Academics

Middle School | Gr. 6-8

Grades 6-8

Academics
Grades six through eight at Severn are designed to encourage social, emotional, and physical wellbeing. We focus on asking important questions to help kids through this transformative chapter of their lives.

Academics

Our middle grades curriculum incorporates a healthy balance of knowledge and skills along with an equal measure of challenge and joy. Our teachers create this curriculum to support the age-specific cognitive and social-emotional needs of 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students.

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  • Course Requirements for Advancement

    Required Eighth Grade Courses to Advance to Ninth Grade
    To advance to 9th grade, 8th graders must satisfactorily complete:
    • English 8
    • Algebra I or Geometry*
    • Science 8
    • History 8
    • Foreign Language
    • Fine and Performing Arts: one semester art, one semester music, or the Eighth Grade Musical
    • Physical Education or play three team sports
    • Enough electives to complement a full schedule

    *Pre-Algebra in sixth grade, Algebra I in seventh grade, and Geometry in eighth grade are considered out-of-grade placements.

    Required Seventh Grade Courses to Advance to Eighth Grade
    To advance to 8th grade, 7th graders must satisfactorily complete:
    • English 7
    • Pre-Algebra or Algebra
    • Science 7
    • U.S. History
    • Foreign Language
    • Fine and Performing Arts: one semester art, one semester music
    • Physical Education or play three team sports
    • Enough electives to complement a full schedule
    Required Sixth Grade Courses to Advance to Seventh Grade
    To advance to 7th grade, 6th graders must satisfactorily complete:
    • English 6
    • Math 6 or Pre-Algebra
    • Science 6
    • Geography
    • Foreign Language
    • Fine and Performing Arts: one semester art, one semester music
    • Physical Education
    • Grammar and Composition/Study Skills
    • Health and Wellness and other electives to complement a full schedule

  • Daily Schedule

    Class Rotation
    The Middle School daily schedule rotates through four academic periods. The purpose of this is two-fold:
    1. To allow students a chance to have each class at different periods of the day so that no one class always occurs during a time of day when they are tired.
    2. To ensure that students/athletes do not miss the same class all the time on game days.
    Wednesday Delayed Openings
    Scheduled delayed openings allow faculty and staff to gather for professional development. Please refer to Severn’s website calendar for the specific Wednesday late starts and late start times (either 9:00 or 10:00). On any delayed opening (planned or weather-related), 6th grade dismissal moves to 3:30 p.m.

    Proctoring begins at 8:00 in the supervised Study Hall for those families who need to drop-off their children at the regular start time. Students should report to Bauer Dining Hall.

    Typical Daily Rotation Schedule
    8:00-8:10Advisory
    8:10-9:10Period 1
    9:10-10:10Period 2
    10:10-10:25Break
    10:25-11:25Period 3
    11:25-12:00Lunch
    12:00-1:00Period 4
    1:00-1:30FLEX
    1:30-2:15Period 7 (PE for 6th grade)
    2:15-3:00
     
    		Period 8 elective for 6th grade, dismissal at 3pm
    2:15-3:30

     
    		Period 8 sports for 7th & 8th grades

MS Curriculum Guide

In this Section

Featured Programs

Programs

  • Student Leadership Program

    Good leaders demonstrate a range of qualities including commitment, compassion, empathy, respect for others, and love for learning. We help our students develop these qualities through character-building lessons, school-wide programs and official leadership opportunities.
    Learn More

  • Enrichment Programs

    Choice is an important part of helping our students develop ownership and personal investment in their education. We offer a number of enrichments and electives among which are four courses geared toward giving back through community service. Through this choice, our students explore their passions and interests, developing their own sense of identity in and out of the classroom.
    Learn More

  • Transition to Teel

    Incoming sixth graders face unique challenges during their first year of middle school. They step onto Teel Campus with an influx of new classmates, newfound independence, and high academic expectations, all while managing the dramatic physical and emotional changes of adolescence. Transition to Teel is a purposeful series of 6th-grade enrichment courses to support their growth.
    Learn More

  • Valuing & Supporting Students

    Civility and character are central to our mission at Severn School and to support that, we set clear expectations for our Middle School students. Our students are expected to behave according to the rules, policies, and standards outlined in the School Handbook, according to normally accepted standards of behavior, and in a manner that contributes positively to the community.
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  • After School Program

    The school day doesn't end when classes are over. For Middle School students that need supervision after school, our After School Program provides a safe, supervised space to do homework, read, participate in faculty-sponsored clubs and socialize with friends.
    Learn More

Learning in the Digital World

Technology
We believe that technology should be used to enhance student learning, improve communication, and efficiently manage information. Teaching with technology not only prepares students with increasingly necessary life skills but also broadens and deepens student learning.
We use technology to enhance our curriculum, when and where appropriate. Our responsibility is to teach our students how to evaluate technology for its usefulness, to choose the right tool for the right job and to use technology to communicate their ideas effectively. We believe in using tech with purpose.
 
We use digital tech to promote collaborative learning and design thinking, to improve research skills and information literacy, to develop critical thinking skills, to encourage creativity and to individualize learning across the curriculum. Our students use different tech in different classes, learning how to be flexible and adaptable. They learn that tech for tech’s sake has little value, but as a tool to enhance their learning and ability to connect with others, technology plays a vital role in preparing for the future.

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  • Middle School Technology Program Overview

    Every student in grades 6-8 receives an Apple iPad on loan for the full school year. iPad devices provided through Severn have mandatory and automatic AppleCare+ insurance included. This means that each iPad can be “broken” twice, beyond the limited warranty of hardware issues.
     
    A few notes:
    • Students are required to have fully-charged, functioning iPads in classes when a teacher requires them. There are places around campus for charging iPads.
    • Students must be knowledgeable of Severn’s Acceptable Use Policy and adhere to its requirements.
    • Severn reminds students periodically to perform updates and routine maintenance on individual iPads and expects that students will perform such tasks.
    • Students are responsible for the upkeep and security of their iPads. There is a tech help desk located in the lower level of Teel Academic Center.

Featured Facilities

Facilities

Middle School Faculty

Academic Policies

A full schedule for students in grades 6, 7, and 8 consists of six academic periods, one elective or enrichment period, and four quarters of Physical Education or participation on a team. Students must be enrolled in a course in every period. Students may not repeat elective or enrichment courses.

Lower School

Chesapeake Campus—PS-Grade 5
1185 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd
Arnold, MD  21012
410-647-7700

Upper School

Teel Campus—Grade 6-12
201 Water Street
Severna Park, MD  21146
410-647-7700