Upper School | Unlocked

Exploring the Middle School Years at Peck

Take a stroll through campus at Upper School (Grades 5-8) recess and you’ll see dozens of pre-teens on the swings, shooting hoops, climbing the ropes, and playing soccer. You’ll hear talking, laughing, and connecting over stories at the picnic tables or in common spaces.

You might find four friends huddled around a Chess board, talking about their weekend plans while strategically moving their rook to capture the queen.

You’ll take in the scene of five friends sprawled on couches, laughing together as photos from their time at Peck scroll on the TV behind them. Or two friends tossing a lacrosse ball back and forth, while discussing their upcoming semi-final matchup.

You'd see all of this and more at The Peck School, a K-8 in Morristown, NJ—and what these scenes show is a school dedicated to providing the time and space for middle schoolers to be, well, middle schoolers!

Middle school is a time of exponential growth: physical, academic, and social-emotional. It’s also a time for duality—the paradigmatic push-and-pull between child and teenage identities.

Parents can have a hard time understanding that a middle schooler is both a child and on their way to being a teen—with childlike maturity but also a craving for independence.

“Parents can have a hard time understanding that a middle schooler is both a child and on their way to being a teen—with childlike maturity but also a craving for independence,” says Upper School Psychologist Dr. Lisa Pithers.

She continues, “These kids are tweens going into teens, and they want to be spoken to like young adults rather than children. But at the same time, they are still children who are dealing with complex emotions, who still need to play, and who will make mistakes.”

Making sure to foster both sides of the coin, so to speak, is what Peck’s Upper School program does.

“We give them both support and independence, teaching them advocacy but also acknowledging they have struggles and may need role models or coaching,” explains Pithers.

“For example, you can’t just say, ‘Well, why don’t you ask your teacher?’ but instead, start the conversation with ‘How can we ask your teacher? ’—helping the student break down the steps, and acknowledging they might be sitting with something hard. This can set them up for the small victories that carry big rewards.”

Peck's K-8 provides the ideal structure for this model, providing a familiar environment with trusted adults so 10-14-year-olds can practice the level of self-advocacy, independence, and leadership expected in a high school environment.

“In a lot of middle schools, kids can be completely lost,” says Pithers. “Here at Peck, how well we know the kids and how well they feel they know us is unique for a middle school program.”

“We talk to Upper Schoolers like young adults, rather than children,” continues Pithers, “so they feel they can bounce ideas off of or brainstorm with adults. They really appreciate the effort we make in respecting their intellect, their identities, and what’s happening in their brains.”

While students bond with their teachers and peers throughout the Peck experience, it takes root with the Upper School Advisory Program.

During fifth through eighth grades, students are established in small groups at the beginning of each year, by grade level, with a teacher who becomes their cheerleader, role model, guide, and mentor.

Advisors help students set goals, evaluate and track progress, and serve as a resource throughout the year.

Essentially, Advisory is the “home base” that cushions Upper Schoolers’ burgeoning independence while they figure out who they are and who they want to be.

“When you transition from the homeroom model of Lower School to classes with different peers each period, it’s important to establish deeper connections to foster a sense of belonging,” says Pithers.

We want our Upper School community to reflect and embrace their unique and growing personalities, and learn to be their authentic selves with those around them.

"We want our Upper School community to reflect and embrace their unique and growing personalities, and learn to be their authentic selves with those around them," says Pithers.

To accomplish these weighty goals, Peck creates tangible opportunities to encourage personal growth in independence, leadership, and self-advocacy.

For example, the highly-coveted keycard, which allows them independent access to classroom buildings, is a symbol of autonomy and trust within the community. Receiving a keycard is a milestone in the fifth-grade experience!

Head of Upper School Virginia Savage shares that in sixth grade, “[we] really begin honing that confidence, that jubilance, that sense of excitement and wonder. We harness that energy to deepen skill building and their understanding of not only the world but also themselves.”

For example, Upper School Art Teacher Scott Beil’s sixth-grade wire sculpture identity projects prompt students to represent an interest or hobby through a human-like figure, frozen in action.

The project cultivates self-reflection—not only in which facet of personality to choose and how to create the figure but also in how to represent that aspect of personality.

In seventh grade, leadership becomes evident in all the small, everyday moments of middle school life.

Savage explains, “Harkness discussion is a good example, as they’re sitting around a table intentionally noting that being socially conscious and an active participant can move the needle on the understanding and depth of content. It’s a tangible practice that gives students practice in being a leader.”

Finally, in eighth grade, as students imminently prepare to move on to high school, they have largely found their comfort zones and are equipped with the skills to thrive in a high school environment.

They’ve been leaders and role models for younger peers, chosen their academic path in elective art classes and Capstone Lab, and found a more sure sense of self from which to launch their futures.

“Peck graduates are...prepared and eager to participate; they do not hold back because they recognize that having a vibrant school experience will happen if they go ‘all in’ and take advantage of the opportunities around them."

"Peck graduates are ready to take on the world and dive right into their experiences in high school,” says Molly Dunne, former Director of Admissions at The Peddie School and currently Admissions Officer for Undergraduate Studies at Harvard University.

She continues, “They are prepared and eager to participate; they do not hold back because they recognize that having a vibrant school experience will happen if they go ‘all in’ and take advantage of the opportunities around them. They understand how to engage with supportive adults, they seek friendships across social circles, and they recognize the importance of a strong work ethic.”

With Peck’s powerful combination of teachers who challenge and support, knowing when to step in and when to step back, combined with the school’s programmatic structures designed to strategically support each phase of development, students confidently and successfully navigate their middle school years.

“As the oldest students at Peck, eighth graders are at the top of the pack: We push them, nurture them, and can catch them when needed,” says Savage.

"They know they don’t have to figure this out on their own. Here, we give them the chance to find the best versions of themselves.”