The 2020-2021 school year is underway and set to be an exciting one! Despite a global pandemic and all the constraints that come along with it, we are committed to advancing our mission to provide “challenging instruction, engaging experiences, and global perspectives designed to inspire lives of intellectual curiosity, integrity, and purpose.” This means constantly being willing to evaluate our curriculum, programs, and pedagogy to ensure a relevant and dynamic learning experience for all students. This year, I am excited to join Femke Côté and Jenny Duke in working to align and enrich the academic experience from Pre-K3 through twelfth grade.
While Middle School serves as a transition from Lower School to Upper School, it is a unique and defining stage in its own right. During early adolescence, students undergo physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes at an increased rate and all of those factors impact their academic performance. The GWA Middle School experience is designed with this in mind and continues to adapt to better meet the specific needs of students during this time.
One area in which middle school students need guidance and support is with study skills and executive functioning development. This year, a team of middle school teachers, in partnership with the counseling department, is creating a series of lessons to intentionally teach a number of essential professional and life skills, including time management, organization, task initiation, and accountability. In addition, we have expanded our elective offerings in the Middle School to include 12 different areas of study to allow students to pursue their growing curiosities and interests during this time. Understanding that middle school students value relevant, real-world content and authentic learning experiences, we are aiming to incorporate even more inquiry and project-based learning into our curriculum this year. We want to see students actively engaged in their learning, excited about exploring the unknown, grappling with complex issues, and reflecting on their growth and progress. This leads to deeper and longer-lasting learning and encourages the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
In addition to the content and skills that guide the curriculum, middle school students need connection, perhaps now more than ever. At GWA, limited class sizes, increased opportunities for one-on-one connection with teachers, and an advisory program that provides individual guidance and support to students underscores our belief that relationships are foundational to learning. After being away from campus for five months, we are delighted to be back alongside students as we all work to become better learners, better friends, and better humans this year.
Ultimately, we are most excited about what we are building together - lives of intellectual curiosity, integrity, and purpose. Moving forward, we will continue to evaluate our programs and progress with this goal in mind and adapt to serve the specific needs of our students and best prepare them to make a positive impact in a constantly changing world. The potential represented at GWA is endless, and we count it a privilege to partner with you in nurturing and developing the hearts, minds, and lives of this generation of leaders. We are indeed gaining strength as we go!
Amy Wilkes
Middle School Division Head
