Academics
Middle School
The middle level program at Island School, which includes grades 6-8, addresses the particular needs of pre-adolescent students as they transition from elementary to high school.
Students have opportunities to advance academically based on performance and readiness. The middle school program cultivates the joy of learning, teaches students to manage the increasing demands of secondary education, and reinforces both the extrinsic and intrinsic rewards of effort and accomplishment. The middle level program supports students as they move toward increased independence in their lives. Faculty members teach to the whole student with a focus on Howard Gardner’s defined areas of intelligence. In addition, self-awareness, self-management, community skills, study skills, clarification of personal values and emotional intelligence are all part of students’ personal and academic development. The middle school focuses on the development of healthy habits and best practices for personal and academic success in high school.
See the Island School Curriculum Guide and Student/Parent Handbook for detailed descriptions of course offerings, policies and programs for grades 6 through 8.
Middle School News
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Collaboration between Grade Levels
This week the 8th, 11th and 12th Grade English classes came together for a writing evaluation and feedback collaboration. The students were able to connect with peers in different grade levels, and get feedback from many new voices. Students were able to practice giving and receiving feedback, and discover new ways to improve their writing.Read More -
Place Based Inquiry
Read MoreStudents in Mr. King's Place Based Inquiry class created maps in their journals, and learned about the essential parts of a map, including how to make a locator and how to calculate scale. Each student was asked to make a map based on their Campus perimeter walk about with Mr. King, and learned how they can be important tools for understanding place.Students in Period 3 of Mr. King's Place Based Inquiry class also had the unique opportunity to learn about gardening with Pat Gegan’s Sustainability class. This lesson helped students understand what resources we have available on campus (our Place) to feed and sustain ourselves. The lesson also helped students make the connection of how the value of Malama can be used whereby caring for the land in turn helps us care for ourselves. Students were introduced to the planting beds between Wilcox Gym and the Elementary quad, and spent a few minutes weeding the beds in order to prepare them for planting. They then enjoyed a sample of freshly made pesto, made from basil harvested during Mr. Gegan’s Sustainability Class. One student commented “I wish we had done cool things like this in our old school." Food can be used in a very powerful way to connect students to place.
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