Middle School
Embrace the journey!
At Pacific Ridge, we view the middle school experience as a tremendous opportunity for growth and joy.
Students in grades 6-8 are extremely aware, thoughtful, and engaged; they also need support as they start to define who they are and grow into who they will be. At Pacific Ridge, we embrace the joy, the energy, the curiosity, and the mess of middle school. Students develop at different rates and come to us from many different school experiences and backgrounds. It is our enjoyable job to get to know them, celebrate who they are, and guide them on their journey.
Our Portrait of a Middle School Student serves as a focal point in academic courses, advisory, and skills classes. We intentionally name and focus on happiness because of its importance in learning and growth. Students who are both challenged and supported in their sense of joy and play are more engaged and will learn more.
Middle school students also grow by learning to take risks, to fail, and to evaluate those experiences. We believe the many relationships our middle schoolers build with other students and adults in our community create a safe environment in which to do so. In Harkness discussions, advisory activities, group projects, arts classes, sports, and PE, students can develop their identity and voice, and discover that mistakes are a necessary and important part of learning. Through regular self-reflection, our students sharpen their academic, social, and emotional skills and build the confidence needed to thrive in middle school, high school, and beyond. We invite you to learn more about what makes our program unique.
Luke Michel, Middle School Head
Jennifer Pashkow, Middle School Dean of Students
Experience the new standard of academic excellence.
Our middle school curriculum offers the best of both traditional and innovative educational practices.
Classes of 15 students around seminar-style Harkness tables benefit from a combination of one-on-one instruction and dynamic, small-group discussion, while academic content is integrated across disciplines to provide context and greater meaning. Our comprehensive, college-preparatory program is enriched and balanced by co-curricular and extra-curricular offerings built into the school day and yearly calendar. Guided by caring and experienced teachers, students are encouraged to discover their passions, develop their authentic voice and apply their learning out in the world.
Middle School students pursue the following courses of study: social and community studies, American studies, life science, conceptual physics, mathematics, English, world language (French, Spanish, or Mandarin), the Middle School Arts Program, service learning, and physical education. In conjunction with the Middle School Service Learning Program, the integrated program transforms Middle School students into active local citizens.