MIDDLE SCHOOL :: PROGRAM OF STUDIES 2009 • 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Division Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Foreign Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 5 History/Social Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Visual Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 7 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 9 Library Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Physical Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Human Dynamics and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Computer Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Service Learning Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Front cover: TyLisa Johnson ’13 used a binocular microscope to view lunar samples, also known as Moon rocks, in eighth grade Earth and Space Science. The samples were on loan to the school from NASA.
WILMINGTON FRIENDS MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION OBJECTIVES
The middle school student at Wilmington Friends School is by definition a pre-adolescent or an adolescent, and the curriculum reflects the changing and sometimes difficult nature of that stage in our students’ development. The children who enter the sixth grade differ dramatically from the teenagers who move on to upper school after eighth grade. Their changes are intellectual, emotional, and physical. Middle school students often seek independence by testing authority. At the same time, they both fear and delight in taking risks and trying new things. The middle school structures programs that stimulate students to meet challenges, value differences in each other, and make good decisions. Faculty advisors and grade deans offer guidance and support for students and their families. The transition to adult life requires the acquisition of both skills and knowledge, which promote the growth of independent and cooperative learning. By emphasizing interdisciplinary activities and programs, reading, study skills, group work, and techniques of organization, middle school teachers guide students through and beyond the fundamentals of academic work. Activities that strengthen written, oral, and artistic expression allow individual talents to be recognized. Participation in individual and team sports develops both the cooperative and competitive spirits in children while satisfying their need for physical activity. Quakers believe there is that of God in every person. This perspective provides the foundation for all aspects of middle school life and prepares students for the challenges that wait in upper school.
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In Wilmington Friends Middle School, students... I. Academic Development •
demonstrate curiosity, excitement, commitment, cooperation, and independence in learning.
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demonstrate the desire to do their personal best.
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communicate, orally and on paper, with confidence and clarity.
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demonstrate techniques of organization and efficiency in work.
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appreciate and participate in the arts.
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exhibit a broadened cultural perspective, beyond American/Western outlook.
II. Social / Interpersonal Development •
make and sustain successful social relationships with peers and adults.
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show integrity and honesty in dealing with others and oneself.
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show social consciousness and responsibility.
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respect and value individual differences, a.) dealing with our school population. b.) dealing with the wider community.
III. Personal / Spiritual Development •
make good decisions and accept responsibility for consequences.
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demonstrate physical and emotional selfconfidence.
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show resilience and perseverance in dealing with responsibilities.
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show spiritual awareness and the habit of personal reflection.
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know and respect themselves.
ENGLISH Grade 6
Grade 8 – The American Identity
In sixth grade English, students work to achieve competence and reliability in writing assignments, emphasizing paragraph structure, fictional works of varying length, poetic language, and four-paragraph essays. They make use of peer editing, thereby internalizing the guidelines and rules of good writing, and they use assessment rubrics to help revise their work effectively. Some sixth grade English writing is done in coordination with other courses, especially sixth grade social science.
“Who are we as a people, and how did we come to be that way?”
Students read, discuss, and write about novels focusing on the ancient world. Much of the reading coordinates with the social science program. The English focus is on literary style and cultural analysis. The Outside Reading component of the course provides the opportunity for students to select and read a variety of age appropriate literature. For grammar study students learn the parts of speech. They also review sentence structure. The vocabulary development program is primarily derived from class readings. Grade 7 English Seven is a course designed to challenge students to think creatively and analytically and to increase students’ understanding of other cultures. As a large group, students study different novels, memoirs, a play, short stories, and poetry. More independently, through the outside reading program, students sample other genres, including fantasy and science fiction, and explore books set in different cultures. In this course, students write and revise extensively. Writings range from structured paragraphs and essays to personal vignettes and memoirs. During the year, students also work on mastering many rules of writing mechanics and usage, and they gain fluency with vocabulary words drawn from the readings. The students are given frequent opportunities to read, present, discuss, and debate, and they are guided in developing their study skills.
Eighth grade study of English and history form an interdisciplinary program called “The American Identity,” involving historical fiction, literature of the period, and history of the country from colonial settlement through the Civil War. In the English portion of this program, we expect students to grow in their articulation of ideas in writing and orally, their grasp of the grammatical structure of language, and their understanding of the ways in which American literature reflects the ideas, attitudes, and conflicts of American culture. Readings will include many genres—sermons, poetry, essays, novels, and plays, all dealing with issues of American Identity. Composition assignments encourage students’ organization, paragraph development, factual support for ideas, use of quotations, syntactic accuracy, and confidence in expression. The composition process includes some peer review sessions and extensive opportunity for and requirement of revision. Students also evaluate their own writing according to a well-articulated set of standards for different types of writing. Teacher and student have at least one writing conference each term. The central question of this program is stated above. Students will see how our culture has been shaped by conflicting values and experiences, absorbing and altered by new political, scientific, and economic concepts and by successive immigrant cultures. Students will seek to determine constant values and directions amid the clash and change.
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FOREIGN LANGUAGE The ultimate goal of the Foreign Language Department is the communication of meaning as fluently and accurately as possible. All pedagogical activities point toward this end. We teach the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Our focus is on using the language in the classroom. Teachers speak to students only in the target language. Such immersion necessitates active listening on the part of students and encourages and enhances conversation. Teachers stimulate conversational interaction in the target language from the first week based on the aspect of the language being studied. We reinforce the study of grammar through open-ended scenarios, skits, and dialogs, which might include such real-life situations as airplane rides, applications for jobs, and restaurant and market excursions. We include aspects of the culture and civilization of many countries in which French and Spanish are spoken in order to enrich the languagelearning experience. Additional techniques may include field trips, music, slides, video clips, video filming, and pen pal exchanges. In alternating years, French and Spanish seventh and eighth grade students have the opportunity to travel, respectively, to Québec and Puerto Rico during the summer. Grade 6 - French This is an introductory course with emphasis on speaking French from the beginning of the year. Within the first marking period, students are expected to converse with each other, not with a memorized text, but extemporaneously within open-ended scenarios based on broad vocabulary study. In addition to speaking and listening, strong emphasis is placed on developing reading and writing skills. Techniques in the classroom may include the use of skits, role-playing, music, pair-work, video clips, and video filming. We teach the customs and geography of France in order to enrich the languagelearning experience. Grade 7 - French Seventh grade French continues introductory level instruction, with emphasis on speaking French from the beginning of the year. (The course description from this point is basically the same as for sixth grade, with an increased level of challenge.) Within the first month, students are expected to converse with each other, not with a memorized text, but extemporaneously within open-ended scenarios based on broad vocabulary study. In addition to speaking and listening, strong emphasis is placed on developing reading and writing skills. Techniques in the classroom may include the use of skits, role-playing, music, pair-work, video clips, and video filming. We teach the customs and idioms of French3
speaking countries in order to enrich the language-learning experience. Grade 8 - French This course is a continuation of seventh grade French. There is increasing emphasis on communicative skills. Students learn how to function and react in many different practical situations, using vocabulary useful to everyday life situations. We continue to use such techniques as open-ended scenarios, role-playing, songs, pair-work, c.d.’s, videos, and video-filming. Cultural understanding of French-speaking countries is an important aspect of this course. At the end of the year, eighth grade teachers will recommend placement for the ninth grade classes. Grade 6 – Spanish This course is a continuation of the lower school program. T here is strong reinforcement of basic concepts and increasing emphasis on communicative skills. Within the first month, students are expected to converse with each other, not with a memorized text, but extemporaneously within open-ended scenarios based on broad vocabulary study. In addition to speaking and listening, strong emphasis is placed on developing reading and writing skills. Techniques in the classroom may include the use of skits, role-playing, music, pair-work, video clips, and video filming. We teach the customs and idioms of Spain in order to enrich the languagelearning experience. Grade 7 – Spanish Seventh grade Spanish continues introductory level instruction, with emphasis on speaking Spanish from the beginning of the year. (The course description from this point is basically the same as for sixth grade, with an increased level of challenge.) Within the first month, students are expected to converse with each other, not with a memorized text, but extemporaneously within open-ended scenarios based on broad vocabulary study. In addition to speaking and listening, strong emphasis is placed on developing reading and writing skills. Techniques in the classroom may include the use of skits, role-playing, music, pair-work, video clips, and video filming. We teach the customs and idioms of Spanishspeaking countries in order to enrich the language-learning experience.
MATHEMATICS Grade 8 - Spanish This course is a continuation of seventh grade Spanish. There is increasing emphasis on communicative skills. Students learn how to function and react in many different practical circumstances, using vocabulary useful to everyday life situations. We continue to use such techniques as open-ended scenarios, role-playing, songs, pair-work, c.d.’s, videos, and video-filming. Cultural understanding of Spanish-speaking countries is an important aspect of this course. At the end of the year, eighth grade teachers will recommend placement for the ninth grade classes.
Middle school represents a transition from the primarily concrete thinking exhibited in the lower school to the higher level of abstraction required in the upper school math courses. The middle school program covers a wide range of ideas and skills including arithmetic computation with rational numbers, number theory, patterns and functions, statistics, probability, geometry, and linear and quadratic algebraic operations. The material is presented in a variety of ways to best impact the needs of students with a variety of learning styles. Using discovery methods as well as direct instruction, students will either work individually or in small groups. Students develop their abilities to communicate their mathematical reasoning orally, symbolically, and graphically. Middle school mathematics requires an ability to calculate accurately and to use words and symbols in a meaningful manner. Students learn the appropriate use of technology, which includes the use of graphing calculators (starting in 7th grade) and supported programs such as Fathom, Excel, The Geometer’s Sketchpad, LOGO and other programming that may exist throughout the year at a given time. There is an advanced section in 8th grade, whose emphasis is to move at a quicker and deeper pace. Additional topics are also covered. In preparation for the advanced section in 8th grade, students are strongly encouraged to seek out challenges in earlier grades, such as regular participation as a member of the Math Olympiad team in addition to taking on other challenging work that exists within the curriculum. Math teachers will distribute to all students specific information concerning advanced work at the beginning of the year. Sixth Grade Mathematics Students investigate real world problems, using multiple strategies and collaborative learning to arrive at common solutions. An emphasis is placed on firming up an understanding of rational numbers in preparation for the algebraic strand to be followed in future years. A major focus is mathematical reasoning with clear calculations shown for numerical responses. As such, calculator use is limited to checking correctness of completed work. Each unit within the 6th grade text allows for both remediation and enrichment possibilities. Students will use the Connected Mathematics 2 series as a framework for classroom investigations and individual study. Topics include: number theory, twodimensional geometry and measurement, probability and statistics, the use and manipulation of rational numbers, order of operations, exponents and square roots, and pre-algebraic concepts involving variables and patterns.
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SCIENCE Seventh Grade Mathematics
Grade 6 – The World at Work
Seventh grade marks a transition from the primarily concrete thinking and application of arithmetic to the generalized ideas and abstraction needed for algebra and higher math courses. Students are formally introduced to a graphing calculator as a tool to help make the transition. The CMP2 series provides the framework of concepts covered and may be supplemented with projects integrated with the other subjects. All students are encouraged to investigate concepts as deeply as possible. Upon request, students will be given more challenging problems for practice and assessment.
Textbooks: Chemical Building Blocks Sound and Light Motion, Forces, and Energy (Prentice-Hall)
Students will use the Connected Mathematics 2 series as a framework for classroom investigations and individual study. Topics include: algebraic representations in tables and graphs, proportionality and ratios, similarity relating two-dimensional shapes, linear equations, integers, three-dimensional measurement, one-variable statistics, sampling and surveying. Eighth Grade Mathematics Math 8 focuses on modeling patters of change through the use of both symbolic and non-symbolic representation. In the final math course in middle school, students hone their mathematical communication and organization with real world applications. Through class discussion, group work, and individual practice, students achieve a deeper understanding of traditional algebraic concepts and how they connect to the other disciplines within math. Advanced Math 8 will cover topics at a quicker pace and in greater depth, with an emphasis on abstract extensions and applications of lessons. Students will use the Connected Mathematics 2 series as a framework for classroom investigations and individual study. Topics include: representation of patterns of change through tables, graphs and equations, modeling data with linear equations, analyzing and comparing linear and non-linear relationships, the Pythagorean theorem, exponential growth and decay, quadratic relationships, geometric transformations as they connect to algebra, solving equations and systems of equations, and inequalities. Advanced topics may also include such concepts as: asymptotes, matrices, an introduction to trigonometric ratios, deeper study with radicals, studying the discriminant, cubic functions, and rational expressions.
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Sixth grade science provides students with a core, intra-disciplinary introductory course that emphasizes the methods and processes of science. The scope and sequence of this course give students an appropriate foundation as well as a conceptual framework for further studies in science. On the premise that “less is more,” it affords an in-depth study of several topics derived from classical science. Students experience the contemporary relevance of science to their daily lives. Scientists make a living by observing the world around them. With this in mind, students make use of their five senses to investigate the physical properties of matter and learn to use appropriate tools and units in order to describe them. Students then focus on the components of matter that cause them to be different—from subatomic particles to compounds of different elements. Therefore, the primary concentration of the first semester is on chemistry. Today’s middle school students are growing up in a world where travel occurs at the speed of sound and communication is at the speed of light. In addition, they are acutely aware of the fact that it takes force and energy in order to make things happen. Physics provides the core to understanding the relationships among energy, motion, and forces. Through many hands-on activities, we provide students with insight into these concepts during the second semester. Grade 7 – Life Science Textbook: Investigating Life Systems by Biological Science Curriculum Studies, 2005 In Life Science, students engage in scientific inquiry through investigations in human systems and ecology. They take what they know about their own bodies and the world around them and develop skills in questioning, observing, predicting, organizing data, and discussing their findings in meaningful ways. Written work is included in homework assignments, lab investigations, lab reports, and other activities. Students interact directly with materials and specimens that enhance the concepts that are covered. In most activities, students work cooperatively and share ideas. Through dialog and socially shared information, students have opportunities to generate and build conceptual understanding. In addition, Life Science includes concepts in physical science, chemistry, and mathematics; therefore, students
HISTORY/SOCIAL SCIENCE are able to integrate concepts across the disciplines into their discussions and investigations. The diversity that this course offers helps students to make insightful connections as well as to develop scientific understanding. Seventh graders study life science using a systems approach. That is, students engage in learning activities, readings, and investigations that allow them to explore, elaborate, and evaluate concepts as examples of systems in dynamic balance, systems that change over time, and population systems. Safety and collaborative skills are also emphasized. Grade 8 – Earth and Space Science (No textbook; collection of instructional materials to be distributed by the teacher) The Earth and Space Science course promotes science as a way of knowing, a process for gaining knowledge and understanding of the natural world. Throughout the course, students are active learners. They read about science, but they spend more time making observations, formulating and testing hypotheses, gathering and analyzing data, designing experiments, making inferences, drawing conclusions, and communicating their results in various formats (papers, posters, projects, movies, and PowerPoint talks). Students develop their understanding of nature of science by addressing the question “How do we know what we know?” as they explore course topics. Earth Science also allows students to see that the science concepts apply to their lives and their society, and provides students with science skills to make informed and responsible decisions as citizens of planet Earth. The theme for the Earth and Space Science course is systems. “Systems” serves as an organizing concept to understand the processes, scales, and rates of geological change and the interaction of atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. The concept of matter cycling and energy flowing is used to help understand how systems on planet Earth are interrelated. Earth and Space Science is concerned with Earth’s materials, changes of the surface and interior, and the forces that cause these changes. Changes are interpreted within the context of plate tectonics, the unifying scientific principle of geology. Earth and Space Science also examines the interaction between Earth’s weather and climate, the changes of organisms through time (paleontology) as interpreted by organic evolution, and astronomy, the study of our solar system, galaxies, the universe, and deep time.
Grade 6 — Ancient Cultures Students entering sixth grade history/social studies are making an important step in the transition between the elementary school learner and the college preparatory student. The classroom atmosphere continues to be comfortable and very interactive. However, to a larger extent than before, students feel the requirement for applying consistent effort and striving for quality in their work. The sixth grade history/social studies curriculum is a study of ancient cultures and civilizations. Presently, we study the rise of civilization in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Central America. Students will begin each unit by discovering the role geography played in the development of the region before moving to a study of each civilization’s system of government, education, religion, social structure, arts, and technology. Projects, which are often integrated with other disciplines, are many and varied, and will include creating timelines, designing a city-state, and writing a research article on a topic related to ancient Egypt. Simulation and role-play are also emphasized. Students will be required to write on a regular basis and to develop a history/social studies vocabulary. They will also learn basic research skills using both printed sources and the Internet. Among the skills emphasized throughout the year will be organization, note taking, identifying the important points in a reading, test-taking techniques, public speaking, and cooperative group work. Grade 7 — World Social Studies: History, Geography, and Culture In World Social Studies, students examine four regions of the world through the lenses of geography, history, and culture. An in-depth look into recent political, social, or economic controversies begins each unit. Tiananmen Square and illegal immigration are examples of two items that have opened previous investigations into China and Mexico respectively. Student experience in each unit is geared toward answering the essential questions of “who, what, when, where, why, and how” through the chronological exploration of the political, social, religious, economic, and geographic histories of various regions. Emphasis is placed upon relating the events of the past to those of the present and future. Additionally, students examine different cultures using the five themes of geography: location, movement, human/environment interaction, region, and place. During each unit, students explore the content of a geographic area through five core questions. These questions frame the process of critical inquiry and include: 6
VISUAL ARTS • What do we know about the current problem/situation? • Whose point of view are we seeing? • How do we know what we know? • How might the current situation have been different based upon historical trends? • What is the significance of the event or occurrence? Why is it important? Course content is a vehicle for developing critical thinking skills in the following areas: methods of research and inquiry, writing, problem solving, public speaking, and group work. Assignments include: writing historical fiction, several short research and writing assignments, Internet research, creating web sites, and various kinds of mapping projects. Students maintain a portfolio throughout the year. The portfolio is utilized to identify themes and progress in work, and to help students better understand themselves as learners. Grade 8 — The American Identity Eighth grade English and history study form an interdisciplinary program called The American Identity. In the history portion of this program, we expect students to develop an understanding of several periods in American history ending with the Civil War. Within these eras, emphasis is given to politics, economics, society, and geography. Emphasis varies from era to era. Objectives are provided with each unit to act to guide the students in their studies. Students see how our culture has been shaped by conflicting values and experiences, undergoing continuous growth, absorbing and altered by new political, scientific, and economic concepts and by successive immigrant cultures. Students seek to determine some constant values and directions amid the clash and change.
The middle school visual arts program is designed to introduce students to the exciting potential of visual expression. Students deepen and apply the knowledge of the elements and principles of design towards investigating, expressing, and communicate ideas. Different materials, processes, and techniques are used to produce works that reflect both the acquisition of technical visual arts skills and the capacity to engage in creative interdisciplinary thinking aimed at a variety of educational themes. Students are exposed to past and contemporary relevant achievements in the visual arts and learn about the importance of historical and cultural contexts of visual works. Theme-based discussions, technique demonstrations, portfolio development, individual and group projects, learning how to fairly assess one’s work and the work of others, and understanding the nature and possible roles of a visual artist in society, all within an atmosphere of encouragement, discovery, and cooperation, are some of the experiences offered to all students in an atmosphere of encouragement, discovery, and cooperation. Grade 6 Sixth grade students are beginning an important transition from elementary school competencies in the visual arts to a deeper and broader understanding of the subject and its possibilities. Elements of design, imagination and observation-based drawing, collage, photomontage, painting, and three-dimensional works are explored. Students are exposed to surveys of important past and present works, and learn how to critique their work and the work of others. The main objective for this group of students is to engage in the production of works that reflect not only the acquisition of specific visual arts skills, but also, most importantly, the capacity to engage in interdisciplinary thinking and expression. Grade 7 Elements of design, imagination and observation-based drawing, collage, photomontage, painting, mixed media, and three-dimensional experiments with a focus on architecture will continue to be explored. Special emphasis is given to fluency of technique, personal vision, and ways of assessing one’s work and the work of others. Group critiques and personal reflection will be guided to plan, produce, and assess works. Surveys of past and present relevant interdisciplinary works will be used to deepen the understanding of the importance of integrative projects that stress social responsibility.
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MUSIC Grade 8
Exploring Music:
Eighth grade students pay special attention to their portfolio development that aims at revealing not only achieved levels of mastery of the subject, but also personal interests and possible directions in the visual arts. This is an important task that allows students to begin planning their visual art explorations in high school. In addition to studying the principles of design and creating imagination and observation-based drawings, collages, photomontages, color studies, and three-dimensional experiments, eight graders also generate a computerbased interdisciplinary project. Exposure to surveys of relevant past and contemporary interdisciplinary works, group discussions, and the interdisciplinary investigation of the American identity theme, are some of the components that make this class an exciting opportunity to listen, reflect, and produce.
Music in Western Civilization (6th Grade) World Music/Music and the American Identity (7th/8th Grade) Exploring Music class is required in sixth grade. Students may choose to take it as an alternative to Choir or Band in the seventh and eighth grades. In this course, students build their understanding of music through a study of pieces from many different historical periods and countries of the world. They identify elements of composition and how these are used to fulfill social, cultural, and emotional needs. This course expands students’ experiences with a variety of music to equip them to make informed musical decisions. Basic music theory instruction enhances the level of skill they develop in performing and listening. Broad exposure to diverse types of music aids students in making connections between music and other disciplines such as literature, math, geography, and history. Choir 6 and Band 6 Students in sixth grade are required to take either Choir 6 or Band 6. In Choir 6, students perform a wide range of repertoire that includes pieces from a variety of cultural traditions, historical time periods, and foreign languages. This experience deepens their understanding of these traditions as they learn to use their voices expressively, build sensitivity to musical nuance, and develop critical listening skills. Technical skills in diction, breathing, and vowel formation encourage an awareness of the body as an expressive musical instrument. Students also focus on learning to read music and to understand music theory. There are two required evening choral events during the school year as well as other performances during the school day. In Band 6, students are introduced to, prepare for, and perform musical works of various historical periods and cultures. Students focus upon the importance of their specific instruments and the role those instruments play in the production of the whole. Musicians in Band 6 create and interpret music by applying a working knowledge of rudimentary music theory and by demonstrating skill in and control of all elements of music (form, rhythm, tone, pitch, tempo, and dynamics). Students are also expected to demonstrate the proper care and maintenance of their musical instruments. There are two required evening performances during the school year as well as other performances during the school day.
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ATHLETICS Choir7/8 and Band 7/8 Students in seventh and eighth grade are required to take one of the course offerings in music: Choir 7/8, Band 7/8, or Exploring Music. Students in Choir 7/8 perform a wide range of repertoire that includes pieces from a variety of cultural traditions, historical time periods, and foreign languages. Students develop technical skills in diction, breathing, and vowel formation, encouraging them to become expressive interpreters of music. Students also broaden their knowledge of music theory and continue to build their reading skills. There are two required evening choral events during the school year as well as other performances during the school day. Students in Band 7/8 are exposed to music of a more advanced technical nature. While emphasis is given to group performance, instrumental sectionals help to provide an essential as well as satisfying forum in which individual parts are solidified and understood. Members of Band 7/8 will create and interpret music by applying a working knowledge of intermediate to advanced music theory, and by demonstrating more refined skill in and control of all elements of music (form, rhythm, tone, pitch, temp, dynamics). Students are also expected to understand fully and to demonstrate the proper care and maintenance of their musical instruments. There are two required evening performances during the school year as well as other performances during the school day.
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The girls’ and boys’ seventh and eighth grade athletic program is the start of interscholastic competition for middle school students. During the year, students are required to participate in three sports seasons. Each season they will learn various skills and concepts associated with each particular activity or sport. There are usually two or three teams for each sport. Practice is held Monday through Friday from 2:45 to 4:00 p.m. Games usually begin at 3:30 p.m. and end at approximately 5:30 p.m. Girls – Grades 7 and 8 Fall
Field Hockey Volleyball (limited to 24 players) Coed Cross County
Winter
Basketball (limited to 30 players) Physical Fitness*
Spring
Lacrosse Soccer Tennis (one coed team—limited to 20 players) *not interscholastic
OTHER COURSES Boys – Grades 7 and 8
LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER
Fall
• Offensive Backs and Ball Carriers— 125 lbs. limitation
The Library Media Center is an integral part of the middle school education program. We recognize that students retain skills best when our lessons are taught in the context of the classroom curriculum so information-seeking strategies and other library related skills are taught in various subject areas. We plan teaching units closely with classroom teachers and integrate lessons based on assignments and research projects.
• Defensive Down Lineman— unlimited weight
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Football — A Team Division Weight Limit: • Offensive Linemen— unlimited from tackle to tackle • Offensive Ends—145 lb. limitation
• Defensive Linebackers, Ends, and Backs— 145 lbs. limitation
Coed Cross Country
The sixth grade physical education program is an introduction to team sport skills and concepts. Boys and girls participate in single sex classes, focusing on developing the fundamental skills of each of the sports offered in the seventh and eight grade interscholastic program. Drills and small-numbered, lead-up games allow students to develop a cognitive understanding of each sport, helping them learn to transfer their newly acquired skills into more competitive scrimmage situations.
Basketball (limited to 30 players)
HUMAN DYNAMICS AND DEVELOPMENT
Wrestling
Sixth Grade Connections
Physical Fitness*
Connections is an interdisciplinary course that blends social and emotional awareness and interpersonal skill development with healthy and unhealthy risk-assessment. Topics such as values clarification, self-esteem, friendship, puberty, alcohol, and tobacco are addressed. Students taking the course begin to understand the connections between the decision-making process, the factors that influence it, and the factual information required to make an informed decision.
B Team Division Weight Limit: • Down Lineman—145 lbs. limitation • Backs and Ends—125 lbs. limitation Soccer
Winter
Spring
Baseball (limited to 16 players) Lacrosse Tennis — one coed team (limited to 20 players) *not interscholastic
Seventh Grade Conflict Resolution The seventh grade Conflict Resolution course teaches students how to examine, understand, and resolve conflict. The class meets once in each seven-day cycle. During the first half of the course, students learn about and improve their communication skills, the essential tools in resolving conflict. Students gain insight about behaviors that escalate conflict, and they acquire skills for deescalating conflict. During the second half of the course, students investigate conflicts at their sources, studying how point of view, power differentials, competition, collaboration, and diversity may all play a role in conflict development. The goal of the course is to equip students with the skills necessary to handle conflict in their lives and to help them view conflict as an opportunity for growth, not as something to be avoided.
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Eighth Grade Decision Making
SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM
The eighth grade HDD curriculum is designed to empower students to better assess healthy and unhealthy risks by providing information about healthy living habits, enhanced social/emotional awareness, and strategies for decision-making. This course focuses on the role of values, perceptions, and information in the decision-making process. Topics such as self-esteem and risk, identity, personal values, the decision-making process, drugs, media literacy, sexual risk and peer pressure are explored.
The Middle School Service Learning Program is an important aspect of students’ growth and maturation, and it is integrally linked to curriculum covered in both academic courses and advisory. Students in all three grades engage in service learning projects throughout the course of the school year. Service learning reinforces the idea, importance, and practice of reaching out and caring for others that is started in the lower school and serves as a preparation for the upper school’s service requirement. Finally, the Service Learning Program is based on the Quaker ideals of environmental stewardship and community responsibility and the belief among educators that service experiences provide adolescents with an outward focus that can facilitate a personal and group sense of pride and accomplishment, as well as support educational goals.
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY Technology is undergoing rapid change, and new and improved technological advances appear almost daily. Computer/technology skills represent a new “basic,” along with reading, writing, and arithmetic. When integrated with the core curricular areas, computer and technology skills enable students to improve and enhance their learning of the other basic skills. To become technologically proficient students must develop these skills over time, through integrated activities in all content areas. Students in all grades learn about important issues in a technology-based society, and responsible and ethical use of computer and other technologies. The Middle School Computer Technology curriculum is designed to form the foundation for continuous learning, and is flexible and applicable to ever-changing innovations. All classes are taught on Macintosh computers. Students who complete the middle school curriculum have the keyboarding and technology skill prerequisites necessary for advanced courses offered in upper school computer classes.
Quality Middle School service experiences include activities and projects that... • are authentic (meet a real need in the community); • are age appropriate (MS students are able to complete the activities); • engage students in the planning; • involve a strong reflective component before, during, and after the service activity; • are in some way connected to, or integrated with the students’ academic/advisory curriculum. The following are objectives of the Middle School Service Learning Program: • Students develop an appreciation for the opportunities community service can provide, both in terms of personal pride for the student and positive impact on the greater community. • Students grow personally and intellectually as a result of their service experience and the subsequent reflective activities. • Students understand that service to others is a responsibility of each member of the community. • Students discern connections between their service work and components of their academic and/or advisory curricula. • Students connect their service experiences with the Quaker beliefs in stewardship of the Earth, the environment, and economic resources. • Students engage in several different school-sponsored service opportunities throughout the academic year.
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Wilmington Friends School 101 School Road Wilmington, DE 19803
Quaker, coed, preschool (age two) through 12th grade, all college preparatory Global thinking, engagement and leadership: • School Year Abroad (SYA), consortium member (first in Delaware) • International Baccalaureate (IB), authorized school (first in Delaware) • American Field Service (AFS), participant since program was founded in 1947 • Global focus throughout curriculum National/international faculty searches, emphasis on continuing professional development Competitive athletics, grades 7-12 Visual and performing arts, with major courses (preparing for college study) and performance opportunities; middle/upper school campus arts Classrooms renovated, summer 2009; lower school arts wing new construction, 2005 Integrated technology program, with specialized computer instruction K-12 Current class size averages: • 14 students per preschool classroom (with 2.5 teachers) • 16 students per early years (PK, K, P1) classroom (with 2 teachers) • 22 students per classroom in first grade (with 2.5 teachers) • 20 students per classroom in grades 2-5 (with 2 teachers in grades 1-4; 1.3 teachers in 5th) • 16 students per section in grades 6-8 (10 students per advisory group) • 16 students per section in grades 9-12 (10 students per advisory group) Need-based financial aid, calculated by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) in Princeton, New Jersey After-school care for PS through sixth grade Summer camps for age three through ninth grade
MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOL CAMPUS: (Grades 6-12)
Located in the residential neighborhood “Alapocas,” just outside the City of Wilmington: approximately 25 acres, one building of 175,000 square feet; includes five athletic fields, six tennis courts, three full-size gyms, fitness room, a 500-person capacity theatre/auditorium, Meeting Room, seven science labs, and three computer labs, with equipment regularly updated through lease arrangement; the Library Media Center offers additional computers, wireless Internet access, and connections to multiple databases through the University of Delaware.
LOWER SCHOOL CAMPUS:
(half-day three-year-olds and pre-kindergarten through fifth grade) Located on the wooded boundary of Alapocas: approximately 30 acres (including wooded areas), two buildings totaling 68,000 square feet; includes two gyms, two science labs, three outdoor playgrounds, two additional paved outdoor play areas (for basketball and other hard-surface activities), two athletic fields (also used by middle and upper school sports teams), a Library Media Center open all day every school day, Meeting Room/auditorium, and facilities architecturally designed for music (including practice rooms), art (including ceramics studio), and computer classes.
PRESCHOOL CAMPUS:
The Wilmington Friends Preschool is located at First & Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Wilmington, occupying two classrooms, with additional access to an auditorium-size room for indoor play, an on-site outdoor play yard, additional classrooms for music and other activities, and nearby open space, public library, and other city cultural resources. For more information, contact: Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (302) 576-2930
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