A warm and spirited atmosphere greets Middle School students each day as they deepen their understanding of themselves and their potential within a community of respect. Growing adolescents quickly discover that at the Middle School they can dive right in and take academic risks and emerge with their self-esteem intact.

As an adolescent’s independence grows, RHSM’s Middle School philosophy encourages a preteen’s development in many spheres – academic, artistic, athletic, ethical and moral, social and spiritual. Students gain a greater understanding of basic subject areas – reading and writing, critical thinking, mathematical and scientific problem solving – and are challenged by a higher expectation of themselves in terms of the excellence of their work and their level of accountability. Our middle school teachers enjoy working with children in early adolescence to help them to acquire efficient organizational skills and gain confidence to become more independent learners.

In grades six through eight, students find an ambitious agenda of activities in which to invest their energies. Exploratory classes provide exposure to the creative arts, chess, debate, mock trial, literary magazine, yearbook, band, dance, newspaper, and student government. All sixth graders take a daily Latin class, then choose between Latin, Spanish, and French for further study in the seventh and eighth grades.

Forming positive peer relationships and choosing healthy lifestyles are discussed in-depth through age appropriate middle level curricula. Social/emotional and academic counselors serve as valuable resources for students and parents. Middle School students participate in meaningful service learning, often connected with curricular themes, and take many occasions for reflection on their responsibility to help others.

Fall class trips, the schoolwide winter sports program, interscholastic athletics, and a variety of extracurricular activities promote personal growth and constructive social interaction. The Middle School advisory program assures that each student receives individual recognition during this time of rapid physical, intellectual, emotional, and social growth.