Maret capitalizes on the spirit, energy, and curiosity of students in grades five through eight to create confident thinkers, innovative artists, healthy athletes, thoughtful friends, and proactive citizens.
Cultivating friendships; establishing cross-grade connections; collaborating with adults; and becoming engaged on campus, in the neighborhood, and across the world is part of the building of community in Middle School.
The middle school social curriculum incorporates activities that foster a positive social and emotional growth in students and focus on Maret’s core values. Grade-level meetings and smaller advisor group gatherings help students gain a greater understanding of these values and how to live them authentically.
Assemblies, advisor meetings, middle school houses, and extracurricular activities offer opportunities for students to pursue their interests while building meaningful relationships. In addition, community engagement projects and partnership activities give students a broader understanding of local, national, and international communities.
OUR CORE VALUES
Respect + Integrity
Excellence + Creativity
Individual + Connectedness
and Joy
The curriculum emphasizes broad exposure to each subject while systematically providing the basic skills for forthcoming upper school study. Teachers use a variety of approaches in the classroom that encourage creativity, collaborative work, and problem solving.
As students progress through the middle school program, they acquire the tools and skills they need to assume increased responsibility and become more independent. Academics become increasingly challenging, and with the help of supportive teachers, students are well prepared to take on age-appropriate rigors. Each grade features curricular highlights: the American Experience Fair and Science Fair in fifth and sixth grades, Global Issues Day in seventh grade, and the Climate Change Conference in eighth grade.
COURSE OF STUDY
Communication between teachers, faculty advisors, and parents and guardians provides a strong support system for students. Parents meet with their student’s advisor at the beginning of each school year and may also meet periodically to discuss the student’s academic and social challenges. Twice a year, on designated conference days, parents meet with each of their student’s teachers. These in-person get-togethers build connections that facilitate open communication. In addition, student progress reports and official report cards are sent home two times a year.
Every student is assigned to one of four houses for the duration of their middle school years. Comprised of students from all four grades, houses are named after the four streets that surround Maret: Cleveland, Garfield, Klingle, and Woodley. A house dean leads the members through various congenial competitions during the school year, such as a four-way tug of war, a gingerbread house bake-off, charades, karaoke, scavenger hunts, and other team-building competitions.
Each middle school student is assigned an advisor. In regular meetings, advisors discuss social concerns, monitor academic progress, and provide a supportive environment for the students in the group. Advisors also lead activities based on Maret’s core values, with an emphasis on personal and intellectual growth. Each grade level has a dean who works with the advisors to ensure class unity and cohesion.
The entire middle school community gathers together for weekly convocation and an assembly. Announcements for the week are shared, heritage months are celebrated, student groups take turns presenting. Outside speakers and performers are invited in to further enrich the program.
Among the highlights of Middle School are grade-specific overnight trips. These excursions foster independence and give students the opportunity to build deeper connections with their classmates and teachers. Overnight trips include Williamsburg (Grade 5), New York City (Grade 6), Mountainside Outdoor Adventures (Grade 7), and Philadelphia (Grade 8).
In addition to after school clubs and extracurricular activities, every student joins a committee or circle. Committees are action-oriented; students acquire leadership experience while working on initiatives that benefit the school community. These student-initiated, small group gatherings meet once a month, during the middle school assembly period. With the help of middle school advisors, students work together to set the group’s goals. Circles are interest-based, providing the chance to pursue a passion or discover a new one.
Recent committees and circles have included Cooking Circle, Chess Circle, Improv/Theatre Games Circle, Technology Committee, Environment/Service Committee, Hospitality/Spirit Committee, and Yoga Circle.
Every February, middle school students and faculty embark on a week of “out of class” projects and trips during Intensive Study Week (ISW). All eighth grade students take “Adventures in the City of Brotherly Love,” an out of town excursion to Philadelphia. Additional ISW offerings vary each year.
Students in Grades 5, 6, and 7 have recently enjoyed Mosaic Mirrors, Makerspace Making, Smithsonian Expedition, "Talking Hands" : Creatively Learning American Sign Language (ASL)!, Wheel Thrown Pottery Techniques, The DC Experience, and Going Global with the Lower School.
Middle School physical education builds on the fitness skills acquired in Lower School. Interscholastic team sports are introduced in Grades 7 and 8. Embedded in the school day, these non-elimination sports develop the physical, emotional, and cognitive skills that enable students to become effective team members. All team members are guaranteed playing time.
Sports include: Volleyball, Soccer, Cross Country, Football, Basketball, Lacrosse, Softball, and Baseball.
