Middle School Opportunities

Middle School boys have lots to choose from, especially now that intramural and interscholastic athletics are among the options. In Fifth and Sixth Grade, a student might choose to participate in intramural soccer or softball, and in the winter he could play interscholastic basketball. By Form I, interscholastic competition is available in soccer, cross country, basketball, track, tennis, and baseball. While his afternoons may fill up, a boy will still have the chance to partici- pate in the Middle School Science Fair, and he may also whet his competitive appetite in the Public Speaking Contest or the Annual Spelling Bee.

I will never forget watching Dr. Roberts walking into class on his hands."

Anthony D. Guggenheimer '44

Trips to the Museum of Natural History and Central Park complement work in the classroom, and seeing a production of a work he is reading in English class brings alive the literature for a boy. Black Rock Forest, a four-thousand-acre nature preserve, is an incomparable outdoor classroom, providing opportunities for work in science and the arts, as well as inter-age activities such as orienteering and team building. Group community service efforts center around collecting food, clothing, and supplies for the needy. Activities are often planned in conjunction with a girls’ school, so boys have a natural opportunity for social interaction.

Overnight trips are inaugurated in Grade 5 and become an important focal point for each succeeding year, with boys traveling to Mystic, Connecticut; Camp Sloane in Lakeville, CT; Frost Valley, a camp in upstate New York; and Washington, D.C. These trips are designed to reflect aspects of the curriculum in each grade. The Middle School Student Council provides opportunities for emerging leadership skills, and a boy who relishes the spotlight might like to try out for the Middle School’s annual Shakespeare play. In addition, a boy can have an article published in The Grytte, the school newspaper, or offer a poem or short story for inclusion in The Lit, our literary magazine or work on design and photography for the yearbook. Chess continues to be an option for the Middle School boy, who may want to join the highly successful Browning Chess team which competes at a national level