Middle School

The Sycamore middle school program serves academically gifted young adolescents in fifth through eighth grades and provides them opportunities to branch out from their experiences in the lower grades.  Students move from class to class and receive instruction from many teachers.

The program is rigorous and both accelerated and enriched in a manner specifically differentiated for gifted learners.  A main focus of the program is learning to develop personal responsibility and find a balance between independence and reliance upon adults for guidance and limits.

The middle school curriculum is designed to meet the special needs of gifted and talented adolescents as they develop their increasing ability for complex thought.  In a more typical middle school environment with a broader mission, curriculum and academic requirements may not be sufficiently challenging to provide for intellectual growth and the development of effective study skills and habits.  Sycamore's middle school curriculum is designed to give students a solid foundation for further study and enables them to function as autonomous learners.  At Sycamore, subjects do not exist as completely separate entities, but overlap and interrelate as the student begins to make greater sense of the larger world.  In addition to laying the foundation for future learning, the curriculum develops students' abilities to think critically, evaluate, communicate effectively, reason, solve problems, and value the diverse viewpoints, heritages, and experiences of others.

Students receive daily instruction in history, language arts, mathematics, and science. Math classes are grouped across grade levels according to students’ level of skill and concept development. All students are expected to complete a year of high school algebra. Advanced students have the opportunity to take geometry and algebra II. Special classes meet between one to three periods per week and include art, computer technology, physical education, and Spanish. Students may choose to participate in instrumental music and/or choir. Sycamore middle school students may participate in many after school activities, including a full range of sports, drama, and various academic competitions.

Service projects, speakers, trips, and other enrichment opportunities enhance the educational program. In the 2007-2008 school year, middle school students will take overnight trips to Chicago, Culver, the Florida Keys, the Smoky Mountains, and Washington D.C., as well as day trips to various sites within the state of Indiana.

Middle School Goals

Sycamore's goals for its middle school students are an extension of the goals for the lower school. In order to address the needs of the gifted adolescent, the Sycamore middle school program also seeks to provide:

• A rigorous academic curriculum in all disciplines, specifically designed for academically gifted students, which leads to the development of a strong knowledge base and mastery of basic academic skills as well as critical and creative thinking abilities
• Integration of subject matter in a stimulating, dynamic curriculum that is responsive to the needs of academically gifted students
• Opportunities for choice of activity and/or area of study through the overall curriculum, instrumental and vocal music programs, flex-time activities, athletic teams, and extracurricular activities
• An opportunity for students to be with gifted peers in an atmosphere where being smart and interested in learning is the norm
• Supportive contact with staff members who have experience working with adolescents and meet regularly to coordinate programs for students
• A nurturing environment that guarantees that no child is anonymous or “slips through the cracks”
• Appropriate behavioral guidelines that promote the feeling of security needed by all adolescents and increase opportunity for the development of personal responsibility and independence
• An opportunity for the development of leadership skills, ethical behavior, understanding of adolescence, and tolerance of diversity
• Frequent communication between teachers and parents

Hours

Middle school students may enter the building at 7:30 a.m. Classes run from 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Friday. Students may do academic work in the library until 4:30 p.m., Monday — Thursday and 3:30 p.m., Friday.

Flex Classes

Built into the academic week are three 25-minute flex periods in which students may participate in a variety of activities of their choice. Students may choose two flex activities five times a year. Offerings have included academic competition, board games, boys/girls sports, bridge, chess, euchre, Jazz Band, math help, poetry, recess, Science Olympiad, sign language, study hall, video announcements, and yearbook.

Discussion Groups

Grade-level discussion groups meet weekly to serve the affective (personal, social, emotional, and normal developmental) needs of students.  The main goals of this program are to:

• Give students practice articulating their feelings and concerns thus improving communication and social skills
• Help students gain self-awareness to help them make better decisions, solve problems, and cope more effectively with their environment, strengths, and limitations
• Help students learn that while everyone is unique, gifted adolescents have much in common with each other

Among the topics discussed are: behavior in social settings, bullying, cliques and peer groups, conflict resolution, eating disorders, goal setting, high school selection, Internet usage, reducing stress, and time management.

Extracurricular Activities

Music/Drama

• Grade five Concert Band
• Grades six-eight Symphonic Bands
• Grade-level choirs
• Grade six-eight Jazz Band (flex)
• Drama club
• Private lessons are available after school on a fee basis.

Academic Competitions:

• Academic Olympics
• American Mathematics competitions
• Chess team
• Continental Mathematics League
• Geography Bee
• Indiana Junior Academic Super Bowl
• Knowledge Masters
• MathCounts
• National History Day
• Science Olympiad
• State Spanish competition
• Vocabulary Bee

Athletics

Teams play against other independent and public schools in the metropolitan area.

Fall Sports

• Coed cross-country
• Coed soccer
• Coed tennis
• Boy’s football (grades 6 – 8, at Park Tudor)
• Girl’s volleyball (grades 5/6 and 7/8)

Winter Sports

• Boy’s basketball (grades 5/6 and 7/8)
• Girl’s basketball (grades 5/6 and 7/8)
• Boy’s wrestling (grades 6 – 8 at Park Tudor)

Spring Sports

• Coed track
• Boys baseball
• Girl’s softball

Contact Mike Waller, Head of Middle School, for more information at mwaller@sycamoreschool.org.