The Middle School

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The Middle School
Director: Tom O'Connor

In the Tandem Friends School Middle School, we seek to help children become confident, independent learners. The Middle School, while sharing the ideals and philosophies of Tandem Friends as a whole, provides a more structured and closely supervised setting for the academic, social, and emotional growth of our younger students.

The distinctive developmental characteristics of middle school students have been taken into account in creating the curriculum. Students learn to exercise judgment and initiative as well as to assimilate information. To that end, we encourage students to discover and develop their own interests at the same time that they gain the skills and insights derived from study in the traditional disciplines.

We believe in understanding concepts, not just using formulas, and stress the deep understanding that is achieved by working with commitment and creativity. We strive to help children become lifelong learners and emphasize personal responsibility and appreciation of knowledge.

Work within the curriculum deepens our students’ understanding of Quaker school traditions and values. Open meetings are held frequently to encourage students to resolve issues or speak openly about their school experience.

Tandem Friends provides a strong academic program across the middle school curriculum. Middle school teachers provide a program that broadens experiences, remedies deficiencies, and finally, challenges students to achieve their greatest potential.

In the humanities, students develop and refine their writing skills and learn to express themselves effectively. There is an emphasis on understanding other people within the context of their cultural experiences. The 5th and 6th grade humanities curriculum integrates geography, history, current events, and literature in an intensive regional studies program. In the 7th and 8th grades, English and history studies are coordinated to help students make thoughtful connections. The math program is designed to offer maximum flexibility and attention to individual needs; for example, students typically take Algebra in 8th grade, but some are placed into Algebra in 7th grade while others take a two-year sequence that extends into 9th grade. The science curriculum encourages exploration with as much hands-on activity as possible with the ultimate goal of understanding the nature of science and being able to think and problem solve. There is much interdisciplinary work linking science to the humanities and history. Projects connect students to real-life issues and topics. Collaborative work teaches cooperation, patience, and understanding. See a slide show of recent middle school science projects.

We value the role of the arts in providing young people with a rich education. Middle school art courses include basic design, art appreciation and beginning skills for various media. Students become aware of their own talents and preferences and learn to appreciate the distinctive styles and talents of their peers.

At the middle school level, the physical education requirement emphasizes achieving aerobic fitness through a variety of sports and activities. Good sportsmanship and the value of team play are promoted.

We believe that becoming stewards of the earth, beginning with caring for our own school community, is central to our purpose. Student upkeep of the buildings and grounds at Tandem Friends is one of the school's finest traditions. The spirit that moves students to take care of their school is renewed by the work they perform; every sweep of a broom signifies a commitment to a community whose benefits far outweigh those of a clean floor. Food scraps from lunch are fed to our community chickens, who help create compost for the community garden and produce eggs for Pancake Wednesday. The community garden grows produce for 8th Grade Taco Lunches. Recycling is a major part of the school culture; students are taught to be conscientious about recycling. Many students are involved in the actual collection and sorting of school recyclables. Stewardship touches nearly every aspect of the Middle School curriculum, from Morning Meeting Stewardship Minutes, to participation in Friends Environmental Conferences, to classroom topics.

The 5th Grade Curriculum

The 6th Grade Curriculum

Humanities (includes geography, history, and English)
Math
Earth Science
Latin Ia
Art (1 semester)
Drama (1 semester)
Physical Education

Music/Chorus

The 7th Grade Curriculum

The 8th Grade Curriculum