Middle School Guide

Middle School

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

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GET TO KNOW KEY SCHOOL

The Key School Difference

Imagine your student thriving. Not only academically but through experiencing meaningful connections with their teachers and peers, valuing and respecting themselves and the differences of others, and having a positive outlook on learning, the world and their future.

Imagine your student surrounded by a diverse, supportive, deliberately small community that values academic excellence and nurtures a love of learning, curiosity and joy.

Imagine your student as they discover new interests, find their people and place in the world, and leave Key exceptionally well-prepared to take on the challenges that await them at their top college choice and beyond.

Key School is one of the most sought-after educations in Maryland because we inspire our students to learn and prepare them to lead. Are you ready to experience the Key difference?

Inspired to Learn, Prepared to Lead

Why Key Middle School?

FOUNDATIONAL CURRICULUM, INNOVATIVE APPROACH

Key’s innovative approach to teaching and learning is what sets us apart from other independent schools. Students learn the foundational academic building blocks they need to succeed in Middle School and beyond, but how they learn is what makes Key so unique.

During their Middle School years, students immerse themselves in math, humanities (English & social studies), science, STEM, language, art and music, but they will also master how to problem-solve, ask questions, self-advocate, collaborate, and think independently. They will have homework, take tests and excel in their interdisciplinary coursework, but also learn by doing, make critical connections between units of study and the real world, and have fun!

Over sixty years of unparalleled student outcomes tell us that this innovative, evidence-based approach inspires students to learn and prepares them to lead.

MOTIVATION MINDSET

Key students are intrinsically motivated, meaning they are driven from within to participate and excel. No easy task during the middle school years, but we have decades of experience feeding their natural curiosity and giving them the confidence and tools to problem-solve, ask tough questions and grow.

Key’s motivation mindset shifts emphasis away from pure outcomes and toward effort and process. Key students learn that struggle is normal and part of learning, challenges are opportunities to improve, and setting goals and working hard are just as important as achieving them.

Active participants in their growth and learning is the best way to describe a Middle School student at Key.

PERSONALIZED LEARNING

Close relationships between students and teachers are a hallmark of the Key School experience. Small class sizes in a tight-knit community allow teachers to know their students well and tailor learning to their strengths, needs and interests.

In a Key Middle School classroom, students are equipped with the capacity to measure their knowledge and skills, but also given flexibility in how they learn. Empowering students to have a voice in their learning and teachers who understand the importance of meeting students where they are, improves outcomes, develops agency and independence, and fuels a lifelong love of learning.

DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

Key School is deeply committed to continuing our long tradition of welcoming and supporting students and faculty from all backgrounds and experiences. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice are woven into the fabric of our teaching, decision-making and daily interactions.

During the formative middle school years, students are molded into careful listeners, ethical decision-makers, and self-assured individuals who are inclusive of others and advocates for justice in their school and their communities. They also know coming to Key as their authentic selves will be respected, valued and supported.

Mathematics

Our challenging, interdisciplinary curriculum nourishes students’ curiosity, strengthens their intellect, and reflects our core mission.

NARRATIVE & SKILL-BASED GRADING

The Middle School uses a narrative grading system that provides students with individualized, detailed feedback on their performance in the class, noting their strengths, growth opportunities, and how they met the objectives for the course.

Key School cultivates mathematical thinkers. Our Middle School curriculum is designed to guide our students as they develop mathematical skills and hone their reasoning. Students succeed best when they are appropriately challenged, so we provide differentiated instruction. The materials covered spirals as our mathematicians move through Middle School, adding developmentally appropriate topics and building on existing knowledge along the way.

Collaboration, the utilization of technology, manipulatives, games, and investigative tasks are some of the tools used to master concepts and develop logical, analytical, and critical thinking skills.

By eighth grade, students complete introduction to algebra, algebra 1 or geometry.

Humanities

English and Social Studies are integrated into a rich Humanities program in Middle School which immerses students in learning about themselves as citizens of their community, country and the world.

Students are engaged in a discussion-based and project-based curriculum that begins with the study of indigenous civilizations and the West African Kingdoms before embarking on the founding of Colonial America. Students explore diverse historial voices, including primary source documents and historical fiction.

Through a focus on the foundations of government and civic responsibility, students analyze and debate history and literature and discuss current political events and social issues. With a foundation in their own society and culture, students expand their worldview to the global regions in 7th and 8th grade, focusing on the cultures of each region.

The Humanities program emphasizes the spiraling development of skills such as critical thinking, literary analysis and reading comprehension, independent research, analytical and creative writing, and public speaking.

Real-world connections are made through experiential learning trips to Williamsburg, Virginia, historic Annapolis, the Baltimore Museum of Industry, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, the National Museum of African American History & Culture, and the Holocaust Museum.

CURRICULUM

A Key classroom is about more than facts and figures, tests and essays – it’s where Key students become confident, inquisitive, lifelong learners.

Curiosity is valued and questioning is encouraged

Science

In the investigation of life, physical and Earth sciences, Middle School students develop critical thinking skills by observing, questioning, identifying patterns, developing and supporting conclusions, and most importantly, doing! Hands-on experiments in, and out of the classroom, often utilizing our backyard, the Chesapeake Bay, bring science to life.

By eighth grade, students are well-prepared for the elevated academic demands of our Upper School Integrated Science program.

Key’s Middle School science curriculum encourages curiosity and critical thinking while giving students a foundational understanding of the natural world.

Fifth & Sixth Grades: General science program that covers topics in life, physical and Earth sciences

Seventh Grade: Sequence of topics that focus on the life sciences

Eighth Grade: Sequence of topics that focus on the physical and Earth sciences

Innovation & Design

Key School has taught students to think like scientists, technologists, engineers, artists, and mathematicians in an interdisciplinary environment since 1958 — long before terms like STEM and STEAM existed.

Key offers students evolving technologically-focused activities and learning opportunities, including coding, robotics, Maker Tech, and computer science discoveries, among others.

Within classrooms, the Middle School Technology Integrator works closely with faculty to identify and create meaningful educational experiences using myriad technologies to enhance learning.

CURRICULUM

World Languages

Through carefully designed immersion, students develop their world language speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills while gaining the cultural awareness necessary to communicate meaningfully in real-world settings in their choice of either French or Spanish.

As students progress through Middle School, they engage in a wide variety of creative and collaborative experiences that promote their continued linguistic mastery, build their confidence, and expand their knowledge of, and respect for, other cultures.

Life Skills

The focus of the Life Skills program in the Middle School is on the physical, social, and emotional development of students. Units of study take into account where students are developmentally. Life Skills are taught explicitly via these units of study and implicitly via the myriad of opportunities where students come together to develop competency in learning these skills outside of the classroom.

Examples of the units of study in the Life Skills curriculum include:

• Organization, time management and responsibility

• Community and citizenship, including interpersonal relationships

• Digital citizenship, including respect, empathy and an awareness of how choices online impact others

• Mindfulness

• Inclusivity

• Leadership

• Adolescent health and wellness, including nutrition, physical activity and mental health

CURRICULUM

“Advisory gives me time to prepare for the day and connect with my friends, but it’s also a safe place to ask questions about homework or talk to teachers about stuff I’m struggling with.”

Quinn Austin ’28 7th Grade

Advisory

Key’s advisory program is designed to create a strong support system that students need to develop academically, socially, and emotionally. The advisory program creates a sense of community and ensures that each student has an adult who can act as their advocate.

Each advisor mentors their advisees in Life Skills, organization, time management, study skills, and homework management in addition to helping students set reasonable, yet challenging goals.

Advisory groups meet a minimum of twice a day Monday through Thursday: at the start of the school day to prepare for the day ahead and during an advisory period just before the end of the school day to get a head start on homework or assignments. These advisory periods offer the opportunity for students to seek out help from teachers in classes or assignments. On Fridays, students end their week with an enrichment activity of their choice during their afternoon advisory period.

The advisor is also an important source of information—for parents, other faculty and administrators— to help gain insight and identify issues before they arise.

Academic Support

Academic support is readily accessible in Middle School. All students are encouraged to take advantage of some form of extra help from time to time.

In addition to the availability of core teachers to help students when extra support is needed, the Middle School Learning Department is a resource for students with learning differences or who require more advanced coursework.

The Middle School Learning Department:

• Partners with Middle School teachers and advisors to better understand individual students’ learning profiles and, when necessary, assess and address particular learning challenges.

• Provides support to all students in conjunction with other faculty members.

• Teaches Middle School Workshop, a support class to enhance reading, written expression, math, and executive functioning skills.

CURRICULUM

Key Athletics

Key School strives for excellence in athletics and the classroom. Our competitive interscholastic athletics program teaches students physical and mental skills, self-discipline, teamwork, leadership, sportsmanship and builds self-confidence.

Obezag Athletes learn to push themselves on and off the field, balancing individual achievement with the needs of their team and classwork.

WHAT IS AN OBEZAG?

The Key School mascot and our team name - an anagram of Gazebo - many of which can be found throughout campus.

FALL WINTER SPRING

Cross Country Equestrian Soccer Field Hockey Sailing (8th Grade)

Cross Country Equestrian Soccer Field Hockey Sailing Volleyball

Basketball Equestrian Basketball Equestrian Swimming Indoor Track

Tennis Lacrosse Sailing (8th Grade) Tennis Lacrosse Baseball Sailing

Fusco Athletic Park

Located two miles from campus in the Annapolis Roads community, Fusco Athletic Park is a 70-acre state-of-theart facility that includes multi-purpose athletic fields, eight tennis courts, baseball diamond, 1.7 mile nature trail, a pavilion with locker rooms, and a fully equipped trainer’s room.

Outdoor Education

While we love having students on campus, we also love to see them go. Outdoors, that is. Creating opportunities for experiential learning through outdoor education is an integral part of the Middle School experience. In addition to being really fun, the trips teach students about the natural world and its relevance to the classroom.

The Outdoor Education curriculum directly links to every academic discipline and makes connections to major school initiatives like Life Skills, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice, and leadership development.

Examples of Middle School Outdoor Education experiences include:

• 5th grade: Key School Fusco Athletic Park and Williamsburg, Virginia

• 6th grade: Sandy Hill Camp, Maryland and Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia

• 7th grade: Appalachian Trail and Patuxent River Park, Maryland

• 8th grade: Shenandoah National Park, Virginia and Wye Island, Maryland

The arts at Key School offer students another medium for communication and a platform for collaboration and experiential learning.

Visual & Performing Arts

Middle School students enjoy a rich array of opportunities to learn skills and explore talents in the visual and performing arts. Annual performances and events include a Key Theater spring production, Chorus, Key Strings and Wind Ensemble concerts. In addition, gallery displays throughout the year highlight students’ visual art creations.

VISUAL PERFORMING MUSIC

Ceramics

Photography Drawing Painting

Printmaking

Theater Elective Middle School Play

Orff Schulwerk Music Program (5th and 6th grade) Wind Ensemble

String Ensemble Obezag Singers (chorus) Percussion Ensemble

Enrichment

Clubs & Academic Teams