Our Middle School
A walk through may find students reading Twelve Angry Men, finding the boiling point of a mystery liquid, sitting on the floor trying to solve Tangram puzzles, or acting as Supreme Court justices debating a case. You also may find a class listening to a lecture on Renaissance art, peer editing their latest writing, practicing math facts, or composing music. The middle school faculty strives to balance traditional curriculum with hands-on investigations. The focus is on the process, whether it is learning to do research or guiding a student to be more organized.
Homework Assignments
Kent School Student Assignments now available online. Click on the button below to view assignments.
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| The eighth grade is studying modern history this year. Having a Marine Corps Captain, also a Kent School alum, explain current events in his own words was more powerful than reading the same information in a textbook. The captain answered questions about life in Afghanistan, what it was like to be a marine, and what happened to the camp dogs (two are living a life of leisure in Southern California). The assembly was followed by an ice cream social where students had the opportunity to meet him personally and have their picture taken with him. | ||
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 2010 Kent School Geography Bee Champion |
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 Sixth graders test paper airplanes they created during a problem solving activity. |
 As part of her independent project, this sixth grader impersonated Sacajawea and told of her life. |
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 Seventh graders dissecting worms. |
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 Eighth grade algebra students compile and graph date from a ball bouncing experiment. |
 Eighth grade snack time with little school partners. |
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 Eighth grade vocabulary masks—bizarre or grotesque? |
 The fifth grade organized a bake sale to raise funds for Haiti. |
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 Juggling was part of our first Explorations block. |
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Middle
School Summer 2011 Trip to London Announced
Join Ms. Roddy and Ms. Bennett on a London adventure next summer, from June 17 to June 23, 2011! This trip is open to all middle school students and/or their families, as well as Faculty and Alums. Our visit will include: The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Windsor Castle, a Thames River Cruise, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Harrod’s Department Store, Covent Gardens, Camden Market, Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the British Music Experience, Kensington Palace, a tour of Royal Albert Hall, and a West End theatre performance.
What a wonderful opportunity for our middle school students to have fun and discover history firsthand in one of the world’s most exciting cities!
An informational meeting with Casterbridge respresentative Pauline
Green will be held on Monday, Sept. 20, at 3:45 p.m. in the Science
Room.
REMINDERS
Check back for reminders.
PREPARATION FOR THE SECONDARY SCHOOL
What can you do to help your child be a strong candidate for secondary school?
Fifth Grade:
• READ, READ, READ! Encourage your child’s independent reading
habit.
• Begin a resume (list activities, memberships, community service).
• Read progress reports carefully. Work with your child on any weak
areas, such as organization and time management.
• Provide the time and the place for successful completion of homework.
• Avoid over scheduling your child. It is best to do one or two
things well. A good rule of thumb is to schedule no more than one activity
after school each day and no more than a total of three per week.
• Help him/her learn to be independent and responsible. Encourage
him/her to solve problems and be responsible. Resist the urge to phone,
fax or drive to school to collect forgotten books, assignments, deliver
lunch, etc. Encourage your child to talk directly to a teacher or advisor
when there are questions about grades or if help is needed.
Sixth Grade:
• READ, READ, READ!
• Pay attention to areas where teachers note need for improvement.
If necessary, work with the teacher or advisor to develop a plan.
• Encourage independence with time management and problem solving.
• Attend the meetings with the secondary school admission representatives
when they visit Kent School.
• Talk, as a family, about different types of schools (public,
private, day, boarding, co-ed, single gender, etc.)
• Talk with other families about the schools their children attend.
Keep in mind experiences vary with each student, so try to get as many
different views as possible.
Seventh Grade:
• READ, READ, READ!
• Continue to pay attention to your child’s strengths and
weaknesses as noted by teachers. Support your child in setting and reaching
goals for improvement.
• Research schools. Send for information, visit web sites (www.schools.com
and www.petersons.com), and talk to other families about the schools
their children attend.
• Begin visiting schools. Do not limit yourself; visit a wide
range of schools. Leave 8th grade visits for your narrowed list of schools.
Time away from school in 8th grade should be minimal as fall term grades
should reflect a solid effort.
• Register your child to take the SSAT in December. We will review
test taking strategies and have students do practice tests in November.
• Narrow your list of schools to three or four that you feel would
be a good match for your child and your family by the end of this year.
Remember to include a “safety” school where you are confident
of acceptance.
• Ask to see student profiles (average SSAT score and grades of
admitted students) and ask about the acceptance rate. Try to get a real
sense of your child’s chance of acceptance as well as his/her
chance for success if admitted.
• Your goal is to find a school where your child can be successful
and happy.
Eighth Grade:
• READ, READ, READ!
• Visit and interview at the schools on your “short list.”
Be sure to acquire applications from these schools.
• Register your child to take the SSAT in December. We will review
test taking strategies and have students do practice tests in November.
• Pay attention to application deadlines! Submit recommendation
forms to Debbie Williams by early December. These will be completed
and sent by the school.
• Mail your application and fee at least two weeks before the
due date. We recommend Certified Mail.
• Keep a sense of humor and try to minimize stress!
Secondary Schools consider the following in the admission process:
• character
• teacher recommendations
• interview
• what the candidate would contribute to the school community
• grades
• SSAT scores
• student application and essay
Click here to download a pdf copy of "Preparation for Secondary School"