With support from exceptional teachers and a warm, close-knit community, you will dive into challenging academics, build strong habits, discover new interests, and begin to understand who you are and how you can contribute to the world.
It’s no surprise that 70% of our valedictorians and salutatorians over the last decade began their SLS journey in our middle school. The outstanding preparation is what makes middle school at SLS unmissable.
Mary Carter, Head of School
New to Middle School? Fifth grade is a great time to join SLS. See what makes it special:
5th grade experience
Learning That Prepares You for What’s Next
Growth starts in the classroom, where your wise and caring teachers will challenge and support you every step of the way.
You’ll build essential skills in reading, writing, math, research, and critical thinking, while also learning AI tools, tackling real-world problems, and creating hands-on projects in our dynamic designLab. You’ll develop a sense of responsibility and the confidence to take on what comes next, both in Upper School and beyond.
▶ Emerging Tech, CS&E, and AI
At SLS, technology isn’t something you learn about once, it’s part of how you learn across grades and subjects. You might generate AI visuals to explain Newton’s Laws in science, conduct a mock interview with Molière in French, or build a prototype in designLab.
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A defining feature of Middle School is our required four-year Emerging Technologies and Computer Science & Engineering sequence, something few schools offer at this level. Through a dynamic mix of challenges, you’ll practice creative problem-solving, explore ethical tech use, and experiment with physical computing and design. It’s a set of experiences most students don’t get until much later. And as artificial intelligence becomes a bigger part of how we learn and live, you’ll learn how to use it thoughtfully, ask smart questions, and understand both its power and its pitfalls.
▶ SLS’ Makerspace – designLab
You’ll also bring ideas to life in designLab, our 3,500-square-foot makerspace where creativity, empathy, and experimentation fuel hands-on learning. You might design a monument that invites reflection on an important moment in American history, build an adaptive device to support a local senior citizen, or fabricate a French jukebox as part of a language project. Each experience is a chance to think deeply, create purposefully, and connect your learning to the world around you.
“Leading with Humanity”
At SLS, leadership isn’t a title; it’s a way of thinking, acting, and caring.
Through our 5–12 Leading with Humanity curriculum, you’ll build confidence, character, and a strong moral compass.
▶ Leading with Humanity Pillars
In Middle School, your Leading with Humanity journey begins with SLS Leadership Skills, a required four-year course sequence that ensures your development as a leader is intentional, not left to chance. It blends fun with purpose, offering space to explore your strengths, reflect on your values, and consider how you can make a difference. Along the way, you’ll engage with different cultures, take part in service projects, and reflect on identity and inclusion.
By 8th grade, you’ll step into Compass Coaching, a one-on-one mentoring experience that helps guide your growth, decision-making, and exploration of what matters to you as you plan your Upper School courses, co-curriculars, and service experiences.
You may not think of yourself as a leader at first. But by the end of Middle School, through reflection, mentorship, and meaningful programs, you’ll have built the confidence and clarity to lead in your own way.
That growth shines during our Celebration of Learning, an evening when 8th graders share the full scope of their work with families and teachers. You might hear powerful personal stories in Declamations, see innovative rollercoaster models in science, or explore thoughtful Memorial Projects in the designLab—monuments inspired by the Washington, D.C. trip and created to honor underrepresented people, groups, or events in American history. It’s a showcase of not just what you've learned, but who you've become.
Life on the Hilltop
Where Learning Lives Everywhere
Middle Schoolers at SLS are invited to dive in, and you will! Whether you are acting in plays, launching clubs, building robots, performing on stage, volunteering in the community, or giving your all on the field, you will always have people cheering you on and encouraging you to try new experiences.
Each grade also embarks on an overnight trip that deepens learning and strengthens friendships. For example, students in Grade 5 recently traveled to Nature’s Classroom for a nature and science immersion, while Grade 8 students visited Washington, D.C. to explore civic life and American history. These shared adventures spark independence, curiosity, and lasting memories.
And throughout the year, you’ll take part in Founders’ Cup, one of our most spirited school traditions. This house-based competition brings students and faculty together for games, challenges, and friendly rivalry that celebrates teamwork and school pride.
Together, students build lasting friendships and a deep sense of belonging.
One of the best parts of a 5–12 school is the connection across age groups. Younger students glimpse what lies ahead, while older students discover how meaningful it is to mentor and inspire others.
Ready for What’s Next
By the time you finish 8th grade at SLS, you’ll enter Upper School with more than solid academics. You’ll know how you learn best, advocate for yourself and others, and lead with empathy. Ready for tougher courses and fresh challenges, you’ll keep discovering new dimensions of your potential.
