Middle School
Middle School inspires growing students to flourish and lead.
Students deepen their academic study, critical thinking, and logical reasoning while taking on leadership roles.
Developing academic independence and scholarship
Through project-based learning and leveled classes, students are challenged to reach their fullest potential. Higher-order thinking is developed through research, literary analysis, STEM and science labs, advocacy work, and opportunities to solve complex problems and communicate ideas with confidence.
As students transition to departmentalized instruction, they strengthen the study habits and executive functioning skills essential for success in high school and beyond. Guided by faculty, students develop academic independence, intellectual curiosity, and a lifelong commitment to scholarship.
Our Judaic Studies program encourages students to engage deeply with Torah while developing their own personal connection to Jewish texts. In Eighth Grade, our Jewish History curriculum explores Zionism and the historical development of Medinat Yisrael, culminating in the transformative Eighth Grade Israel Mission, where students deepen their connection to the land, people, and State of Israel through meaningful encounters and guided reflection.
Raising our leaders for the future
Students also explore government and civic responsibility through our Living Government Series, welcoming civic leaders into the classroom for meaningful conversations about public service, democracy, and citizenship. These authentic experiences encourage students to think critically about their role as informed, engaged members of both the Jewish community and society at large.
Learning extends well beyond the classroom through enriching extracurricular opportunities, including Mishna and Nach Yomi, the Names, Not Numbers® Holocaust education project, Chesed programs, National History Day, the student-published Ivrit b'Ivrit newspaper, athletics, intergrade learning, and a range of electives that allow students to pursue personal interests, develop new talents, and deepen their academic passions. Our schoolwide approach to digital citizenship further supports students in developing healthy and responsible technology habits that prepare them to navigate an increasingly connected world with self-discipline.
Creating a lifelong community of learners
Our graduates leave MDS with a strong sense of self, community, and purpose that endure well beyond Eighth Grade, equipped with knowledge, skills, middot, and confidence.
Our students are highly sought after during high school admissions season, and 97% get into their first choice high schools.
