Middle School

Middle School
ths19-20-6868

GRADES 6 – 8

The Middle School program challenges students to build their knowledge and understanding through dynamic learning experiences.  Our teachers design units of study that ask essential questions, create space for student voice and choice, and engage students in collaborative projects or simulations.  Middle School students learn best when they are in an environment that allows them to discover meaning and explore areas of interest, and our faculty embrace this philosophy. 

Our students learn both Mandarin and Spanish beginning in Kindergarten.  In the 2020-21 school year, our Seventh and Eighth Graders will choose one language on which to focus, providing the time necessary to gain proficiency in the target language.  In addition, we will implement an arts electives program for Sixth – Eighth grades.  These enhancements to our strong Middle School program effectively match this developmental stage when adolescents crave more autonomy in their school experience.

LANGUAGE ARTS
The Middle School Language Arts program is designed to hone students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Students read both nonfiction and fiction.  They develop the ability to analyze increasingly complex texts and make connections to ideas studied in other disciplines. Language Arts provides students the understanding necessary to view the world through the stories [...]
MATHEMATICS
THS uses a standards-based middle school math curriculum that provides students with the skills and concepts needed for future math courses. Students gain a deep understanding of math through participation in engaging activities that provide inductive reasoning opportunities and builds on previous knowledge. Middle School classes are split for math allowing for more student support [...]
SCIENCE
Sixth through Eighth Grade students participate in a three-year comprehensive Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP) developed specifically for middle school students. Science concepts are investigated through interesting, current societal issues and problems that allow students to make personal connections to the material about which they can develop and articulate an opinion. All units [...]
SOCIAL STUDIES
Conceptually, the program is designed to help students, “Understand the past, put the present in context, and imagine a better future.”  Grounded in the five elements of social studies – history, culture and society, geography, economics, and government – each grade focuses on a major period, views it through a global lens,  and connects learning [...]
LANGUAGE CHOICE
In Sixth Grade, students continue to study both Spanish and Mandarin two times per week.  Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, Seventh and Eighth graders will choose one language to complete their studies at THS.  Language study will become a core academic subject, and students will graduate ready for language level 2 or 3 in [...]
ARTS ELECTIVES
Beginning in the 2020 – 21 school year, Middle School students will have a choice of arts electives.  All students are required to take at least one session of art and music, yet they will have an array of other options as well.  These electives meet two times per week for a semester.  Classes may [...]