Middle School (Grades 6 - 8)
Stepping Into Responsible Personhood
MS Division Director
+ MS and IS Spanish
Monica Dubal
Understanding other cultures changes how you see the world. That belief comes from lived experience, and informs Monica's role as Director of the Middle School.
Developing Responsibility and Accountability
In grades 6-8, our students are stepping into their growth as people, community members, and engaged citizens. Our approach encourages young adolescents to engage with curiosity while taking on the increasing responsibility of who they are becoming in the world beyond the classroom.
The MS requires discipline. More rigorous academics. More homework. Harder deadlines. Higher expectations. Executive function skills are prioritized: how to manage time, organize work, track assignments, asking for help when stuck. Students who master these skills in Middle School arrive at the Upper School confident, capable, and ready. We teach self-advocacy explicitly. Responsibility and accountability are the foundation of what students learn in Middle School.
Accleration
As students mature in their ability to manage responsibility, they earn the opportunity to take on more challenging work—individualized acceleration based on demonstrated readiness. Students who prove they can handle rigor move faster. Students who need more time to solidify foundational skills get that support. One of USL's unique strengths is the acknowledgement that students do not all learn at the same pace. Our small classrooms allow us to provide that individualized attention, and build around how students actually learn.
Mentorship & Leadership
Every 8th grader leads an Advisory Group of younger students. An Advisory leader shows their younger students around school, offers advice, checks in on how they're doing, and advocates for them socially. They can also help students study and prepare for classes, and know what to expect.
8th graders learn what it means to lead, how to make space for others, and be dependable. Middle School graduates will have experienced the nuances of social-emotional dynamics of leadership, along with the rewards and challenges of responsibility for others.