sixth grade girl at Hutchison is constantly building bridges—to explore, to connect, and to reach success.
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Humanities
Through this study of language and social sciences in concert with one another, sixth grade girls develop their communication and comprehension skills by marrying their reading of Shakespeare, Greek myths, and novels set around the world with a study of global civilizations of the past. This two-period block class is filled with discussion, projects, writing assignments, and rich reading experiences that bring history and the world to life.
Earth Science
The Earth Science course leads girls through the geological features and events of earth and space and builds a solid basis of understanding in the properties of matter. The sixth-grade trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, directly connects to the Earth Science curriculum, while the extensive outdoor classroom of the 52-acre Hutchison campus augments experiences in the lab. In the spring, girls study the novel Every Soul a Star, which bridges literacy learning to astronomical principles studied in the science course.
H E A LT H A ND WELLNESS For adolescent girls, emotional and physical healthiness is best developed as a culture and lifestyle. Middle school girls have numerous opportunities to enrich their skills in decision-making and to evaluate their behavior, from a series of “Bee Well Days� that take place during parent-teacher conferences to discussions of health and wellness embedded in our physical education classes. With the goal of helping each girl establish healthy habits that will last her a lifetime, we discuss the importance of and provide physical activity and nutritious snacks throughout the year and offer regular reminders and discussions of health through advisors, the school nurse, and the middle school counselor.
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Introduction to Pre-Algebra (Pre-Algebra I )
Sixth grade girls continue developing mathematical competencies in their first true exposure to algebraic processes. Balancing teacher-directed instruction with guided and independent group exploration, girls apply problem-solving, creative thinking, and organizational skills to solve equations, parse and solve word problems, and complete interdisciplinary projects.
World Languages: Spanish and Chinese
With a continued emphasis on oral proficiency, Spanish covers key grammatical structures and at the same time enables students to communicate using these structures to discuss basic personal information that includes activities, preferences, and immediate needs. Girls in sixth grade also continue their exploratory study of Chinese.
Fine Arts
The sixth grade fine arts rotation focuses on the opportunity for girls to continue to explore media and create formal and informal sharings. In music, girls write, compose and present their own opera. In visual art, they dive deeply into perspective, connecting elements of art using principles of design such as proportion, balance, harmony, and variety. Dance continues to expand ballet technique, and introduces the basics of choreography. Utilizing the theatre department’s professional resources and state of the art facility, sixth grade girls explore dramatic literature through theatre design, including costumes, set design, lighting, sound, make-up, and props.
O R C HESTRA Beginning in sixth grade, girls who wish to build on their fifth-grade exposure to stringed instruments may opt to choose a full year of orchestral study in place of the regular fine arts rotation of classes. In this course, girls develop skills in bowing and fingering and learn to demonstrate a controlled string instrumental tone. Through ensemble performance, girls encounter a variety of orchestral repertoire and musical styles. Girls participate in all-school concerts and have opportunities to represent Hutchison in the larger community throughout the year.
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A DVISORY Middle school girls meet weekly with a small group of peers and an adult advisor who connects with each girl as a mentor, guide, and discussion leader. Overseen by the middle school counselor, advisory groups meet regularly for participation in activities that promote social ease, enhance individual self-esteem, develop skills in conflict resolution, and guide girls in making healthy life choices. In addition, the counselor has direct involvement with the girls on a daily basis and is available for one-on-one discussions and sessions as needed. Over the course of four years, the counseling and advisory programs work in tandem to support the development of confident young women with a strong sense of self-worth.
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7TH GRADE:
Trails of Discovery SEVENTH GRADE FOR OUR GIRLS INVOLVES blazing new trails, discovering many routes to a single destination, and expanding horizons. Building on the foundation of their years in the Intermediate Division, girls entering the Senior Division enjoy long-term projects of their own design and choices between Chinese and Spanish as a focus for language study. They carry that same sense of independence beyond the school walls, whether they are exploring marine life on a class trip to Dauphin Island, completing a day of service at the Memphis Food Bank, representing a different point of view in Model United Nations, or discussing civil rights, both local and global, in challenging class activities. This seventh grade journey allows girls to discover their passions, their individualities, and their places in a broader world.
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ST U D E N T- L E D PA RENT CONFERENCES Beginning in seventh grade, each girl carefully prepares for and leads a conference with her parents and all of her teachers. Focusing on the girl’s academic strengths and goals, these conferences instill a sense of ownership in the learning process and build on the self-confidence, independence, and leadership skills that are a focal point of seventh grade classes and activities.
English
The focus of seventh grade English-Language Arts is the emergence of each girl’s own identity and her identity within a community. Girls explore literature ranging from Shakespeare to the Civil Rights Era and writing assignments that include critical analysis. Projects including extensive multi-genre writing enable girls to work on the mastery of the language and on understanding the relationship between an individual and her social environment.
Global Studies
While exploring the world’s physical environment and its people, girls in this first year of a two-year program use both primary sources and literature to engage in rich discussion about world cultures, regional history, geo-political relatonships between regions and countries, and current events. Through a Model United Nations simulation and the study of Europe, Africa, and the Americas, girls explore global societies by writing, reading, mapping, analyzing, and problem-solving.
Li fe Science
Drawing on the inquiry central to scientific learning, girls explore the rich variety of living organisms, from cells to human beings. Topics such as genetics, heredity, and reproduction allow girls to pose hypotheses, ask questions, and investigate their own fascinations with the living world.
Pre-Algebra II and Algebra I
Seventh-grade math offers girls two paths, each of which leads to Geometry in ninth grade. Pre-Algebra II includes a balance of conceptual understanding, connection to prior knowledge, skill proficiency, and problem-solving experiences; some girls begin their in-depth study of algebraic tools in Algebra I. Both courses rely on group work, problem-solving, and hands-on uses of manipulatives as girls navigate abstract mathematical concepts in meaningful ways. 11
CO-EDGE Girls in our senior division participate in Co-Edge with boys from Memphis University School. Co-Edge offers students at both schools the opportunity to interact in challenging and enriching activities, including shared days of service, social events, and fine arts offerings.
World Languages: Spanish and Chinese
In seventh grade, girls choose a world language to study through Upper School. The options include two levels of Spanish (Spanish I and Spanish II) and the first half of Chinese I, allowing each girl to progress on the road to fluency at her own developmental level in the language that most interests her. 12
Fine Arts
The focus of the seventh grade fine arts rotation is skillful technique applied to personal exploration and ensemble work. Seventh grade visual artists use the elements and principles of art to create thoughtful compositions through printmaking techniques and drawing methods. In dance, girls explore expressive body movement in a variety of dance styles while refining technique and conditioning. Theatre offers girls a safe and creative environment to explore the spontaneity and excitement of improvisational theatre technique and apply it to acting in dramatic literature of several eras. In music students are challenged to further develop their vocal skills as independent musicians and as part of ensembles, singing confidently in three-part harmony and continuing to develop vocal tone and range. Seventh grade girls also have the option of deepening their skills on stringed instruments by participating in a full-year orchestra class.
AT H L E T I C S A N D PHYSICAL EDUCATION Hutchison’s middle school physical education program promotes physical fitness, responsibility, and good sportsmanship practices through developmentally appropriate activities for teenage girls. Through individual and team efforts, we actively engage girls in a variety of sports and physical fitness activities and exercises, emphasizing important factors of general wellness such as nutrition, teamwork, and daily activity. Beyond the school day, girls have opportunities to participate in a wide range of team sports, including basketball, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track, and volleyball. 13
8TH GRADE:
Charting Her Own Course DURING AN EVENING EVENT THAT TAKES PLACE IN HER SCIENCE CLASSROOM, a girl demonstrates for her parents how she has programmed and designed her robot to navigate using its light sensors. At the end of the semester in English, she contributes her own ideas for the essay topics that will become choices on a student-designed final assessment. In an executive board meeting, she works with other eighth grade girls to plan a special convocation to celebrate International Week. Whether she is composing a speech to deliver to parents or creating a dramatic production in the theater, an eighth grade girl owns her learning. Guided by her teachers, she approaches assignments and classes as opportunities to make choices, think critically, learn deeply, and take considered risks. With the knowledge and skills she has developed throughout Middle School as her compass, each eighth grade girl at Hutchison faces expanding horizons with self-confidence and intellectual curiosity.
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Humanities: English and Global Studies
While meeting as two distinct classes, eighth grade English and Global Studies provide constant crossover activities that allow girls to connect ideas, writing skills, and reading assignments throughout the year. Through numerous writing and research projects, girls develop their own voices as mature readers and writers ready for high school. Group and one-on-one feedback for students’ work and frequent editing workshops augment the wide variety of writing girls undertake. In English, girls read and discuss many novels featuring female protagonists living around the world that offer a richer understanding of topics and countries encountered in 8th Grade Global Studies. Discussions from English class often inform discussions in Global Studies, where Socratic seminars take place daily at the twenty-seat Harkness table unique to our eighth grade classroom. In Global Studies, girls further employ their writing, reading, and research skills to explore the role that geography, culture, philosophy, religion, and trade play in the emerging societies, dynasties, and empires of Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Near and Middle East. Girls explore how each area’s past has influenced its modern day development.
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STEM: Physical Science and Algebra I and II
The goal of eighth grade STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) courses is to provide girls with a solid foundation in scientific and mathematical reasoning for successful investigation and sophisticated learning in these disciplines. With this in mind, Physical Science serves as an introduction to physics and chemistry concepts and how they relate to everyday life, integrating relevant mathematical relationships into activities such as graphing, problem-solving, writing, and research. At the same time, girls continue their math studies from seventh grade in Algebra I or Algebra II, developing strong problem-solving, analytical and communication skills. Through classroom projects involving robotics, rockets, and hands-on labs, girls combine their scientific and mathematical knowledge with practical engineering and technological tools. Throughout eighth grade science and math courses, the focus rests on logical reasoning, discovering the most appropriate strategies for specific problems both individually and in groups, and applying abstract concepts to real-world issues.
World Languages: Spanish, Chinese, and a Taste of Latin
Girls leave eighth grade prepared to continue their journey toward oral proficiency in a second language in the Upper School. By completing Spanish I, Spanish II, or Chinese I at the end of the year, girls demonstrate their readiness for advanced language speaking, listening, reading, and writing in the target language. In addition, eighth grade girls have the option to add an elective in Latin to their study of Spanish or Chinese. In this introductory course, students learn Latin vocabulary and grammar, research topics on Roman history and culture, and are introduced to classical influences on art, architecture, government, literature, and mythology. These girls also have the opportunity to attend the Tennessee State Junior Classical League Convention.
ST U D E N T LEADERSHIP By eighth grade, Hutchison girls prepare to leave Middle School as confident leaders. Culminating leadership experiences such as eighth grade speeches, service on the middle school executive board, or time with special speakers for eighth grade add to a focus on student leadership that infuses the entire four-year program. Leadership for our girls means more than just serving in a class office; it is a lens for looking at the world and a focus for each girl to explore her extracurricular activities, personal passions, and future scholarship.
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B ECO M I N G GLOBAL CITIZENS Throughout their four years in Middle School, girls prepare for life in an increasingly global community through speakers, programs such as Model United Nations and our Global Challenge Days, and rich discussions and activities in their classes. Whether they are debating current international events in Global Studies, discussing world cultures in Chinese or Spanish, or reading from the eighth grade summer list titled “Girls around the World,� eighth grade provides numerous lenses for considering the global issues and ideas encountered throughout our program.
Fine Arts
Eighth grade fine arts courses allow girls to hone advanced technique, practice, and showcase artistic skills creatively and with confidence. Eighth-graders practice classical drawing methods in visual art through multiple projects and critique opportunities. In dance, girls apply choreographic principles, processes, and skills in order to create and communicate meaning. Theatre enables girls to develop production teams and produce girl-driven projects under the mentorship of a professional theatre director. In music, the girls develop competency with chord structures and harmonic rhythms to compose original compositions for sharing and critique. Eighth grade girls also have the option to continue a focus on a stringed instrument in the year-long orchestra course.
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The Middle School Day
MIDDLE SCHOOL OPERATES on a six-day rotating schedule, with four academic subjects (language arts,
science, math, and social studies) meeting every day and others (languages, physical education, arts, and study hall) meeting three times in each six-day rotation. The rotation of classes means that girls enjoy variety in their schedules rather than attending the same class at the same time each day. The samples below represent the schedules and daily activities of two real students, one in sixth grade and one in eighth grade. Friday: Molly’s 6th grade schedule 7:45 am Carpool
Molly arrives with her lower school sister. After walking her sister to class, Molly makes her way to the Middle School and her homebase.
7:55 am Homebase
As an officer in her homebase, Molly is responsible for making sure all of the girls hear the morning announcements and for helping to take attendance. Today, she also leads her friends in singing for a classmate’s birthday.
8:05 am Humanities
In the first block of Humanities, which meets twice each day, Molly participates in a class discussion of Greek mythology and then works on writing her own myth.
8:55 am Orchestra
Because she plays the violin, Molly decided to participate in orchestra instead of taking the fine arts rotation. Today, the ensemble is preparing for an upcoming performance
of Beatles’ songs, including Molly’s favorite, “Eleanor Rigby.”
9:45 am Study Hall
Molly uses her daily study hall to check in with her math teacher about a homework question. Later, her rotating study hall, which meets every other day, will allow her time to review her other assignments.
10:10 am Advisory
As she does every Friday during Flex period, Molly meets with her faculty advisor and eight other girls. They discuss the week’s highs and lows and share their expectations for the upcoming class retreat.
10:45 am Chinese/ Study Hall
During the first half of Molly’s rotating study hall, she and her friends learn about Chinese language and culture. Because she likes both language classes, Molly’s having a tough time deciding whether she’ll take Chinese or Spanish in seventh grade. After her Chinese study, Molly uses the remaining thirty minutes to work on her Greek myth.
11:40 am Math
In Pre-Algebra, Molly’s class is focusing on graphing ordered pairs. As the girls work in small groups, Molly’s teacher circulates and helps them individually.
12:30 pm Lunch
Molly chooses her lunch and is seated at a table with her friends before the senior division girls arrive. Every few weeks, Molly is assigned to a new sixth grade table, allowing her to interact with a variety of classmates throughout the year without ever worrying about where she’ll sit.
1:00 pm Break
The courtyard provides a perfect place for Molly to get out some energy and socialize before heading to afternoon classes.
1:20 pm Science
Molly’s science teacher takes the class on a walk to the school farm, where they discuss how geology plays a role in growth patterns. On the way there, they pass by the lake and enjoy an impromptu discussion of erosion—and wave at the ducks.
2:15 pm Humanities
Returning to her Humanities class for a second time, Molly discusses the homework readings on ancient Greece with the class, providing context to her study of the myths and giving her a sense of excitement about completing her Greek myth tonight.
3:10 pm Homebase and Dismissal
Molly gathers her belongings and heads to the arts wing to spend the afternoon singing with Just Bee, the middle school vocal ensemble, before meeting her younger sister and going home for the day. 18
Tuesday: Sarah’s 8th grade schedule 7:45 am Carpool
Sarah arrives at school and is greeted by administrators and teachers. After spending a few minutes with her friends in the Middle School Commons, she reports to homebase.
7:55 am Homebase
Sarah checks in with her teacher, listens to morning announcements, says the Pledge of Allegiance, and readies her materials for the coming day.
8:05 am English
Sarah works with a small group on a presentation based on Parvana’s Journey, a novel about a young girl living under the Taliban in Afghanistan.
8:55 am Science
Sarah moves on to Physical Science, where she learns to program a robot to travel on a pre-determined course using its light sensors.
9:45 am Study Hall
Sarah works with a partner in the Middle School Commons on a project for Chinese, a class which meets tomorrow.
10:10 am Convocation
Convocation allows the entire Middle School to gather in the theater. As a member of the executive board, Sarah works with a team to run the program, making announce-
ments and recognizing the accomplishments of her peers.
10:45 am Drama
In this quarter’s fine arts rotation class, Sarah cracks up repeatedly as she and her classmates try their hand at improvisational comedy.
11:40 am Math
In Algebra I, Sarah and a partner work on a series of problems involving polynomials and factoring before checking their answers with their teacher and peers.
12:40 pm Lunch
Sarah chooses her lunch from a variety of stations before joining a group of friends on the outdoor patio. As an eighth grade girl, Sarah chooses her own table and unwinds with other girls.
1:20 pm History
Global Studies class takes place at the Harkness table, a twenty-seat table designed to facilitate discussion and student-led classes. Sarah joins her peers in debriefing a TED Talk on China’s economy as her teacher gently guides, but never dominates, the discussion.
2:15 pm
Sarah winds up her day in the gym, where she warms up with the class and then completes a series of team-building physical activities with her classmates.
Physical Education
3:10 pm Homebase and Dismissal
Returning to homebase, Sarah has a quick conversation with her advisor about her day before packing her backpack and heading out to her after-school sports practice on the soccer field.
MS Extra-curricular Activities
Sample Student-Proposed Organizations The Great Cupcake Decorate Board and Card Games Cartoon Drawing Neurology – Brain Works One Direction Fan Club Praise Band
Thread Arts
Fan Fiction Writing
Lights, Camera, Action!
Cooking without an Oven
Collaborative Arts Project
Beginner Line Dances
Bridge Building
Study Skills
Stretching, Running, and Ab Work
Sketchbook/Open Studio Time
Pinterest Projects 101
Independent Reading
Sharpie Painting
Hutchison Community Service
ID/SD Chapel
Travel Planning on a Budget
Brain Games and Puzzles
Honorary Societies National Junior Honor Society
Apis Opus Society for Arts 19
Mythology 101
Grade-level Activities 5th Grade
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
Overnight Creativity Retreat
Class overnight trip to Space Center/Nashville
Co-Edge Day of Service with MUS
Co-Edge Day of Service with MUS
Lichterman Nature Center Field Trip
Bridges One-day Retreat
Class trip to Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Two-night class trip to Atlanta or similar city
7th Grade Day of Service
8th Grade Overnight Retreat
(7th and 8th grade)
Orchestra
Scholastic Writing Competition
Robotics Night
Bee Buddies (lower school-middle school class pairs)
Latin elective (8th grade)
Bee Well Health and Wellness Days
Duke University TIP (7th grade) Black and Gold Day
Mother-daughter and father-daughter events (all grades)
5th Grade Biztown Day
Enrichment Offerings Wordsmith Writing Competition (7th and 8th grade) MathCounts (8th grade) Promising Young Writers Model United Nations
National Junior Classical League (8th grade) Youth Legislature Just Bee Vocal Group
Leadership Positions Executive Board
Historians
Peer Committee
Senior Division Chapel
Spirit Office
Junior Historians
Intermediate Division Chapel
Homebase Officers
Guests Artist Residencies
Service Learning Arts Opportunities
Destination Imagination
Just Bee Choir
Guest Artist Masterclasses
Triple Trio
Winter and Spring Music Concerts
MS Play
Collaborative Work with Memphis Area Arts Organizations
Fine Arts Opportunities All-School Plays Orchestra
Community Performances
Athletics Basketball: Competitive and Developmental Teams
Volleyball: Competitive and Development Teams
Soccer: Competitive and Developmental Teams
Lacrosse
Track
Swimming
Tennis
Golf
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Cross Country