Middle School Wellness - Private Middle School

Middle School Wellness class supports students as they explore their identities, develop into independent thinkers, and broaden their social and community circles.

two girls sitting back to back and smiling

Students enter a new phase of development in Middle School, and the Wellness program meets them where they are during this exciting time of change.

Our aim is to help every student become more adept at navigating toward their fullest potential. Guiding middle schoolers as they form their sense of identity, find their voice, learn self-care, and develop awareness of—and respect for—others leads to better learning, a greater sense of connection and belonging, and the confidence to try new things.

Wellness lessons are both carefully planned and also flexible, allowing teachers to take time to address issues in students' lives and the world as they arise.

Wellness Curriculum

Courses cover all six prongs of wellness: Identity, Digital Citizenship, Sexuality, Mental Health, Physical Health, and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). The Middle School Wellness Curriculum reviews and strengthens the skills learned in Lower School, and expands the breadth and depth of the six prongs of wellness.

Course Content by Grade Level

Fifth Grade

Fifth grade Wellness focuses on friendships, self-awareness, and decision making. The first semester gives fifth graders a chance to learn and practice mindfulness skills. Students also learn how to form healthy friendships, be an upstander, and a responsible online citizen. Students spend the second semester learning about puberty, reproductive anatomy, and pregnancy, as well as gender identity and gender expression. Classes start with a “check-in”; students practice recognizing their own feelings, gain an understanding of how feelings influence behavior, and learn to empathize with their peers. Through reflective activities, students explore and articulate their boundaries with regard to personal space, emotions, language, and behavior.

Sixth Grade

In sixth grade, students concentrate on friendships, peer dilemmas, self-awareness, peer pressure, and decision-making. Students spend most of the year deepening their understanding of identity by exploring concepts such as race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, religion, and ability, body image and family structure. Students also learn about mental health and effective mindfulness practices. Additionally, students continue to expand their understanding of human development and sexuality.

Seventh Grade

Seventh graders meet in gender-specific groups to discuss the effects of emotional and physical changes occurring in their lives. They explore human development, reproductive anatomy and physiology, sexually transmitted infections, and the importance of consent and boundaries. Students also learn about nutrition, diet and exercise, body image, eating disorders, and mental health. They learn to make decisions that show respect for themselves and others and take into account the possible consequences of their actions. Students deepen their understanding of systems of harm, including racism, sexism, prejudice, stereotypes, discrimination, and unconscious bias.

Eighth Grade

Middle School Wellness Skills

Mindfulness skills
Self advocacy in both academic and social settings
Defining identity (race, gender, family structure, socio economic status, ability, religion
Identifying, disrupting and challenging stereotypes, microaggressions, discrimination, prejudice and privledge
Making healthy choices for both physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being
Safely navigating digital spaces (text, social media, email)

Pause. Breathe. Focus.

Mindful moments help middle school students re-center, rejuvenate, and re-focus. The positive effect these minibreaks have on classes is so significant that some teachers incorporate these techniques into daily class time.

Wellness Class Frequency

The themes of the Wellness curriculum are integrated and reinforced in the academic curriculum, the PE and Athletics programs, and in the advising program.

Grade Level	Class Time
Grades 5–6	1x / week for 45 minutes
Grades 7–8	1x / week for 55 minutes

Physical Education / Athletics

Grades 5–6 meet for PE four times a week for 50 minutes.

Grades 7–8 meet for Athletics three days a week for interscholastic team sports.

The PE / Athletics program promotes students’ physical growth and fitness and supports their social and emotional well-being. Students in Maret’s interscholastic athletics program develop physical, emotional, and cognitive skills that enable them to become effective team members.

Rob Achtmeyer
Fifth Grade Dean

Julie Johnson
Sixth Grade Dean

Jua Fluellen
Seventh Grade Dean

Kara Kling
Eighth Grade Dean

Together, We Grow

In this section