Finding Your Way, Guided by Growth
Beyond the rigors of academics, your Middle School student will find themselves navigating a period of intense emotional, physiological, and social transition.
Woodward teachers, coaches, and counselors understand the unique needs of adolescents during this period and prioritize a holistic approach to learning. We also emphasize finding common ground and understanding while seeking to learn about each other’s differences. This stable and supportive environment enables your child to achieve optimal academic performance while giving them the tools they need to step into the bodies and minds of young adults.
Respecting ourselves, each other, our school and our world is the Woodward Way.
Academics
At Woodward your Middle School student will be able to mix and match the level of challenge for their courses to help them flourish in areas where they have strong aptitude and to get support in areas where they need more reinforcement. We take the time to get to know your child and calibrate their curriculum level so they can grow to their fullest potential. If your child is particularly strong in sciences, we want to make sure they are placed at a more intensive level with our honors preparatory track. But perhaps they need extra reinforcement in English? We can support them there, too, with our college preparatory or enriched preparatory tracks, designed to keep them aligned with their peers while building their self-confidence in the subject. It’s a balancing act to get it right, but at Woodward, we’ll meet your child where they are and give them the tools they need to succeed in school and in life.
Explore our interactive curriculum guide.
Find Your House, Find Your Home
To help foster a sense of support and belonging, your Middle School student will join one of one of six constellation-inspired “houses.” As in Harry Potter, your child will have the opportunity to earn points for their house by demonstrating academic excellence, character, school spirit, and outstanding performance. In addition to encouraging healthy competition, the houses also inspire students to come together and look out for each other.
Cocurriculars
From Debate to Foreign Film Club to Robotics Team, there are a range of options for your Middle School student to indulge their passions. Whether your student is interested in the environment, religion, a world language, government, art, film, or more, Woodward has something that will cater to your child’s interests (or help them discover new ones!). Through these cocurricular experiences, our students deepen their understanding and learn to collaborate with peers who have different philosophies, talents, and interests.
Maymester
As an Middle School student, you will participate in Maymester during the last week of the school year and choose from a variety of unique courses that provide real-world learning opportunities. Designed as a short-term enrichment program, Maymester is anchored in the philosophy of experiential education to prepare you for life beyond the gates of Woodward. You can choose from cross-disciplinary courses—from Zoology, to Sports Marketing, to Ancient Civilizations and Cultures, and much more—where you’ll be exposed to different ideas, cultures, community, and relationships through a memorable hands-on learning experience.
“I think Woodward is the best school for me because of how diverse it is. The fact that I can be around so many different people means a lot to me. I love learning about people's experiences. I also love the numerous opportunities that Woodward provides. Everyone has the chance to find something they love.
The people I want to be around are here." Middle School student
Respecting Ourselves & Others
Middle School can be a turbulent time for many students, when feelings and attitudes about themselves and those around them begin to crystalize. It is a critical moment to help your child find a path toward community, compassion, and learning how to treat themselves and others with respect and compassion. Woodward’s racial, ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity in terms of its student body and faculty, along with a curriculum and culture based on principles of shared experience and learning from one another, will help ensure that your Middle School student will know who they are and how they fit into the world around them.
Arts
The Middle School arts program is diverse and emphasizes recognizing and developing your student’s artistic abilities. Your student may choose from performing arts options in symphonic, marching, or jazz bands, small ensembles, and private instruction. Choir, offered as an elective throughout the year, develops your student’s sight-reading skills while exposing them to music from around the world. If your child is a dancer, our program offers a range of instruction in ballet, modern, and jazz techniques. And our national standard drama program will expose your student to acting, directing, and dramatic literature.
Meanwhile, Woodward offers a broad and challenging visual arts program housed in a fully-equipped arts center that rivals college-level facilities. Your student will learn steps of conceptual development as well as various art production methods while gaining an understanding of the historical context of art, methods of presentation and critique, and professions in the arts.
P.E. & Athletics
Your student will be imbued with the fundamental skills and knowledge to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. P.E. classes comprise a balanced curriculum of individual and team sports and fitness development, including basic cardiovascular training, strength training, fitness testing, and agility activities. Your student also has the option to participate in field sports, net/target sports, invasion sports, aquatics, and gymnastics/tumbling.
Woodward takes a holistic approach in its athletics programs, working to develop your student-athlete on and off the field. They will have an opportunity to challenge themselves through sport and to build upon characteristics of leadership and citizenship, while cultivating teamwork, self-discipline, and responsibility. And while they are building those lifelong skills, your student will be practicing and playing in state-of-the-art facilities under the guidance of coaching staff invested in helping your child achieve their highest level of performance while ensuring their overall well-being.
Transition Learning Support Program
Everyone learns differently. The Transition program is designed to accommodate your child’s mild to moderate learning challenges via more specialized instruction in smaller classes, a faculty composed of specialized experts, and proven pedagogical approaches for every academic area. Your student will tackle the same demanding college-preparatory curriculum as their peers in the mainstream track, but will do so while cultivating the tools and strategies needed to convert different learning preferences into confidence, social and emotional stability, and tremendous academic success.
FAQs
- Are 7th or 8th grade expansion years?
- Is there any mentoring for new students coming in?
- Are the athletic programs cut sports?
- What is the homework load at Middle School?
- How many students are in 7th grade or 8th grade?
- Is there support for my child?
- Is the curriculum going to challenge my child?
- How involved are parents in the community?
Are 7th or 8th grade expansion years?
Is there any mentoring for new students coming in?
Are the athletic programs cut sports?
What is the homework load at Middle School?
How many students are in 7th grade or 8th grade?
Is there support for my child?
Is the curriculum going to challenge my child?
How involved are parents in the community?
Meet Our Team
Dee Koscik
Shannon Jackson
Jessica Parsons
Meredith Draper
Naima Williams
Explore Further
Your child’s education is a unique journey of growth, enlightenment, and exploration as they find their way into the world. At Woodward, we provide the compass for that journey.