PROGRAMS
The middle school years are among the most dynamic and consequential stretches of a young person’s life. In fifth through eighth grade, students are not just absorbing more knowledge, they are becoming more themselves, discovering what they love, what challenges them, and what kind of people they want to be.
The middle school academic program grows in sophistication and demand with each passing year. Students change classes for each subject beginning in fifth grade, taking on greater responsibility for managing their own time and learning. Core subjects are taught by specialists who bring both expertise and genuine passion to their disciplines, and as students move through the division, they encounter increasingly challenging texts, more demanding research and writing expectations, and electives that allow them to pursue areas of particular interest in depth.
In fifth grade, for instance, history students take a sweeping look at human civilization through the lens of Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens, examining what it means to be human and how societies have shaped one another across time. By eighth grade, those same students are writing independent research essays and engaging with the twentieth century’s most consequential events and their legacies. The arc is deliberate: Each year builds on the last, preparing students not just for high school but for a lifetime of engaged, critical thinking.
English: Reading as encounter, writing as thinking.
From foundational literary analysis to writing-intensive seminars, students develop as curious readers and precise, confident writers.
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History: Connecting past and present.
From a sweeping study of human civilization to independent research essays, students learn to evaluate sources, construct arguments, and draw connections to today.
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Mathematics: Understanding why, not just how.
Through problem-based learning, students build genuine mathematical fluency and confidence.
Read MoreAt Grace, intellectual growth and ethical development are never separate pursuits. Middle school students actively build the habits of ethical virtue central to our mission—kindness, curiosity, courage, and humility—while learning to advocate, listen to others, and recognize that their actions have consequences beyond themselves. Service learning projects in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade ask students to move from awareness to action, designing and executing research-driven initiatives that address real challenges in the world around them. Every student is seen, valued, and challenged to contribute to a community defined by dignity and mutual respect.
Beyond the core academic program, middle school students at Grace engage in a rich range of disciplines that develop them as artists, athletes, thinkers, and citizens. These are not peripheral pursuits—they are where some of the most distinctive and formative learning of the middle school years takes place.
Arts
In visual arts, students look carefully, think critically, and create deliberately through projects that grow in ambition and complexity. In performing arts, students grow as musicians, dancers, and actors each year from jazz history to Shakespeare and the American Method of acting
World Languages
Spanish or French, deepened each year through immersion and cultural study. By eighth grade, students use language as a genuine tool for communication and understanding.
Technology
From design thinking and 3D printing to game design and augmented reality, students build confidence and fluency as digital citizens and creators.
Physical Education
Through team sports, students develop as athletes, competitors, and teammates.
Service Learning
In sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, students study pressing social issues and design their own service projects, moving from awareness to meaningful action in their communities.
BIBLE
Taught as literary and historical study, fifth graders read the New Testament carefully, thinking critically about how ancient texts speak to contemporary life.
Life at Grace does not end at dismissal. From competitive athletics to student-run clubs, the opportunities available to middle school students reflect the breadth and richness of the program as a whole.
Student-run clubs span the arts, technology, current events, and more, including affinity and alliance spaces for conversations around identity and belonging.
Grace has fielded competitive middle school teams for more than 50 years, with interscholastic competition beginning in fifth grade across seven sports.
Monday through Friday until 5:30 p.m., GASP offers coding, robotics, graphic design, mathematics enrichment, a drop-in Learning Lab, and more.
Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders take overnight trips to Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Boston, bringing classroom learning to life.
Our student support philosophy is proactive and woven into how we teach every child, every day. A dedicated team, comprising a literacy specialist, learning specialist, and counselor, works alongside classroom teachers and the division head to ensure every student has the challenge and support they need to be successful. Beyond the classroom, the Learning Lab and Math Lab Enrichment extend that commitment, offering structured support and advanced enrichment after school for all students.
