Last week, our rising grade 6 students took an exciting giant leap toward their next big adventure: Middle School!

The morning was filled with energy, exploration, and connection as our rising 6th graders spent time exploring the Middle School Plaza, meeting their future Grade 6 Advisors, and getting a true taste of day-to-day life in MS.

Exploring the Campus & Getting to Know the Community

To help ease those transition jitters, our students embarked on a Middle School Campus Tour. Guided around the spaces, they visually mapped out their future classrooms, lockers, and community areas.

Beyond learning the school's physical layout, students focused on expanding their social circles and building a strong sense of belonging. They participated in a fast-paced "Connection & Understanding" mixer, stepping outside of their comfort zones to find peers from other classes whom they didn't know well. In quick one-minute rounds, they shared unique facts about themselves, sparking new conversations and laying the foundation for a united Grade 6 community.

Living Our Middle School Values

During their orientation, students were introduced to the core values that guide our Middle School culture: Responsibility, Kindness, Belonging, Respect, Integrity, and Positivity. They discussed what these look like in action, from doing the right thing even when no one is watching, to actively keeping an open mind and heart when facing new challenges.

The "Navigation Game" & Its Powerful Lesson

The highlight of the morning’s collaborative team-building was the Navigation Game, which brought these values to life. Students worked in teams to hold up a large tarp with holes cut in it, carefully balancing and guiding a ball around the canvas without letting it drop.

While it was a lot of fun, the game carried a deeply meaningful message for our students as they prepare for the future:

• The Ball represents the new responsibilities of Middle School.
• The Holes represent the inevitable challenges, mistakes, and hard things they will encounter along the way.
• The Tarp & Team represent life and community.

Through this activity, students learned that Middle School isn't a journey they have to take alone. The goal of the game - and of entering Grade 6 - is to enter school with the explicit goal of finding those supportive friends who will help them hold up their "tarp," navigate challenges, and encourage them to be the very best version of themselves.

The rising 6th graders then participated in an advisory lesson with current grade 6 advisors and students to get a glimpse of what learning in middle school would be like. We are incredibly proud of how our rising grade 6 students showed up with curiosity, open minds, and great questions. They are well on their way to navigating this transition with confidence!