Middle School

Guiding and caring for students through their transition from childhood to adolescence is a major goal at St. Clement's School.  Middle School students gain responsibility, independence, and confidence as they develop personal and academic skills.  The faculty facilitates varied programs inside and outside the classroom to ensure that students are well prepared for their future academic endeavors.  Challenging experiences help encourage each student's meaningful progression through the Middle School years.

The Middle School program is departmentalized.  The core curriculum includes five solid courses in English, history, mathematics, science, and Spanish.  The entire curriculum seeks to develop speaking, writing, critical thinking, and problem solving skills in addition to constructing knowledge in the subject areas.  Homework is an integral part of the Middle School Program, and averages between two and three hours a night.

English
Writing, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and literature are covered in the English program each year.  Writing skills move from organization and language usage to various writing forms and then to the development of a clear and correct writing style.  Literature appreciation is fostered through reading a variety of novels, short stories, poetry, and plays.

History 
Sixth grade students study ancient civilizations from the Mesopotamian period through the Middle Ages.  Seventh graders study Texas history, which emphasizes the people of Texas and their contributions to our heritage through the study of geography and history.  The eighth grade curriculum for American History concentrates on the political, economic and social development of the United States from the Colonial Era through the Civil War.

Mathematics
The math curriculum builds on basic math skills learned in the lower grades as well as introducing algebra and geometry.  In algebra, students investigate concepts in an orderly, logical, and coherent manner.  A primary goal of the algebra program is to use mathematical ideas in solving word problems - problems ranging from everyday applications to the sciences.

Science
Integrated science includes chemistry, physics, biology, and geology.  It is a lab-intense course which brings the world around us into the classroom for a more in-depth study.  At the Middle School level, scientific skills are concentrated on and include: classification, data tables, graphs, models, data interpretation, measurements, scientific method, concept maps, observations, inferences, and calculations.

Spanish
Spanish lessons in the Middle School begin with the sound system, spelling, vocabulary, and grammatical structures.  Instructors introduce students to dialogues, which reinforce and amplify the grammar points and vocabulary, and they facilitate activities to encourage appreciation of the culture.

Physical Education classes, as in Lower School, continue to be a regular part of the students' schedule. In Middle School, students also have opportunities to participate in extra-curricular team sports.

Christian Education , Computer , Art , Music , Outdoor Education , and Speech and Drama are integral parts of our curriculum designed to develop abilities and knowledge within these particular areas, and to connect the concepts and skills learned to the content of core academic courses. Enrichment classes also strive to support cooperative learning and healthy life choices.

Course Outlines
The links below provide course outlines in PDF file format for the various subjects taught at the Middle School grade levels.  If you cannot access the outlines, you may need to download the latest version of Adobe Reader.

The course outlines for Fifth Grade are available on the Lower School page.