Masters Middle School Academic Program

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academic program

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

A Message from Head of Middle School The Middle School at The Masters School provides a tremendous learning experience. The academic program is engaging, exciting, and challenging, pushing young people to stretch their talents and intellect.

Our educational philosophy sets us apart from other schools. Fifth grade boys and girls learn together in small groups, while grades six through eight learn in singlegender classes. Throughout all four years in the Middle School, students participate in hands-on projects and intensive class discussions that help build critical and creative thinking skills.

School Administrators

Our exceptional teachers also distinguish us. They genuinely enjoy working with

Head of School Maureen Fonseca, Ph.D.

successful with middle schoolers. You can learn much about our faculty and our

Head of Middle School Everett “Doc” Wilson Assistant Head of Middle School Peter Hourigan 2

Dean for Girls Heather Sherman Dean for Boys Robert Schleimer Athletic Coordinator Susan Greally Middle School Administrative Assistant Kelly Torielli Associate Head of School for Faculty Affairs and Program Development Adriana Botero Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid Chris Downs Associate Head of School for Institutional Advancement Tim Kane Director of Business and Finance Christine Schwegel Director of Athletics and Physical Education Kevin Versen

adolescents and utilize teaching techniques and curricula that are particularly program in this guide, or by visiting our school and watching learning in progress.

Everett “Doc” Wilson Head of Middle School

Our Mission The Masters School provides a challenging academic environment that encourages critical, creative, and independent habits of thought and a lifelong passion for learning. The Masters School promotes and celebrates academic achievement, artistic development, ethical action, athletic endeavor, and personal growth. The School maintains a diverse community that encourages students to participate actively in decisions affecting their lives and to develop an appreciation of their responsibilities to the larger world.

I N TRO D U CT I O N

Our Middle School engages children in grades five through eight in a learning experience that enables them to reach their full and unique potential. The fifth grade provides a highly interactive co-ducational learning experience; grades six through eight are taught in single-gender classrooms—an optimal learning environment for both boys and girls.

At each grade level, faculty members work in teams to implement a comprehensive academic program around a central theme. This helps students recognize the context and relevance of what they’re learning and greatly enriches their learning experience.

School Expeditions Sloop Clearwater Ellis Island Metropolitan Museum of Art Lincoln Center Backstage Tours The Lower East Side Tenement Museum Hudson River Museum

Advisory All Middle School students are matched with a faculty advisor at the beginning of every academic year. The advisor—usually a grade-level teacher—advocates on behalf of students as they navigate academic and social challenges. In small groups, advisors discuss issues related to friendship, leadership, stewardship, self-image, popular media, and decision-making. Consistent with our single-gender learning model, the advisory program is led by the Dean for Girls and Dean for Boys.

Museum of Chinese in the Americas “Bodies” Exhibit at South Street Seaport Challenger Space Museum Westchester Forensics Lab Philadelphia History Tour Phillipsburg Manor

Experience-based learning We believe it’s important that children see how their lessons relate to the real world outside the classroom. So at every grade level, The Masters School incorporates field trips that bring learning to life. In the middle school years, adventures include many enriching opportunities, some of which are listed here.

Stony Point Battlefield Sunnyside (Washington Irving’s Home) Seining in the Hudson River Canoeing on Constitution Marsh Bird Watching Trips

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Humanities: English & History English and history stand at the center of our rigorous interdisciplinary humanities curriculum. These two subjects are linked thematically, with each grade level focusing on a specific topic or concept. Short- and long-term interactive and interdisciplinary projects challenge students at each level.

As students progress through the Middle School they continue to strengthen skills and acquire new ones. In English, they advance in reading comprehension, writing, literary analysis, speech, and grammar. In history, they learn how to think critically about past events and analyze the relationship between cause and effect while refining their research skills and organizational abilities. Students also develop note-taking skills and become adept users of primary and secondary sources, library and information technology, the Internet, and resources outside of school.

Fifth Grade Fifth graders focus on Egypt and Greece, looking at the physical, spiritual, and reasoning qualities that define and shape humanity.

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The literature they read is thematically related to their social studies, allowing them to make important connections and improving their comprehension and literary analysis skills. In ongoing writing workshops, students complete a series of creative writing projects that develop individual skills and writing styles, which they employ in their yearlong opera project.

Beyond improving grammar, vocabulary, and the mechanics of writing, fifth graders participate in discussions and debates. They have significant long-term projects, which require ongoing organization and synthesis.

Sixth Grade Since The Masters School is sited above the Hudson River, it makes sense that the sixth grade English and history curriculum uses the river and region as its theme. Students explore American history through the lens of the people and events that shaped the Hudson River Valley, examining how the valley both affected and reflected the development of the United States. Frequent trips to nearby historical sites augment classroom learning.

English class incorporates literature from the region, enhancing students’ understanding of the area’s history and introducing them to its rich literary tradition. Students read a variety of literary genres from different eras and write both creative and analytical compositions. They also participate in regular

writing workshops, building a strong foundation in the fundamentals of grammar. By working on group and individual projects, students continue to hone their research skills, learn techniques for effective collaboration, and develop proficiency in public speaking.

Seventh Grade Seventh grade study revolves around the theme of diversity and identity.

Students learn about United States immigration, explore their own family histories, examine and connect with other cultures through literary analysis and historical research, and discover the social factors behind our identities. They use and analyze news media to explore relevant social issues and step out of the classroom to explore what the world has to offer—particularly New York City. As they expand their views of the world, our seventh graders continue to strengthen their skills in grammar, reading comprehension, research, and studying. The curriculum emphasizes writing and critical thinking skills and strategies necessary for success in the Harkness classrooms of the Upper School.

Eighth Grade Building on the interdisciplinary coursework of the sixth and seventh grade curriculum, eighth grade English and history examine American identity.

Engaging hearts and minds alike, the English curriculum focuses on issues of justice and morality, especially as these themes pertain to adolescence and coming of age. The class gives special attention to writing: both creative, through the use of reaction sheets and writers workshop, and expository, typically discussing a book read together by the class. Further, the class emphasizes analytical reasoning, close reading skills, and oral presentation through daily discussion.

Eighth grade history explores the formation and evolution of American identity over the last 500 years. In particular, the class considers various facets of freedom and the benefits and burdens it implies. Considerable attention is given to Constitutional issues and the duties of citizens. At the same time, economic interpretations of history are given substantial weight.

Several times during the course of the year students participate in historical simulations, immersing themselves in critical historical moments such as the Constitutional Convention.

Humanities Faculty Tim Campbell B.A., Knox College Colleen Carroll B.A., Ithaca College M.A., Syracuse University M.S. Ed., Fordham University Mary Chappell B.A., Loyola University of Chicago M.Ed., Long Island University Paul Friedman B.A., Brown University Margaret George B.A. and M.A., Fordham University M.S. Ed., Bank Street College of Education Stephen Hildreth B.A., Boston College M.A., George Mason University Heather Sherman B.A., Regis College M.Ed., Bank Street College of Education Mark A. Tamucci B.A., Purchase College, SUNY M.A., Manhattanville College Everett “Doc” Wilson B.A., St. Francis University M.Ed., Tufts University

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Mathematics Faculty

Mathematics

Eliot Bloomberg B.A., University of Virginia M.B.A., New York University M.S. Ed., Long Island University

base while challenging them with projects that connect math to their world. During

The Middle School math program enables students to solidify and expand their skill class, experiential and exploratory activities foster open communication. The class discusses different problem-solving strategies, with each unique learner contributing

Pam Borowiec B.A. and M.S. Ed., College of New Rochelle

ideas and putting them into practice. This cooperative atmosphere encourages

Lauren Diamante B.A., Quinnipiac University M.A.T., Stony Brook University

problem-solvers and critical thinkers, gaining confidence in their mathematical

Anne Frost B.A., Vassar College M.Ed., University of Hartford (John) Peter Hourigan B.A., College of Wooster M.A.T., Quinnipiac College C.A.S., Southern Connecticut State University

students to share ideas openly and to propose solutions. By solving application problems, students connect concepts to the “real� world. They become strong abilities. In addition, technology serves as a vital component of the math curriculum, enhancing the learning experience and providing additional challenges for students.

Fifth Grade Fifth grade mathematics challenges students to strengthen skills and integrate their understanding of whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents by solving investigative problems. The children explore measurement and coordinate geometry, and they work cooperatively to design creative solutions to complex problems.

Manipulatives give them a concrete understanding of the topics, preparing them to use these concepts in their lives.

Sixth Grade Students in the sixth grade explore concepts in geometry, fractions, decimals, ratio, proportion, percent, perimeter, and area. The curriculum “spirals,� continually reinforcing each skill so that students make connections between topics as they reinforce their understanding of concepts. The curriculum places a strong emphasis on computational accuracy.

Students complete critical-thinking projects using statistics and apply their new skills throughout the year. Classes are grouped by ability based on the results of a placement test. Advanced students will cover content at a faster pace, including exploration of elements of pre-algebra.

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Seventh and Eighth Grade All students have the opportunity to place into a mathematics course that provides them with the most appropriate challenge. Course type and level vary depending on the results of placement tests, but students can expect to be placed into basic or advanced pre-algebra, or basic or advanced algebra. The most advanced students will be considered for geometry.

All sections are single-gender. Specific content and pace will vary, but all courses are designed around the New York State and national curricular standards.

A c a d e m i c d e pa r t m e n t

Science The Middle School science program achieves two primary goals. First, we give students a working knowledge of the scientific method as a systematic approach to problem-solving. And second, we help them develop connections between what they learn in the classroom and their lives beyond it. We take a discovery approach to learning because students learn best when they uncover relationships and ideas for themselves. In the laboratory we stress objectivity in observation, accuracy in data gathering and recording, and analysis and presentation of data.

Fifth Grade The fifth grade curriculum concentrates on six major topics: astronomy, weather, sound, light, the sun and moon, and botany. Each is addressed with an interdisciplinary approach and a foundation in the scientific method of inquiry.

Students learn cooperative and individual laboratory behavior, scientific dialogue and discussion skills, data analysis, and the ability to formulate conclusions and associations based on their observations. Each student is given an opportunity to demonstrate understanding of material through both constructed research assignments and performance-based assessments. Students are encouraged to share 8

prior knowledge and ideas as they expand their investigation and critical thinking skills necessary for further studies of science.

Sixth Grade The sixth grade science course focuses primarily on Earth science. The students begin by examining the structure, properties, and states of Earth’s water and look at how water is responsible for altering Earth’s land surfaces. They also explore how water can be used as an alternative energy resource.

Next, students investigate the key characteristics of Earth’s interior, focusing on rocks and minerals and how they make up the different features found on our planet.

The children analyze the ideas of continental drift, sea-floor spreading, and plate tectonics; determine how and why the continents have changed positions throughout history; and learn how plate movement relates to earthquakes and volcanoes.

During the spring the curriculum shifts to life science, integrating and supporting the students’ work in humanities. Students learn how to classify the Hudson River’s planktonic, nektonic, and benthic organisms into their respective taxonomic categories. They explore the energy flow in Hudson River ecosystems and the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers. Finally, students examine the human impact on the Hudson River ecology.

Seventh Grade In seventh grade, students gain a detailed understanding of living systems. They build on basic principles by exploring cell structure and function, cell processes and energy, cellular organization, and change as a result of the transmission of genetic information from generation to generation. They explore the history of biological thought and the evidence that supports it, providing the foundation for investigating biochemical life processes, cellular organization, mechanisms of inheritance, and the change in organisms over time.

Students also learn human biology, studying bones, muscles, skin, digestion, circulation, respiration, excretion, the nervous system, the endocrine system, and reproduction. They conduct laboratory experiments, write formal reports, and develop skills including organization and mathematical analysis of data, manipulating variables in experimentation, and identifying sources of experimental error.

Eighth Grade Eighth grade science is a skills-based course designed to prepare students for the advanced science courses they will take in the Upper School. With an emphasis on developing understanding through investigation and critical thinking, students work 9

with the equipment and tools that are found in high school science labs. Students cultivate their scientific literacy, learn to make conclusions based on evidence and data, and work on developing metacognitive skills. Cooperative group work as well as active learning experiences are keystones of this course. Some of the topics are scientific measurements, properties of matter, energy, electricity, magnetism, forces, motion, gravity, simple machines, and conservation of mass and energy.

Science Faculty Nancy Gormley B.S., SUNY at Oswego M.S., National University Daniel Russo B.S. and M.S., St. John’s University Robert Schleimer B.S., New York University M.S., Mercy College Heather Sherman B.A., Regis College M.Ed., Bank Street College of Education

a c a d e m i c d e pa r t m e n t

Language Faculty Keith Kitchen B.A., Pennsylvania State University M.A., University of Texas at Austin M.A.T., Hunter College (CUNY) Molly Lori B.S., University of Michigan M.P.H., University of Michigan M.A., Middlebury College Abdoulaye Ngom B.A., M.A., Gaston Berger University, St. Louis, Senegal Richard Simon B.A., Stony Brook University M.A., New York University M.Phil., New York University Shudan Yeh B.A., Queens College M.A., New York University 10

Modern & Classical Languages The Middle School language program is a three-year experience introducing students to the fundamentals of language acquisition and the linguistic elements of the target language. All students take a full year of Latin, and then two years of a language selected from our four offerings: French, Latin, Mandarin, or Spanish.

Sixth Grade Because Latin is fundamental to language study, this is how we begin. In Introduction to Latin, students become able to understand the common elements of Spanish, French, and English. Coursework covers Latin vocabulary and grammar with emphasis on elements also reflected in the English curriculum. We explore these concepts through rich discussions about Roman culture including transportation, city life, society, gladiators, and slavery. While the immediate goal of this introductory course is to achieve reading ability in Latin, the ultimate objective is to improve students’ ability to acquire any foreign language—ancient or modern.

Seventh Grade The language students choose for their seventh grade year—French, Latin, Mandarin, or Spanish—carries through into eighth grade. In order to offer this wide of a range of languages, enrollment in all sections is co-educational. These Level A courses emphasize self-expression and cultural insight through the reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills of the target language. Course content relies heavily on cultural studies and traditions.

Eighth Grade Level B courses in French, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish renew emphasis on reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills as both the pace and expected proficiency increase. Students pursue deeper and richer study of the history, culture, and traditions of native speakers. By the end of their two-year language experience, successful students are ready to place into Upper School Accelerated French 2, Latin 2, Mandarin 2, or Spanish 2 courses. New students admitted to the eighth grade have the opportunity to test into the language of their choice at the start of the school year. Seventh grade Level A courses will be available to any students needing them.

Music Integral to the interdisciplinary curriculum, the music program ties into established themes in conjunction with the other classes. Students learn to read and notate music; to listen to, analyze, and describe music; and to evaluate music. Most importantly, students develop an ability to utilize music to understand themselves and others, which builds a deeper level of empathy for fellow human beings.

Fifth Grade Students complete a basic unit of study on music theory including note-writing and reading, key signatures, and time signatures. Students explore basic keyboard and computer composition and participate in an experiential study of opera. This study culminates in a project in which students write and perform an original opera.

Sixth Grade Sixth graders start the year with a review of basic music theory. Later they explore folk music, particularly that of the Hudson River Valley, and examine societal, political, and cultural influences on music. A group project creates a cycle of five folk songs describing colonial life in the Hudson River Valley. The year concludes with a

Music Faculty Jennifer Carnevale B.M.E., Jacksonville University M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University Katie Meadows B.A. and M.A., New York University Chris Mills B.A. Northwestern University

personal music history project about music influential in the students’ lifetime.

Seventh Grade

Middle School Winter Concert

In conjunction with the seventh grade curricular theme of diversity, this year covers world music history, featuring analysis of multicultural music through listening,

Middle School Students

game songs, folk dance, and discussions. Students learn about music from Africa,

from all grades work toward

Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Asia. A final project

a choral concert prior to

investigates each student’s musical heritage.

Winter Break that features a variety of musical styles.

The repertoire is chosen to

Eighth Grade

complement course studies.

Students learn about live

Eighth graders study American popular music styles including film scores, musical

performance, teamwork, and

theater, folk, bluegrass, country, blues, jazz, rock, and rap. They complete two

the preparation involved in

interdisciplinary projects: a visual poem of Philadelphia and another visual essay

presenting a production.

combining humanities, art, and music classes. The year ends with two comprehensive projects, one of which is the production of an Arts Expo with original songs written and performed by student bands.

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The Middle School visual arts program provides a creative environment in which students explore visual communication in two- and three-dimensional forms. They gain hands-on experience with a broad range of materials and techniques while working on projects designed to develop craft as well as cognitive skills related to thematic grade-level investigations.

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Students work in a variety of artistic disciplines including drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture; and they learn and use the elements and principles of design as they explore their creative potential. The children keep art journals to monitor their progress throughout the year, and assessments are based on effort rather than ability level. Our goal is for our visual arts students to develop and expand their artistic voice while gaining a better understanding of self and their relationship and responsibility to the world community.

Art Faculty Bruce Robbins B.F.A., Purchase College, SUNY Vince Galgano B.A., Columbia University Cheryl Hajjar B.F.A., Massachusetts College of Art M.F.A., Pratt Institute M.A.Ed., Teachers College, Columbia University Stephanie Mestyan B.A., Bennington College M.A.T., Manhattanville College

Visual Arts Fifth Grade Students visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art to explore the ancient Egyptian and Greek Halls. A yearlong collaborative project incorporates visual art with history and creative writing. Students write scripts on ancient cultures in their humanities classes and transform their scripts into an opera in music class. In their visual arts class, they create rod puppets of their characters as well as backdrops and props, and they rehearse their performance. At the end of the school year, the students put on their original opera for their parents.

Sixth Grade To enhance their focus on the Hudson River Valley, students study the Hudson River School of Art. They create their own watercolor landscapes inspired from photos from their field trips. Other projects include the creation of a hand-sewn quilt while studying American folk art, and designing a presentation for a site-specific sculpture at the Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park.

Seventh Grade The seventh grade students are given the opportunity to work with the upper school art instructors as well as the middle school art teacher. They explore artistic disciplines including foundation drawing, ceramics, and digital photography. Tied in with their ongoing investigation of identity and diversity, students write an artist statement explaining the artistic choices they make in relation to their chosen essential question.

Eighth Grade Armed with digital cameras, the students explore Philadelphia and other historic sites by taking a series of images with thoughtful content and composition in a triptych format. Back in the classroom they create a thirty-second presentation using their photos and original music they produce in their music classes. In their humanities classes, they write artist statements to explain their work as it relates to their yearlong theme of American identity. The year culminates with the students curating and displaying their own visual artworks in the Eighth Grade Arts Expo.

Technology The computer science program gives students valuable technical skills and enables them to put their abilities to use with the resources in our campus network. Much of the coursework relates directly to projects in other disciplines so that students can put their learning to good use. At the same time students are often involved in computer science projects and exercises that remain exclusively within the domain of this discipline. At the end of the two-year computer science curriculum students emerge as confident users of information technology software, hardware, and network resources and are ready to use these tools in meeting future academic challenges. In addition to our fully-equipped computer labs, we maintain computer carts with Macs and PCs to support teachers and students with in-class assignments and projects.

Fifth Grade In the fifth grade, computer science begins by introducing students to the school network and familiarizing them with skills such as using a network printer, saving files on the school server, and accessing school email from remote locations. Once students gain proficiency in these basic tasks, they learn more of the intricacies of PCs and Macs as well as productivity software such as Microsoft Office. Students complete their first year of computer science with several research projects involving various Internet search engines.

Sixth Grade After a review of skills acquired in the fifth grade, the sixth grade computer science curriculum is integrated with the Hudson River Valley focus of study. The first major project, a biography, draws on a variety of computer skills with programs including Microsoft Word, Photoshop, PowerPoint, and Internet research; and introduces students to digital cameras and scanners. Subsequent projects involving the Hudson River curriculum reinforce these skills, giving students a solid level of comfort with their technical abilities.

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Physical Education and Athletics Faculty Kevin Versen Director of Athletics and Physical Education B.A., Lynchburg College Susan Greally Middle School Athletic Coordinator B.S., Boston University Chris Wade B.A., Brown University M.A., Duke University

Physical Education & Athletics Athletics are crucial to the educational experience at The Masters School. Beyond providing physical exercise, sports teach teamwork, commitment, and perseverance.

Students acquire new skills and confidence. And they learn how to play the sports that they’ll continue beyond middle school. Our campus athletic facilities include five expansive playing fields for lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, baseball, and softball, a competition track, eight tennis courts, an excellent gymnasium for basketball and volleyball, an outdoor basketball court, and fencing strips.

Fifth & Sixth Grade Physical education class is required for all fifth and sixth grade students and is included during the school day. The students participate in a variety of games and physical activities to develop basic athletic skills and to experience the joy of playing.

Seventh & Eighth Grade Interscholastic team sports begin in grades seven and eight. Practices are held during the school day and games are played after school. Students may also take 14

dance to satisfy the athletic requirement. The following team sports are offered each year.

Baseball Basketball Cross Country Dance Fencing

Field Hockey Lacrosse Soccer Softball Volleyball

The Masters School 49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, New York 10522

Phone: 914-479-6420 Fax: 914-693-7295 admission@mastersny.org mastersny.org

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy: The Masters School admits students of any race, color, national, or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of color, national, or ethnic origin, sexual preference, or gender identity in administration of its admission policies, educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other schooladministered programs.

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Design: PopKitchen Co. Photography: Tom Kates, Bob Falcetti, Peter Finger, Dorothy Handelman, Anne Marie Leone, Rawn Fulton, Robert Cornigans, RenĂŠe Bennett, and The Masters School community Printing: Panoramic Group

www.mastersny.org

the masters school | 49 Clinton Avenue, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 | mastersny.org | 914.479.6420