Middle School Academic Program

Our 7th and 8th grade program is founded on the idea that curiosity and wonder fuel a lifetime of learning and problem-solving. Though our Middle School students are connected closely to the life of the school — they attend Morning Meeting with the Upper School three times a week; they take Intensive Classes with the Upper School; they are sorted into Houses with Upper School students — we also work hard to build an ecosystem which acknowledges who our Middle Schools students are and where they are. Our Middle School students have dedicated 3rd spaces, their own meetings, their own Activities Club, and social events through the year which are designed to build a compassionate and collaborative student culture.

Over their two years in our Middle School program, Stone Middle School students will take two years of humanities, mathematics, and science classes, as well as partial-year classes in performing arts, visual arts, STEM, STEAM, and Chinese language instruction. Stone Middle School students also have the opportunity to participate in the annual Middle School overnight retreat, and in our Leadership Cohort, on all trips within our Experiential Education Program, and all of our athletic programs.

We keep our Middle School cohort small by design, but the world they inhabit is limited only by their imagination and their willingness to try and explore.

Exhibition Work and Culminating Experiences 

#EdVenture

The #EdVenture is a two-Mod culminating eighth grade assessment which gives our students the opportunity to apply and exhibit the skills they have acquired in our Middle School program, while also allowing them to practice some of the skills they will use in the “Big Curiosity Quest” (BCQ), Junior Workshop, and Senior Defense. 

#EdVenture begins with students formulating a Big Question. In simplest translation, The Big Question is an inquiry that evolves over time spent reading to learn. The Big Question must be of a topic that creates a positive impact on others and can be of individual, local, or global scope. Students use their Big Questions to inform an audience of a change, addition, or new way of thinking they should consider incorporating in their lives. Example Big Questions could be “How can equine therapy benefit humans?” or “How can people reduce their food waste?” or “Why is creativity important?” Students showcase their #EdVenture work during a five-minute presentation on Monday evening of Exhibition Week. 

Eighth Grade Bridging Ceremony

Eighth Grade Bridging Ceremony occurs the day after #Edventure, and is a wonderful celebration of the transition from Middle School to Upper School, as well as a way to recognize the intellectual, social, and emotional growth our students have accomplished.