Dear Middle School Families,
We are so back!
The first three weeks of school have been filled with joy, enthusiasm, and exquisite vibes. We started the year with the return of some of our favorite Wellington middle school traditions. On the first day, students welcomed our newest middle schoolers aboard with the 5th grade clap-in at morning meeting, and that afternoon’s house sort was equal parts Harry Potter and Wheel of Fortune (I like to say that Mr. Webber literally reinvented the wheel). The day culminated with our annual popsicle party, which turned the dining room patio into an impromptu dance floor.
Inside the classrooms, teaching and learning are dynamic as ever. 8th graders are writing prose poems, diving into science fiction, drawing connections between history and the present, creating maximalist art, practicing dimensional analysis, and flexing their problem-solving skills. In 7th grade, you might find a student conducting an experiment using the scientific method, analyzing the historical nature of allegory in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” evaluating the differences between primary and secondary sources as part of a broader examination of history as a social science, or learning about the birth of the abstract expressionism movement.
I could hardly contain my excitement when I walked into a 6th grade social studies class reading about the “peculiar customs” of the Nacirema, a classic anthropological text that challenges students to engage in critical thinking and perspective-taking. I fear that I had a slightly different reaction when I walked into a 6th grade science class a few days later and experienced the olfactory splendor of crayfish dissection. Meanwhile, 5th grade students brought figurative language to life in ELA and are preparing for a lab to investigate and determine classifications of mammals. This week, they also made their choices for music electives. And to top it all off, we rolled out a record 28 dive offerings for the fall trimester, with choices including Constitutional Law, Changemakers, The History of Basketball, and Pop Royalty.
The magic of each classroom comes from the extensive professionalism and expertise of our teachers. The middle school faculty boasts a combined 484 years of teaching experience – an average of 17 years per teacher, with a median of 15 years. Not only are our teachers content experts, but they draw from a rich well of lived experience. Wellington middle schoolers learn from former healthcare practitioners, engineers, journalists, historians, published authors, performing musicians, actors, nonprofit administrators, state-wide advanced placement curriculum writers, museum content developers, and biophysicists. I’m perpetually grateful that I, too, have the privilege of learning from Wellington’s faculty.
You will have the opportunity to connect with each of your child’s teachers tomorrow evening at Middle School Parent & Caregiver Night, which runs from 6-8 p.m. We will gather as a community in the Thomas Family Dining Room before sending you off to get a glimpse into the middle school academic experience. I hope to see you soon!
With pride and gratitude,
Louis