Middle School (Grades 5 – 8

Middle School

Grades 5–8

Dynamic transformation is at the epicenter of our Middle School. A developmentally responsive and intentionally designed program meets the needs of growing adolescents. Our teachers understand your child's need for both independence and guidance. Teachers work in grade-level teams to identify each student's unique profile and commit to nurturing individual potential.

Lausanne's Middle School is dedicated to fostering students' confidence, love of learning, self-advocacy and social/ emotional skills. Small class sizes, a daily focus on mindfulness and empathy, collaborative learning environments, and supportive and encouraging faculty are the hallmarks of grades 5 through 8. The friendships built across grade levels in the Middle School’s House System encourage compassion and understanding of others, while strengthening student leadership, peer mentoring and school spirit.

Core courses focus on skill development and foundational content. Motivated by the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme’s cross-curricular objectives, students are asked to evaluate information critically. They use what they learn to take principled action rather than simply memorizing facts to prepare for exams, with a focus on learning how to learn and development of organizational and time-management skills.

Exciting elective courses offer opportunities for self-exploration. Diverse activities outside the classroom provide real-world learning experiences. The development of the whole child prepares students for Upper School and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Progamme's academic rigor.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL: GRADES 5–8

• Interdisciplinary Teaching – Students learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and their world experiences. Each year of the Middle Years

Programme (MYP) is designed to engage students in one or more collaboratively planned interdisciplinary units that connect two or more subject areas. Using the global contexts of the MYP, students develop an understanding of their common humanity and shared guardianship of our earth through explorations of: Identities and relationships Personal and cultural identity Orientations in space and time Scientific and technical innovation Fairness and development Globalization and sustainability

Out of these studies come students’ personal commitments to service and making a positive difference in the lives of others and to the environment. • Zero Period – The academic day for Middle School students at

Lausanne begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. Most students arrive on campus between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. to participate in the Zero Period, when all of the teachers are in their classrooms.

Students can get extra support for lessons or work with teachers and peers on various projects. Some students also use this time to catch up on homework before classes begin or to eat breakfast with friends in the Blue Heron Café. • Eight Period Block Schedule – Students rotate through an eightperiod block schedule over two days. Four classes are held each day with snack breaks during the mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Core classes in language arts, science, social studies and mathematics fill half the schedule. Students in Grade 5 rotate through a world language exploratory program, in which they take one trimester each of French, Mandarin and Spanish. Starting in Grade 6, students select one of the three world languages to study for the remainder of their Middle School experience. All students benefit from a required physical education course. Grade 5 students enroll in an an exploratory rotation of visual and performing arts classes, while students in Grades 6 through 8 have a choice of arts elective offerings. The final period of the eight-period rotation is called Flex.

A mix of club meetings, study hall, including one-on-one help from teachers, and special assemblies fill out this important time in a student's schedule. • Academic Program Notes – The math program takes an integrated approach to mathematical concepts, including algebra and geometry, to make connections across the content domains leading to higher test scores and better retention. English classes also include Latin and Greek root word studies to strengthen vocabulary in preparation for later ACT/SAT testing. Science classes are lab-based and give students an early foundation for their biology, chemistry and physics classes to come in Upper School.

STEAM and design studies can be taken as individual courses and are incorporated into multiple experiences throughout the core subject areas. • Grade Level Advisors – Students benefit from small classes, which usually average about 14 per class and never more than 20 students. Each student has a homeroom grade-level advisory group and an advisor who is the student’s advocate and program connection for parents. During the 30-minutes before lunch, students meet with their advisors or enjoy a common time outdoors.

The entire Middle School meets weekly in the Elder Performing

Arts Center for an assembly featuring a guest speaker, student performance or special announcements.

• Teaming – While students attend arts and physical education classes, grade-level teaching teams from the core subjects of English,

Math, Science and Social Studies meet daily to coordinate plans and discuss each individual student’s progress. They also pay close attention to each child’s social, emotional and academic needs and create proactive plans of support and communication with parents. • Technology – Technology is seamlessly integrated into all academic programs at Lausanne. Supported by our campus-wide wireless network, all Middle and Upper School students use personal laptops/tablets in all of their classes. Our classrooms and innovation labs employ tools such as 3-D printers, 3-D projectors and laser cutters/engravers to provide a dynamic educational experience including higher-level STEAM and engineering courses for 5th through 12th grades. • Community Compassion Project – As a means of preparation for our International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the

Upper School, all 8th-grade students participate in a year-long, multidisciplinary service project. This endeavor allows students to explore their academic passions and interests, while strengthening their research skills, analytical thinking and writing abilities. Students are asked to collaborate and develop a service to the community from start to finish. As a culminating event, students give a final presentation of their project during a special evening gathering celebrating their Middle School journey. • House System – Lausanne's House System, the first of its kind in the Mid-South, offers students and teachers the opportunity to work with one another outside of the academic arena. Through weekly house competitions that promote a healthy sense of school spirit, students establish connections that transcend classrooms and grade levels. Houses also provide older Middle School students with leadership opportunities through positions on our House Council and through the organization of school-wide activities. All students new to the 5th through 8th grades are sorted into one of four houses:

Cottingham, Lendenwood, Massey and Monmouth, each named after a street surrounding our campus. • Class Trips – Grades 5 through 8 take overnight class trips to enhance their classroom discussions and solidify friendships.

Fifth grade participates in a one-night trip to Victory Ranch in the spring to establish a sense of independence and team building. Sixth graders take a team-building trip to Camp Bear Track in Arkansas.

The seventh-grade trip centers around curricular enhancements in social studies and science. The eighth-grade trip allows the students to explore their impact on the communities around them. • Learning Specialist and Counselor – Students benefit from the extra support of a learning specialist and counselor, who manage student learning plans and lead small group and individual exercises to help build student community and strengthen student self-advocacy. • Mindfulness – The Middle School motto is “Work Hard: Play Hard.”

Students in grades 5 through 8 go through many personal physical and emotional changes, and face new academic challenges while learning to balance special interests. The Middle School strives to help students approach learning mindfully by providing classroom exercises that heighten student awareness and ease anxieties. Each morning begins with a ten-minute “Daily Focus,” providing students with time to engage in continual self-reflection that empowers them to develop vital self-management, social and communication skills.

Each class period also begins with a brief “mindful moment” to get focused and centered. This proactive, holistic approach to our students’ social and emotional development provides a foundation for becoming open-minded, caring and thoughtful society members.

“Kindness is our superpower!”