Middle School: Grades 6 - 8

Oakwood's middle school offers a rich, vibrant program that provides challenging academics in a supportive and friendly school environment. Our students learn well, respect one another, and have good relationships with their teachers. As a small Quaker school, we take the time to explore difficult subjects, discuss important questions, and begin to master skills needed for learning and for navigating the complicated world we live in.

Our classes are small so that students have the chance to participate actively in their classes and work closely with their teachers. Oakwood teachers use a variety of approaches to engage and challenge our students. We help students gain competence in a wide variety of thinking, writing, speaking, researching, and problem solving skills – we are as concerned with teaching methods and processes for learning each subject as we are with covering the content. Physical education and the arts are integral parts of our program as we seek to nurture the athlete and artist in each middle schooler.

As a Quaker school, Oakwood gives every student an important voice in the life of our school community. We want students to get to know themselves, build a strong personal identity, develop healthy friendships, and gain leadership skills. Each week, students and teachers gather for meeting for worship, a time of sitting in silence together to mediate, pray, or just reflect quietly. Shorter periods of quiet reflection are part of other school gatherings as well as classes. Our middle schoolers also take part in a variety of community service projects, which help them learn about the world and how they can be a positive part it.

Our campus is spacious, and we love it. Middle schoolers have recess twice a day, and when the weather allows, students spend time outdoors. The Oakwood campus gives middle schoolers the space they need to take healthy breaks during a busy school day.

Close ties with the upper school provide the benefits of a small middle school, but the opportunities that a larger school offers. Our whole school gathers daily to hear announcements and celebrate accomplishments in what we call Collection. Weekly we gather for speakers, musical performances, and other special events. Some middle schoolers take part in the clubs and drama performances of the upper school. Middle schoolers enjoy having daily contact with older students, in the dining hall, at sports events, and around campus. Eighth graders have the opportunity to take math and language classes with upper schoolers and earn high school credit.

Parents are important people in their children's lives as middle school age children are becoming more independent. At Oakwood, we keep parents up to date on school activities and ways they can help their children in their academic work. Communication, both formal and informal, is ongoing and welcome; families and the school work together to help our students thrive.

By providing learning experiences that are academically, socially, and emotionally geared to middle schoolers, we are preparing them for all aspects of high school life, and especially our own college-preparatory upper school program. As they leave eighth grade, our students have the skills and confidence needed to take an active part in Oakwood's rich upper school curriculum as well as the clubs, sports, and other extra-curricular activities. And they are ready to continue their journey of learning to be active, positive members of their family, school, local community, and the wider world.

Middle School Snapshots