Middle School
Parents of middle schoolers have hopes, dreams, and sometimes, concerns, as they think about their child’s middle school years. It’s a time of tremendous growth, maturity, and change. It’s also a time of preparation, where preteens gain the confidence and skills to be effective in high school and beyond. At SCS, we share in parents’ hopes and dreams for their middle schoolers, and we partner with parents to equip children to achieve and thrive beyond the expectations of the world around them.
Highlights of our middle school program include:
A Continued Focus on Rigorous Academics
We have high expectations for our middle schoolers, and that starts in the classroom with a rigorous and supportive academic program designed to equip students to achieve any academic goals they set for themselves in the future. Students start the day in the homeroom, and move around to four middle school teachers who are specialized in their specific area of instruction. Students study math, science, history, grammar, literature, and Bible each day, and participate in STEM, gym, art, and music weekly. Through advanced learning opportunities such as Algebra 1 and continued support for learners who need more individualized attention, middle schoolers continue to gain the confidence they need to thrive as they approach high school.
Opportunities for Additional Responsibility
At the middle school level, students are ready to gain additional responsibility in an environment where they are supported and encouraged by teachers and peers. Students are excited to have their own locker starting in 6th grade, which they are responsible to keep tidy. Switching classes requires schedule management, and each student is expected to learn the skill of planning and tracking their own homework. Middle School students may also opt to run for student council.
Setting Higher Expectations
In addition to opportunities to take on responsibility, we hold each middle schooler to high standards for behavior. We expect that middle school students will serve as Christ-like role models, and we create space for older students to mentor and serve younger students. Middle schoolers help young students in chapel, volunteer as guest readers in kindergarten classes, and walk students to their dismissal locations at the end of the day. These are just a few examples of ways we create space for middle schoolers to practice service and leadership.
Participation in Extracurricular Opportunities
Some of Sussex Christian’s most exciting extracurricular opportunities begin in middle school! Starting in 5th grade, students are eligible to participate in sports (soccer, basketball, and track), where they are encouraged to develop the gifts they have been given and to learn to participate and lead as part of a team. The 7th and 8th graders put on an impressive theater performance each year, with recent performances including Once Upon a Mattress and Schoolhouse Rock. In 8th grade, students take a trip to Washington, D.C., which is oftentimes paid for almost completely by fundraising efforts organized by middle schoolers and their parents. By the end of 8th grade, many graduating classes consider themselves like family, as small class sizes and high levels of involvement help classmates to build a strong bond.
Maturing in Faith
In middle school, it is our hope to see each student bearing the fruit of a life committed to Christ. Our teachers play a core role in helping children to grow and mature in their faith by setting Christ-like examples of stewardship and service. We purposefully infuse themes of service, ministry, and the value of church and Christian community into our coursework and conversation to teach students about the Christian walk and life. In Bible class, coursework focuses on applying biblical knowledge to the child’s worldview in order to prepare them to enter a world that may or may not conflict with their own understanding and values.
A Safe Place to Grow
Middle schoolers are facing a culture that feels far from Christ and puts increasing pressure on them to live up to standards of a broken world. At SCS, we desire to create a safe and encouraging environment for preteens to grow in their faith, ask hard questions, and navigate tough topics in an age-appropriate manner and from a Biblical worldview. Our teachers serve as positive Christian role models, and our classrooms are places where prayer and encouragement are common. In addition, we are mindful to allow kids to be kids, with a recess each afternoon and hands-on activities built into the curriculum. We’re also a phone-free school, encouraging students to focus on being students and friends at school and stepping away from the distractions of cell phone technology.
