Curriculum

List of 9 items.

• Health

  Our health and wellness course focuses on cultivating students’ knowledge and understanding of total well-being across the multiple dimensions of health and wellness, which include social and cultural health, physical and sexual health, spiritual health, intellectual health, emotional and mental health, occupational health, environmental health, and financial health. All of the dimensions, when considered together as interrelated parts of total well-being as a whole, symbolize the core areas of an individual's life that impact one’s overall level of health and wellness.
  
  

  Our goal is to help students learn how to consider the individual attributes of each dimension, to evaluate personal health and wellness behaviors and attitudes within each of these domains, and to use this information to make necessary or desired changes for increased total well-being through the application of taught strategies. Our curriculum is skills-based, providing students with the opportunity to learn and utilize specific health and wellness tools in their day-to-day lives.

• Humanities

  English and history stand at the center of our rigorous interdisciplinary humanities curriculum. These two subjects are linked thematically, with each grade level focusing on a specific topic or concept. Short and long-term interactive and interdisciplinary projects challenge students at each level.

  
  As students progress through middle school, they continue to strengthen skills and acquire new ones. In English, they advance in reading comprehension, writing, literary analysis, speech and grammar. In history, they learn how to think critically about past events and analyze the relationship between cause and effect while refining their research, writing and organizational skills. Students also develop note taking skills and become adept users of primary and secondary sources, both material and digital.

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• Innovation and Entrepreneurship

  The middle school Innovation and Entrepreneurship curriculum introduces students to skills and technologies that will allow them to thrive in the modern world. In alignment with the upper school IEC electives, the curriculum features materials from Project Lead the Way (PLTW), which combines topics under the science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) umbrella. 

  
  

  The first two years of middle school IEC are dedicated to design thinking, prototyping and solid modeling. Students collaborate in diverse groups to brainstorm, research and test concepts for assistive devices and toys, and learn to use computer-aided design (CAD) to manufacture their prototypes. 

  
  

  In seventh grade, students will use block coding to program microcomputers that interact with the physical world. Eighth grade students progress to MIT App Inventor to extend their understanding of block coding and software design.

  
  

  Throughout these courses, students actively explore how technology can improve society and our quality of life, and be a power for good in the world. 

   

  Grades 5 and 6 meet twice per cycle for IEC classes, while seventh and eighth grade students meet four times. Students who wish to explore these and more STEAM topics can also enroll in the after-school Middle School Makers course, and utilize the makerspace in the IEC building.

• Mathematics

  The middle school math program enables students to expand their skill base while challenging them with activities that foster growth, deeper understanding, and open communication. Students practice problem-solving strategies and critical thinking allowing for discussion, investigation and self-discovery of concepts and their applications.

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• Modern and Classical Languages

  The middle school language program is a four-year experience introducing students to the fundamentals of language acquisition and the linguistic elements of the target language. Fifth graders are introduced to the study of language and culture with an exploration of French, Mandarin and Spanish. All sixth graders take a full year of Latin and in grade 7, students begin a two-year journey in a language selected from our four offerings: French, Latin, Mandarin or Spanish.

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• Performing Arts

  The Middle School offers many curricular and extracurricular performing arts opportunities. Classes are taught three to four times per eight-day cycle, with instruction in piano, music theory, music composition, world music, popular music and more. Middle school performing arts ensembles include two rock bands, jazz band, orchestra, choir, percussion ensemble and a musical theater troupe.

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• Physical Education

  FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE

  Physical education class is required for all fifth and sixth grade students and is included during the school day. The Physical Education program strives to provide equitable opportunity to each student in developing different skill sets and enhancing fitness levels. Through a variety of activities, each student will be exposed to a diverse learning experience while understanding the value of maintaining an active lifestyle. Each unit and activity is designed to foster an environment where the student will build upon their self-confidence, critical thinking skills, cooperative skills, and appreciation and respect for individual differences. 

  
  As a part of this wide range of activities, our program includes introductory lessons to the sports offered in our Middle School Athletics program, which helps our students to make an educated choice when entering seventh and eighth grade.   

  
  

  SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE 

  Athletics at Masters is an integral part of our tradition and commitment to educating the whole child. Our seventh and eighth grade athletic offerings are integrated within our Physical Education program and requirements. Our goal is to develop our athletes through a balanced approach of challenging programs. We offer a wide variety of activities so that our students can learn life lessons through sports, and experience the exhilaration of competition and teamwork.

   

  Athletics brings our community together and our students create strong relationships while playing alongside their friends and classmates. Our teams strive to win but more importantly we strive to create an atmosphere that embraces the many benefits athletics has to offer. Guided by a positive learning environment our athletes develop their leadership skills, self-discipline, and a sense of responsibility, values through sportsmanship, athletic skills, and a sense of school spirit. 

   

  Our campus athletic facilities include five expansive playing fields for lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, baseball, a competition track and nine tennis courts, plus the Fonseca Center, a 75,000 sq. ft. Athletics and Arts Center, which features state-of-the-art facilities for basketball, volleyball, squash, swimming and fencing.

   

  Our programs compete within the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA), which is comprised of private schools throughout the Connecticut and Westchester County area. 

    

  Every seventh and eighth grade student participates within our athletic program as part of their school day.

  
  

  Each team practices everyday Monday through Friday from  2:30-3:30 p.m. Games will take place during the week and game times can be scheduled as late as 4:30 p.m., so please be sure to check the schedule. Depending on the sport one can expect to play up to 12 games per season, however our goal is one game a week when the schedule starts up.

   

  Athletic offerings: 

   

  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cross Country
  • Dance
  • Fencing
  • Field Hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
  • Squash
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Track and Field
  • Volleyball

• Science

  The middle school science program achieves two primary goals. First, we give students a working knowledge of the scientific method as a systematic approach to problem solving. And second, we help them develop connections between what they learn in the classroom and their lives beyond it. We take a discovery approach to learning because students learn best when they uncover relationships and ideas themselves. In the laboratory we stress objectivity in observation, accuracy in data gathering and recording, and analysis and presentation of data.

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• Visual Arts

  The middle school visual arts program provides a creative environment in which students explore visual communication in two- and three-dimensional forms. They gain hands-on experience with a broad range of materials and techniques while working on projects designed to develop craft as well as cognitive skills related to thematic grade-level investigations.
  
  

  Students work in a variety of artistic disciplines including drawing, painting, photography and sculpture; and they learn and use the elements and principles of design as they explore their creative potential. The children keep art journals to monitor their progress throughout the year, and assessments are based on effort rather than ability level. Our goal is for our visual arts students to develop and expand their artistic voice while gaining a better understanding of self and their relationship and responsibility to the world community.

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