The Middle School Model
Personal Attention
In the Middle School, our talented team of teachers and administrators get to know every girl. We take the time to understand her hopes and dreams, which allows us to map out a personalized path to increase her confidence and ensure her success in the classroom, on the field and in the theater.
Further, Maryvale’s Center for Academic Excellence allows for additional tailored support and enrichment to meet each student’s needs and help her surpass her goals.
The Middle School Advisory Program meets regularly and affords the opportunity for students to build community and engage in developmentally appropriate social and emotional lessons. Topics include digital citizenship, empathy, body image and stress management. Additionally, we gather weekly as an entire Middle School to promote a sisterhood among all Middle School students.
Curriculum in Motion
Responding to studies showing that movement helps Middle Schoolers absorb and retain new material, we offer many opportunities for our girls to be on the go throughout the day, both with and without their devices.
In conjunction with our “bring your own device” program, hands-on learning activities are routinely incorporated into our dynamic curriculum. Our Middle Schoolers are moving and learning on every corner of our 100-plus-acre campus — a true living classroom.
Our Middle School leverages our Upper School courses to allow students to advance their studies. From world languages to both visual and performing arts, Maryvale Middle School students have the opportunity to take Upper School classes and also begin earning Upper School credits.
The Middle School has a customized math program which offers more than four levels of math, including courses as advanced as Algebra II. Maryvale provides options to ensure our girls are appropriately placed and challenged.
In addition, Middle School students are presented with two world language options — French and Spanish — which begin as early as the sixth grade. This allows for more time to be dedicated to the skills of speaking and listening through incorporating authentic resources.
Middle School students can also choose an elective to study for the year. From journalism to dance and technology, these electives offer a deep-dive approach into a content area for the school year.
Hands-On Learning
Each year our entire Middle School spends three days in a project-based thematic learning unit. From celebrating diversity around the globe to learning about oceans, our girls experience field trips, guest speakers and complete projects surrounding these topics. Previous cultural, hands-on learning projects include making Japanese cuisine with a professional chef, Irish dancing and learning the Brazilian martial art Jiu Jitsu.
Lessons in Leadership
At Maryvale, we believe our youngest students can be extraordinary leaders. Under the umbrella of our signature Leadership Institute, we offer leadership classes and Advisory lessons for sixth, seventh and eighth graders, where the girls begin to develop confidence that will serve them for a lifetime.
We strategically infuse numerous opportunities for our girls to showcase their leadership skills before their classmates and the community. Whether they are leading a prayer in Community Homeroom, campaigning for a position in Middle School Student Council or heading up a co-curricular club, we ensure that our learners of today will become our leaders of tomorrow.
Each year our eighth grade girls participate in a speech contest which allows them to hone their public speaking skills. As part of the experience, each girl delivers a speech to her class. In addition, our eighth graders develop their first resumes to help prepare them for future internships and their first jobs.
The Maryvale Way
It’s easy to recognize a Maryvale girl by her uniform, but also by her character. The Maryvale Way is both a standard and a mindset where respect, dignity and inclusivity are at the forefront of each student’s educational journey.
Every day, we strive to create a positive, welcoming environment that allows our community to live out the mission created by our founders, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. At the heart of that mission are the beliefs in the following hallmarks: the goodness of God; the dignity of each person; an education on behalf of social justice and peace in the world; commitment to community service; the gift of diversity; legacy of friendship rooted in God; and the development of holistic learning communities.