Middle School Viewbook 2023 - 24

Illuminate the Possibilities

Middle schoolers are in a constant state of becoming, and this process is neither predictable nor smooth. In the midst of this time of great change resides unlimited possibility, and for this reason, middle school is an opportunity to be seized, not a time to be endured. Middle schoolers need learning that is both spontaneous and intentional, playful and challenging, timely and lasting. They thrive when teachers truly understand and value the particular moment they are in, can prioritize getting to know their whole selves, and help them illuminate the potential within.

Our mission:

Statement on Inclusive Excellence

St. Anne’s-Belfield School believes that exemplary citizenship and visionary leadership are best nurtured in a welcoming School community based on equity, inclusivity, and the pursuit of excellence. Our School provides a well-balanced educational experience that affirms the richness and diversity of humanity, creates an expectation of belonging based on shared human dignity, and encourages a desire to learn about and from each other.

Our core purpose is to inspire and prepare the next generation of exemplary citizens and visionary leaders.

— Mary Hyde DuVal, Founding Headmistress

“We wish our students to become strong in body, broad of mind, tender of heart, responsive in soul.”

Meet the Division Head

Marie Reed, M.A., P. ’27 & ’30

“We love middle schoolers. We think they are remarkable and have a special capacity for joy, flexible and creative thinking, questioning and wonder. They more often than not bring a special hopefulness that the world desperately needs. We love them so much that we learn from them and with them. Our goal isn’t to turn them into little high schoolers. It is to help them seize the remarkable potential of the moment they are in.”

The Saints Community

At St. Anne’s-Belfield School, we are first and foremost a community. The best way to help children flourish is to support and partner with our families. Our community reaches beyond the classroom to build strong, intentional relationships with the whole family. This connection begins even before our students arrive with Parent/Guardian Partnership Meetings between family caregivers and faculty, and continues throughout the year with our Wednesday Wellness family education webinars, Meet in the Middle programming, and volunteer opportunities on and off campus. Within our age 2 to Grade 12 community, relationships form between students of all divisions. Your middle schooler will meet and interact with students from all divisions of the School. We want all our students to know and genuinely feel that they belong to a caring and vibrant community.

Highlights:

• 60+ Parents’ Association volunteer positions in all divisions

• 86 all school parent/guardian volunteers

• 7 Wednesday Wellness webinars

• 4+ Meet in the Middle programs

“My teachers are kind, caring, and always helpful to make me the best learner that I can be. Everybody feels like they belong and they are comfortable learning from the mistakes they make.”

— Dean R. ’30

Chapel

Chapel has existed at St. Anne’s since our founding in 1910. While today’s Chapel is non-denominational, it remains one of the sacred traditions of the School. In the Middle School, students begin to emerge as Chapel leaders as planners, musicians, and speakers in group or individual sermons. These provide time for students and faculty to gather in fellowship and reflect on what it means to be a member of a larger community.

Parent/Guardian Partnership Meetings

Our Parent/Guardian Partnership Meetings, the first of which is prior to the start of school, enable faculty and family caregivers to form an important connection between home and School life for middle schoolers at St. Anne’s-Belfield.

Community Events

Cheer on our Saints athletes at a game, bring the family to an arts performance or gallery opening, attend a speaker lecture, come decked in maroon and white for our Fall Family Festival or Maroon & White Party, roll up your sleeves and volunteer alongside a local organization during Saints Serve Saturday — the School community loves to come together.

Parent/Guardian Programming

Wednesday Wellness Webinars connect child and teen development experts to our parents and guardians; Curriculum Night gives parents and guardians insight into the MS curriculum; and regular Meet in the Middle gatherings with the head of the Middle School focus on aspects of our program.

The Parents’ Association (PA)

The Parents’ Association welcomes volunteers. We provide many opportunities for families to become involved. In the Middle School, parents and guardians act as grade level reps, serve on PA committees, assist as athletic team parents, help at events, and more.

Interaction Across Grade Levels

From their first day of school through the time they are initiated into our expansive, global alumni network, all Saints know they are part of a caring and vibrant community. With students from age 2 to Grade 12 and representing 20 countries, your student will have the opportunity to interact with students of all ages and backgrounds through programs like the Lower School Intern Quest and volunteering.

"Each of our children are thriving despite each being so different from the others. St. Anne's-Belfield teachers and team make it a welcome home for all students and personalities, caring for them and nurturing the best out of each. Every year, we have new 'wow moments' with the teachers — the faculty is incomparable."

— Chas Cocke, P. ’25, ’28 & ’31

Academic Highlights

At St. Anne’s-Belfield’s Middle School (MS), we design our program with the unique needs of middle schoolers in mind. Specific to our Middle School program, Impact Block and the Quest program are strategically planned to meet the central needs of the Middle School years: belonging, exploring and discovering, and developing a sense of self.

Curricular Requirements

Humanities: English — 4 years

Humanities: History — 4 years

World Languages — 4 years

Science (including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History of Earth and Life) — 4 years

Math — 4 years

Visual & Performing Arts — 4 years

Quest — 2 years

World Languages

Students have the option to take French or Spanish and make a commitment to sustain language study in the chosen language for the four years of Middle School. Spanish and French 7 & 8 is equivalent to the Upper School French or Spanish I course. Newly enrolled Grade 8 students may select an Introduction to Spanish course, or, with the successful completion of a placement test, be placed into Spanish 8 or French 8.

Learn

“Our children are thriving in ways we never could have imagined. The faculty and staff meets them where they are while gently encouraging them to stretch their comfort zones and grow in their academic and personal development.”

Math

Grade 5 and 6 students learn math through a Singapore Math curriculum called Primary Mathematics. The Singapore Math approach equips students with a strong foundation in math by covering topics in depth and teaching to mastery. The concepts taught in fifth and sixth grade continue to lay the foundation and prepare students for the content they will learn in Grades 7 and 8. In Math 7 and 8, students have the option to earn advanced credit through either an earned-advanced option (Math 7) or a separate Advanced Math 8 class. All MS students learn to monitor their own thought processes, explore alternative methods for solving problems, and maintain a growth mindset in their mathematical thinking.

Our Advisory Program

Every student in the Middle School is assigned to an advisory group led by a teacher who serves as that student’s adult advocate and also a liaison between the School and parents/guardians. Our advisory program anchors student learning in a strong relationship with an adult. It prioritizes time and space for the development of key life skills and habits. Everything from typing, organization, and time management — to digital citizenship and reflection and goal-setting. The smaller teacher-tostudent ratios provide a setting where students can feel free to voice their questions and curiosities. All topics are revisited throughout the Middle School years in different and developmentally-appropriate ways. For our Grade 8 students, there is also a special emphasis on community leadership.

Computer Science

Computer Science (CS) is distinguished from other technology-related curricula that focus on how to use computer technology because CS is focused on understanding why it works and how to create it. Knowing why and how computers work (i.e., computer science), provides the basis for a deep understanding of computer use and the relevant rights, responsibilities, and applications. Learning computer science involves problem-solving, logical reasoning, and design skills that can be meaningfully integrated into every discipline. During Middle School, all CS learning is project-based and integrated into other disciplines. New CS skills are learned based on the needs of the projects students

— Rachael LeMasters, P. ’28 & ’31

Impact Block

Impact Block is a four-year scaffolded experience focused on building the skills that support academic independence and engagement beyond the Middle School years. Four days per week for 30 – 45 minutes each day, Grades 5 – 8 students engage in academic skill-building and choice-based experiences designed to help them articulate the support they need, identify and implement the strategies that work best for them, and extend learning beyond the classroom in areas that excite, empower, connect, and engage.

Making an Impact: A sample week at each grade level

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Grade 5

Advisory Getting ready for Middle School

Academic support, extension, and skill building

Advisory time

Academic support, extension, and skill building

Choice Day Examples: Dissecting Owl Pellets

Drawing Time Origami Math Strategy Games

Grade 6 Advisory

The Becoming Notebook and goalsetting for the week

Academic support, extension, and skill building

Choice Day Examples: Computer science and math challenges, writing and language workshops, special interest clubs (e.g. Rubik’s Cube)

Grade 7 & 8

Students meet with advisors weekly to develop a personalized plan for academic support and extension.

Club Day Examples: Creative writing, First LEGO League Robotics, Kindness International, open studio, World Language & Culture Club, Current Events Club

Academic support and extension

Offerings include a range of study halls (silent, collaborative, guided) and workshops (reading, writing, math, and assignment-specific support)

Academic support, extension, and skill building

Advisory time

Academic support and extension

Advisory time

7 & 8 Quests

The St. Anne’s-Belfield School Quest program is a unique time in our week where Grades 7 & 8 students are in the driver’s seat of the learning. In this electives-based program, faculty facilitate groups as students learn and practice how to learn, how to lead, and how to serve. Quests are student driven in both choice and content. Students can choose to participate in and/or lead a Quest that is project based, problem based, product driven, skill specific, service oriented, or one that evolves with them. With new course options each trimester, students have the opportunity to explore multiple topics outside of the traditional curriculum or follow one project through three courses with each building upon the last. Here is a recent sampling:

Trimester 1 — 2023-24

• Want to be a Lower School Intern?

• What does it take to overnight in the Shenandoah National Park?

• Monster Squad: Why do we like being scared?

• How can we reduce our stress?

• Can we compete in the First LEGO League Robotics competition?

Trimester 3 — 2022-23

• How can we promote our sports teams?

• How do we grow the library intern program?

• How can we partner with the Special Olympics?

• What can you paint?

• Stranger Quests: How do we roleplay a story...together?

Trimester 2 — 2022-23

• Can knitters give back?

• Can we create our own podcast episode?

• Why archery?

• What are the ins and outs of athletic development?

• How can we get to know each other better?

• What props can we make for the play?

• Can you escape?

Trimester 1 — 2022-23

How does calligraphy help us make sense of our thoughts and promote critical thinking?

How can we improve the Middle School

How can we support the Charlottesville

How do you make a camera? Then what should we do with it?

Curricular Progression

Humanities: English

Humanities: English 6 and Social Studies 6 “Identity, Community, and Belief”

Humanities: English 7 and History 7 “The American Story”

Humanities: English 8 and History 8 “Global Perspectives on Human

All students are enrolled in all of the following arts courses: Strings 5

5

5 Theatre 5

All students take all — one class per week.

Students select either orchestra or choir as a primary focus: Haydn Orchestra OR Choir

In addition to orchestra or choir, all students take Visual Arts 6 and Theatre 6.

Students choose an art elective for the year:

Mozart Orchestra 7 & 8

Visual Arts 7 & 8

Saintly Voices 7 & 8

Theatre & Film 7 & 8

Additional art courses are available through the Quest Program.

Students choose an art elective for the year. They may repeat their Grade 7 choice or make a new selection:

Mozart Orchestra 7 & 8

Visual Arts 7 & 8

Saintly Voices 7 & 8

Theatre & Film 7 & 8

Additional art courses are available through the Quest Program.

Quests 7 & 8

“There’s always a built in opportunity to catch up and feel supported by teachers. I was struggling in math and had two great teachers who made time for me to help.” — Hero C. ’28

Saints Athletics

All students in Grades 7 & 8 must participate in two seasons of physical activity (PA) per year, with at least one of the two seasons being a PA offered by the School. The time for Grade 7 & 8 athletics is built into the school day. In sports where a 7 & 8 grade team is not offered, Grade 7 students may try out for JV teams, and Grade 8 students may try out for JV and/or varsity teams.

2023-24 Competitive Teams

Boys

Fall

Varsity Football

JV Football

7 & 8 Football

Varsity Cross Country

7 & 8 Cross Country

Varsity Soccer

JV Soccer

7 & 8 Soccer

Winter

Varsity Basketball

JV Basketball

7 & 8 Basketball

Varsity Squash (co-ed)

JV Squash (co-ed)

7 & 8 Squash (co-ed)

Varsity Swimming

Varsity Diving

Spring

Varsity Lacrosse

JV Lacrosse

7 & 8 Lacrosse

Varsity Tennis

JV Tennis

Varsity Golf (co-ed)

Varsity Baseball

JV Baseball

7 & 8 Baseball

Varsity Track

7 & 8 Track

Girls

Fall

Varsity Field Hockey

JV Field Hockey

7 & 8 Field Hockey

Varsity Cross Country

7 & 8 Cross Country

Varsity Volleyball

JV Volleyball

7 & 8 Volleyball

Varsity Tennis

JV Tennis

Winter

Varsity Basketball

JV Basketball

7 & 8 Basketball

Varsity Squash (co-ed)

JV Squash (co-ed)

7 & 8 Squash (co-ed)

Varsity Swimming

Varsity Diving

Spring

Varsity Lacrosse

JV Lacrosse

7 & 8 Lacrosse

Varsity Soccer

JV Soccer

7 & 8 Soccer

Varsity Golf (co-ed)

Varsity Track

7 & 8 Track

Non-Competitive Options

Strength & Conditioning (MS)

Fitness (US)

Yoga (US)

Running Club (US)

Bike Club (US)

Squash (MS)

MS - Middle School, Grades 7 & 8

US - Upper School

St. Anne’s-Belfield School

At A Glance

located in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, VA

55 acres of land between two campuses around the corner from University of Virginia

Middle School

252 Middle School students

13 average advisory size

80% MS faculty members lead clubs, co-curricular activities, or teams

20 countries represented in the student body

100% of students complete an internship prior to graduation

Quick Facts

4,841 living alums in 49 countries

54 competitive sports teams

78% of faculty have advanced degrees

52% Class of 2023 enrolled in a very selective college (<25% acceptance rate)

21 Advanced Placement (AP) exams offered on campus

631 family households

937 students age 2 – Grade 12 100% K – Grade 8 students participate in arts and physical activity

46 zip codes represented in the day student body

2024 Deadlines for 5 – 8

Jan. 11: Priority Financial Aid Application Deadline

Round 1

Jan. 24: Application Deadline

Feb. 12: Admission Decisions Released

Feb. 26: Enrollment Agreement and Deposit Due

Round 2

March 15: Application Deadline*

March 28: Admission Decisions Released

April 11: Enrollment Agreement and Deposit Due

Rolling Admission

April 22: Rolling Admission Begins*

Next Steps

• Submit an inquiry

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• Complete your application

The School admits qualified students of any race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, sex, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, or any status protected by applicable law, and extends to them all the privilege to participate in the educational programs generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, or any status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admission or its educational programs.