Middle School

List of 9 items.

• The Arts

  Professional artists and arts educators establish collaborative, supportive learning environments to cultivate imagination, craftsmanship, patience and self-esteem. Growth mindset and creative risk-taking are enthusiastically nurtured. Every student spends nearly four hours weekly in required arts courses and may choose to enroll in more. The after-school theater troupe, Middle School Players, our dance company and most of the bands and music ensembles are open to all three grade levels.

• Athletics

  Student-athletes participate in a wide variety of after-school sports programs while maintaining a high level of competition. Crossroads fields over 25 teams in 13 sports and is a proud member of the Pacific Basin and Delphic Leagues. Our comprehensive program is led by seasoned coaches who teach fundamental skills, strength and conditioning in addition to sport-specific strategy. The Athletic Department strives to create an environment where students can develop their athletic talents; learn new skills; practice fair play; become better cooperative learners; and most importantly, have fun.

• Core

  The unique Middle School Core program integrates various humanities subjects into one class that allows students to explore complex issues in great depth. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach: Students dig deeply into the curriculum, examining how the history we learn connects to our world today. Each grade level has a different area of study as part of a unified curriculum that focuses on developing critical skills in reading comprehension, literary analysis, history, geography and writing.

• Experiential and Outdoor Education

  During a special week each year, regular classes are suspended, replaced by a week of camping and outdoor activities. These adventures are designed to focus on three core areas: human development, environmental science and technical outdoor skills. While students develop character and confidence through fun and challenging activities, they also connect with the science curriculum through lessons that unite what is taught in the classroom with the outdoor environment. During the school year, EOE may also offer Middle School students community service opportunities or other after-school outdoor activities.

• World Languages

  Sixth graders take Spanish class, often building upon foundations established in Elementary School. Seventh grade students have the choice to continue taking Spanish or to switch to Latin or French, making a two-year commitment to study the language of their choice through eighth grade. Students have the option to continue their language studies at a more advanced level in the Upper School.

• Life Skills

  This unique, process-oriented class is designed to raise students’ self-awareness, compassion and appreciation for others. Students reflect on their lives and examine the quality of their relationships to themselves, others and the larger community. The program promotes resilience to cope more effectively with life’s challenges; cultivates self-esteem and empathy; and fosters a sense of connectedness and appreciation for different points of view. The class practices a Council style-format: Students sit in a circle, speak one at a time and listen intently. Students also participate in storytelling, informal discussions, group-building games and activities, and art projects.

• Math

  The math program emphasizes active student participation and consistent practice of skills. Students are encouraged to communicate and collaborate as they explain their understanding, reasoning, and solutions to other students. Discovery of math concepts emerges from a problem-based, task-oriented approach. Various strategies and styles, including hands-on learning, projects, integration of technology and independent practice make our program unique. The curriculum includes arithmetic practice; linear equations and graphs; and a full year of algebra in eighth grade.

• Physical Education

  Pre-adolescence is a time of rapid development and self-discovery: physical, mental, social and emotional. Our program is designed to advance students in all of these areas through various games, activities and discussions. Students have the opportunity to experience a variety of physical movements, varying from individual to team, and from traditional ball sports to nontraditional sports. Students can engage in everything from circus skills to gymnastics to volleyball to aquatics. Double-period blocks allow ample time for students to participate in a wide variety of games and fitness activities.

• Science

  Students learn recurring concepts in the fields of physical, biological, and earth sciences through a spiral curriculum, mastering science process skills such as observing, inferring, hypothesizing, data collecting, graphing, analyzing and drawing conclusions. Students design controlled experiments and record their results in formal scientific writing, annually developing an iScience project based on their own inquiry. Students participate in collaborative robotics projects; study different ecosystems on EOE trips; utilize the Maker Space; and explore the campus and our community.