Middle School

In middle school, students continue their study of literature, history and culture in an integrated humanities curriculum.  Literature units and writing assignments allow for deeper understanding and analysis of historical events.  Students build skills in reporting, analyzing and synthesizing information. Spelling, vocabulary, writing mechanics are strengthened as they expand their writing toolkit with literary devices, and a deeper understanding of forms and genres. Essential questions examining the human experience tie historical topics to current events. Each grade produces and performs a play and enters creative writing competitions. Themes for the year are as follow: 5th grade – US History, 6th Grade – World Geography, 7th Grade – US History (continued), 8th grade – World History.

Mathematics instruction at The Girls’ School uses manipulatives, games, practical applications and interdisciplinary projects to promote understanding and flexibility in problem solving. Students work in groups and independently. Students participate in math competitions including  the American Mathematical Competition (AMC-8) and Math Olympiad. The standard progression leads to Algebra I by eighth grade, and advancement to Geometry and beyond is possible for exceptionally motivated students who have demonstrated mastery of concepts. In middle school the math curriculum reinforces previously taught concepts to move the students into thinking algebraically, and introduces concepts in geometry and trigonometry.

The science program at The Girls’ School encourages our students’ natural curiosity about the world around them.  In  middle school, each grade devotes the school year to the in-depth study of a scientific discipline including field studies, earth science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and biology. We make use of flora, fauna and natural geologic features of Central Texas to explore biology, physical science and earth science. Multi-day class trips to Mckinney Roughs, Palo Duro State Park, and the McDonald Observatory build on scientific studies. Local field trips to labs, universities, and Camp Mabry’s Starbase Academy further enrich the curriculum.

SET is a pass/fail course that each middle school grade takes one semester a  year. The goal of the class is to introduce the students to various ideas and technologies in the STEM field that are not covered in their standard coursework. We introduce increasingly complex ideas at age-appropriate levels and try to integrate classroom learning with technologies they are using both in and out of the classroom. Hands on projects build teamwork and problem solving skills. Topics include: computer literacy, Scratch programming, physical engineering and building, computer science, Python programming, and a study of how adolescent brain responds to social media.

In middle school, our Spanish language program develops a solid foundation in Spanish and encourages an understanding and an appreciation of Spanish-speaking cultures. Each grade level strengthens the skills acquired in the lower school, while focusing on details of grammar, communication, and culture. Sixth graders begin learning the components of high school Spanish I, including the conjugation of all present tense regular verbs, the production of grammatically correct paragraphs, and the maintenance of a five-minute conversation. The seventh and eighth grade Spanish program finishes the Spanish I curriculum and continues into Spanish II. Students read, write, speak and play games on a daily basis.