Friends Select’s middle school program offers a unique and important educational experience for our students with myriad opportunities for academic and social growth.
Our curriculum is intentionally designed to fit the developmental needs of adolescents in fifth through eighth grade. Middle school is a time for students to explore the ways they learn best. Students are exposed to a variety of teaching methods and learning modalities. The goal of the middle school program is to build both content knowledge as well as academic skills. Students work on developing their critical thinking as well as their collaboration skills while also developing as readers, writers, researchers, mathematicians, and scientists.
While our middle school program features the traditional subjects of English, math, social studies, and science, all students also study art, music, physical education, world language (with a choice of Spanish, Mandarin, or Latin), and a performance elective (with a choice of Drama, Orchestra, Chorus, or Percussion). An additional course is offered that is specially designed for each grade: Conflict Resolution (fifth grade), Identity and Society (sixth grade), Identity and Religion (seventh grade), and STEAM (eighth grade). Beyond academic courses, students in our middle school engage in a variety of other programs meant to support their growth and development.
Each student in the middle school is assigned to an advisory with a new lead teacher each year. Advisors play a central role in students’ lives and are the principal point of contact at Friends Select for parents and caregivers. Students check in with their advisor at the start of each day and meet weekly in a small group setting. Advisors monitor academic progress, support personal and emotional growth, lead students through a transition-focused advisory curriculum, and help them gain important student skills including organization.
Students also exercise their voice and agency when they choose their clubs and committees. Comprised of students and faculty leaders, committees provide opportunities for students to work to serve the middle school and larger school community in a variety of ways. Examples of committees include Spirit committee (responsible for planning student events), Gathering committee (responsible for planning our weekly student-led assembly) and the Lit Mag committee (responsible for the creation of our bi-annual Middle School Lit Mag). All students also join a club that allows them to engage in a passion of their choice during the school day. Examples of middle school clubs include Math Counts, Quiz Bowl, Creative Writing Club, and more. Students are also asked to participate in at least one sports season a year to help support the development of their teamwork and leadership skills. These experiences are intended to help students develop their sense of independence, self-advocacy, and ownership.
In Friends Select’s middle school, the city of Philadelphia enriches our classroom experiences. All of our middle school students participate in several trips to service sites throughout the year. Past service trips have included work in Fairmount Park, Urban Creators, FabScrap, Friends Child Care Center, and Historic Fair Hill Cemetery. Beyond local trips, seventh grade students have the opportunity to transfer their city skills to a three-day, two-night trip to New York City. And the eighth grade year culminates with a four-day, three-night trip to Boston.
