Middle School: Trinity Students
Grades 5-8
The academic program of the Middle School is designed to build on the foundation Trinity students have acquired in Lower School and prepare them to take advantage of educational opportunities in the future. The program strives to achieve a balance between the rigorous demands of a college preparatory institution and the needs of a growing adolescent.
The curriculum addresses intellectual, social/emotional, aesthetic/creative, physical, and ethical development. Teachers combine their knowledge with students’ special interests to promote an academically stimulating environment. Opportunities are available for individual and collaborative experiences. Skills are learned in the context of purposeful activities rather than in isolation.
Our goal is to offer a broad, interesting, challenging, and developmentally appropriate educational experience for all our students. We seek to inspire active learners who think critically and take intellectual risks. Our program emphasizes the acquisition of skills and attitudes that allow our students to express ideas effectively and to solve problems both independently and collaboratively. Additionally, we are interested in creating an ambiance in which learning is fun and where students begin to see learning as an inherently rewarding lifelong process.
We are deeply committed to supporting the development of our students as caring, respectful human beings as well as scholars. We believe that students work harder, achieve more, and treat each other with a higher level of dignity when they and their efforts are visibly and consistently encouraged and valued. To foster this we provide meaningful lessons, challenging standards, and a nurturing community that are designed to promote the best in our students.
5th Grade Transition
The 5th grade year is unique and is thus viewed as a transition to middle school. Our program is shaped to serve the needs of our youngest middle school students. Therefore, we have implemented a learning environment that addresses these needs. The 5th grade Transition Program will allow each student to gently ease into the rigors and demands of middle school. Some highlights of the program include a curriculum that addresses fundamental skills essential to all disciplines of study. The 5th grade curriculum has back-to-back 45 minute Math and English classes to address these fundamental skills. This allows for more individualized instruction and implementation of special cross-curricular projects. Social Studies, Math, and Science meet three times per week as well. A 5th grade student also will take physical education and will rotate through an art, drama, and choral music class every 12 weeks. Additionally, the 5th grader is able to represent Trinity Episcopal School on the athletic fields or courts through interscholastic athletics. Our 5th grade students can also serve as advisory representatives on our Student Council.
6th Grade Overview
The 6th grade program is more traditional with each core class meeting for 45 minutes daily. However, our 6th graders also have 2 additional 45 minute writing classes per week. This allows our students to become more competent writers by either receiving support on an assignment they already are working on or practicing a skill the teacher feels is important. In 6th grade our students also have the opportunity to enter into an advanced math class. Our 6th graders continue their exposure to the fine arts through a 12 week rotation of art, drama, and choral music and are able to represent Trinity Episcopal School on the athletic fields. This is also the first year that students are able to come to after school social events, such as dances. The 6th grade students may also serve as advisory representatives on the Student Council.
7th and 8th Grades
The 7th and 8th grade programs continue to build upon what has already been established in 5th and 6th grade with a few key differences. Trinity 7th and 8th graders are allowed to choose up to 4 elective classes per year from a list that includes drama, art, technology, boys or girls chorus, Science Olympiad, and physical education. Also in the 7th grade students take a semester of health education and start religion classes, which are continued on into 8th grade. For the first time as well, students in 7th grade can serve in a leadership capacity as one of 4 officers on the student council. Students continue to have the opportunity to represent Trinity on the athletic field as well.
Electives offered for 7th and 8th grade include classes in the arts, physical education, and technology. Students can build on their experiences with choir by choosing advanced boy's or girl's class. This elective gives our students the opportunity to perform in the community and school events. Additionally, students can either choose to enter a beginning orchestra or advanced orchestra class. Another elective offered is a multimedia technology in which students create a project using Macromedia Flash on one of our 40+ laptops in the middle school. Students can also continue their art education by choosing either a drawing/painting or sculpture/ceramics class. In advanced drama, students will work by themselves on monologues and analyze and break down a script to make it come alive for friends and family during the last week of classes.
Trinity offers a Science Olympiad elective to 7th and 8th grade students. The Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science. Science Olympiad tournaments are rigorous academic interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of individual and team events. Lastly, students can choose to take physical education even if they participate in after school athletics. Electives meet on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday.
Shanna was one of the founding members of our Middle School faculty, joining Trinity in 2003 as a 5th grade Spanish teacher. In her time at Trinity, Shanna has worked tirelessly to develop the Middle School program, both as a member of the faculty and in several key leadership roles. In addition to teaching Spanish and English to 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students, she served as the Founding Director of Camp Jump Start and as the Director of Summer Programs; served for three years as the 7th grade team leader; served on the interim Head of School search committee two years ago; and has served as Middle School Dean of Faculty for the past two years. 
