Philosophy

The Episcopal School of Knoxville recognizes the middle school years as the most varied and exciting period in adolescent life. During this important time of intellectual, physical, moral, spiritual and emotional development, students establish foundations for success in high school, college and the world beyond.

In a caring and challenging academic community, Middle School students develop integrity, respect, responsibility, perseverance, and compassion while nurturing their spiritual, moral and social growth through daily chapel, Religion/Guidance classes, advisory groups, off-campus learning, extracurricular activities, interscholastic sports, and service learning.

Our goal is to prepare students to walk confidently through the doors of the high school of their choosing. Mastering an essential core of knowledge, enhancing critical thinking skills, and developing effective communication strategies are integral components of the Middle School experience. We emphasize process learning, study skills and organizational skills.

The Middle School faculty is committed to protecting the physical and emotional well-being of each student.

Curriculum -- Please note: To access to our Online Bookstore, please click here.

Central Humanities Theme
Student learning is enriched and expanded when content area connections are made. The Central Humanities Theme is an interdisciplinary approach to the humanities, integrating the strands of Language Arts/Literature, Foreign Language, Social Studies, and Religious Studies.

Foreign Language
All students in sixth grade will take Latin as an introduction to formal foreign language study.  This experience will not only prepare students for further study in modern Romance language, but will augment their language arts study by giving them improved vocabulary development and reading skills as well as increased grammar competence.  It will complete the interdisciplinary, thematic approach to sixth grade by complementing the study of the Ancient World, the beginnings of Christianity, and mythology as literature. Students may choose to continue Latin in seventh and eighth grades.

The middle school French and Spanish programs begin in seventh grade.  They build on prior foreign language learning and provide students the opportunity to take the first year of high school French or Spanish over the two years of grades seven and eight.

Language Arts/Literature
Our primary goals are to help students learn to listen actively, speak concisely, read reflectively, and write succinctly at growing levels of development.  Students will become proficient writers through practice in personal, expository, and creative writing, and they will use proper grammar, mechanics, and usage in their written expression.  To achieve this, they will gain experience in all aspects of the writing process.  In the study of literature, students will also develop critical and independent thinking as wll as exploration of content in various genre and works.  The literature studied will be closely related to units in history, religion, and foreign language, and will often serve as the content for writing.

Mathematics
The purpose of the mathematics program in Middle School is to provide students with a thorough understanding of mathematics skills and concepts that are necessary for success in algebra and geometry.  This understanding of crucial ideas is developed over all three years in middle school and across a broad range of mathematics content.  The program begins in sixth grade with a reinforcement of the basic mathematics operations learned in Lower School, and then moves into the concepts of pre-algebra.  By the end of eighth grade all students will have a solid background in algebraic concepts and other areas that will prepare them to be successful in substantive mathematics courses in high school.  Many of our students will have successfully completed Algebra I by the end of eighth grade and will be ready to confidently take geometry in ninth grade.  An important goal of our Middle School mathematics philosophy is that each student will get the personal level of instruction necessary to have success in high school courses.

Religious Studies
The goal of religious education is to address the appropriate stage of faith development for preteens and to introduce common topics and concepts pertaining to religious life as they are viewed in our culture. Integrated into the Central Humanities Theme, students study major world religions, Old and New Testament literature and history, the denominational forms of Christianity, and the early establishment of religious freedom in America.

Science
The science curriculum provides students with the opportunity to explore while relating science to their everyday lives, both now and in the future. Teachers emphasize concept and skill development and problem solving. Students build on and expand skills as they move through Earth, Life, and Physical Sciences.  The heart of the science program is the experience students receive through laboratory and field experiments.

Social Studies
Students gain an appreciation of their own culture as well as those of others through the study of local, national, and world communties. Instruction is enhanced through the use of classroom simulations, debates, field trips, and technology. Teachers reinforce study and organization skills through research projects, essay writing, and classroom presentations.

Information Literacy Skills
The faculty guide students toward information literacy with the support of the school's extensive library collection and a state-of-the-art computer lab. By integrating both traditional and electronic resources and tools into the core curriculum, students can access information efficiently and evaluate it critically and competently. They learn to gather information both individually and cooperatively and to practice ethical behavior in information technology.

Music
The goal of the music program is to begin to build a lifelong love and appreciation for music. Sixth grade students are exposed to classical, contemporary and multicultural music. All students will begin the study of reading music; analyzing performances; and creating their own music through improvisations, singing, and instrument performance. Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students also have the opportunity to participate in chorus.

Art
Knowing that only a small percentage of students will aspire to become artists, the Episcopal School designed its art curriculum to develop an appreciation for art as well as to provide an outlet for self-expression. Teachers expose students to artists, concepts and other cultures in conjunction with varied studio activities.

Physical Education
The physical education program develops students' physicial fitness, sport and motor skills, and game strategies through an emphasis on personal effort, sportsmanship, cooperation, and a healthy attitude toward competition. Classes include exercises that promote physical fitness as well as instruction, practice and competition in a variety of sport activities.

Health
The health curriculum is designed to help students understand and value their physical, emotional, and social well-being. Students learn about the physical systems of the body and receive current and accurate information about various health issues. Topics such as nutrition, disease, adolescent development, human sexuality, and alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse are discussed from scientific as well as spiritual and ethical perspectives.

Advising/Study Help/Club Time

Middle School faculty are assigned student advisees and meet with them on a weekly basis. Students have the oppurtunity to participate in clubs such as Lego Robotics, Outdoor Education, Geography Bee, Spirit Club, Board Games, Tech Club and Book Blog.

Study Help
Students get the opportunity to sign up for individual or small group help twice weekly.

Middle School Guidance

Helping children meet their social and emotional needs in the school setting has a positive impact on their educational progress. The TRIBES process, developed by Jeannie Gibbs, provides the foundation for the guidance program. At the beginning of each year, students review or are taught the following Tribes Agreements:

Attentive Listening
Mutual Respect
Appreciations/No Putdowns
Right to Pass
Let Go and Move On
These community agreements establish a classroom climate in which students feel emotionally safe and ready to learn. Through a variety of strategies in weekly guidance classes, students learn positive character traits, problem and conflict solving, study skills, manners. handling anger, dealing with teasing, improving relationships, personal safety, and many other developmentally appropriate skills.

The goal of the Middle School guidance program is to help students achieve four primary tasks of adolescence:

Autonomy and independence
Social competence
A sense of purpose
Independent problem solving
Middle School guidance classes are arranged by theme. Sixth grade focuses on "Succeeding in Middle School;" seventh grade on "Discovering Yourself and Your Relationships to Others;" and eighth grade on "The Real World: Transitioning to High School and Beyond."

Service Learning
Middle School Service Learning is an important aspect of the curriculum. The Service Learning program incorporates social responsibility into the educational and instructional methodology as students serve their community in a variety of ways. All students participate in service projects as part of their learning experience.

Extracurricular Programs
Students are encouraged to enrich their core curriculum with participation in activities such as Destination Imagination, Math Olympiad, the Stock Market Game, Great Books Scholars program, Model UN, Student Government,  Youth Legislature, Tech Club, Hunt for History and Individualized Instruction in the Writing and Math Centers.

 School Hours
Middle School hours are 8:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.  All students are dismissed at 3:00 p.m. on Fridays.