Tradition - Character - Community

Middle School

"The fabulous fact of man's ability to act, the wonder of doing,
is no less amazing than the marvel of being."
–Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

In Middle School, teaching and learning occur against the backdrop of the incredible physical and social growth students experience during these critical years. We embrace and focus this adolescent energy by engaging students in individualized schedules, rigorous academic challenges, a comprehensive advisor/advisee program, varied exploratory classes, class trips, current events, Robotics, community-wide mitzvot, musical theater, athletics, research, oral presentations, simulations, model building, and other activities that lead to lifetime interests and aptitudes. Whether in the science lab, in the English classroom, or on the athletic field, our students are empowered to step outside their comfort zones to achieve things they thought were not possible. Our teachers and coaches are skilled at crafting daily lessons that achieve the optimal balance between challenge and support.  The result is that our students not only gain important academic skills, but they also develop a “growth mindset” - a willingness to work hard, take risks, learn from mistakes, and become initiators and leaders. 

 

True leadership at Heschel is not designated by a title or maintained through authoritative control, rather it is a collaborative and community-driven endeavor that ultimately becomes intrinsic to each student. Our students not only have the opportunity to lead--it is an expected part of our curriculum. As the eldest on our campus, sixth through eighth graders are engaged in authentic leadership experiences that shape the entire school.  From creating the school yearbook to leading inter-grade teams in the annual Maccabiah Games, to spearheading fundraisers for disaster relief, to presenting plans on how an in-class project can become a community-wide initiative, our middle school is an incubator for future leaders who have the confidence and capacity to change the world around them for the better.