Middle School
	Extracurricular and Enrichment Programs

Extracurricular and Enrichment Programs in the Middle School

Being our best selves . . .

To Be a Student Leader
Global Insight
The Middle School Robotics Program

Being our best selves . . .

A thank you to those of you who were able to attend The Middle School Awards this past Monday evening. The number of students involved in extracurricular activities and the diversity of these activities was inspiring. There is no doubt that these opportunities, which challenge students to think and learn in powerful ways, contribute in important ways to our mission of educating the whole child. As with all endeavors, these experiences are not without their own obstacles (being overmatched by an opposing team, memorizing lines for the play, struggling to get the harmonies just right, having to adapt materials to met a robotics challenge). However, when we see our students pushing themselves to do their best for themselves and for the team/group, the opportunities for learning are self-evident.

These programs also provide students with the opportunity to "bump" into a new passion or to deepen a commitment to an area of interest and strength. Through these extracurricular programs, students with varied prior experiences and abilities regularly come together under the guidance of experienced teacher leaders to support each other as they work to be their best selves. I hope that this year’s Awards Night sparked some new areas of interest for students and faculty alike. I look forward to future evenings where we are able to come together as a community to celebrate this important work.

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To Be a Student Leader

One of the fall traditions in the Middle School is the election of student representatives. In Adolescent Issues classes, we discuss the characteristics that might make one a good representative and we explore the many responsibilities that representatives are expected to meet. After these discussions, students who are interested in being a rep write an essay to their classmates in support of their candidacy. At the same time, students who are not running for class rep consider what they are looking for in a class rep. These essays are then read by their teacher to the class without attribution. This calls on students to really listen to the substance of each essay and makes the election of a class rep more than just a popularity contest. The essays are always thoughtful and, while some candidates make bold promises (e.g., a three-day school week, extended recess, nap time), all address issues of real concern to middle school students (e.g., more recess equipment, additional clubs, independent art time).

Students take the voting process seriously, applaud the efforts of all of the candidates, are supportive of those candidates that are not selected, and have high expectations for their elected representative. As the terms of these newly elected representatives begin, they will be asked to seek out the full range of opinions on issues discussed by their classmates, help their classmates to work towards consensus on these issues, on occasion represent ideas with which they may not agree, help to resolve conflicts, problem solve with their classmates, welcome and speak with families visiting the school as part of the admission process, make presentations at middle school meeting, and work with the deans and the principal to clarify old roles and develop new roles for class representatives. These are weighty challenges and this year’s reps with the support of their classmates are ready to meet them.

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Global Insight

At this Wednesday's Middle School Meeting, we had our annual National Geography Bee. Prior to this, students competed in their homerooms to identify our eight finalists. The first round was exciting and challenging. Students pondered a range of questions and supported each other as we worked through this preliminary competition. A number of these competitions were decided by tie breakers, which added to the excitement. In addition to the good fun that the National Geography Bee provides, it also points to the critical importance that a basic understanding of geography plays in being an informed citizen of the world. As technology makes the world smaller and increases our interconnectedness, we should not let ourselves be fooled into thinking that the boundaries, borders, and geographic features of our planet don't matter any more. The geography of our planet provides a key to understanding important aspects of history and culture and provides a lens for focusing on issues that are "of the moment." Knowing where something is by necessity establishes a relationship between places. With an understanding of place, we can gain a deeper insight into the people who inhabit that place while we simultaneously gain new insights about our own place in the world. It is these moments of insight that help to define us as citizens of the world.

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The Middle School Robotics Program

For the dedicated members of the LREI Middle School Robotics Team, an important journey came to an end this past Sunday . . . and what a journey it was! Our team joined the members of over 65 other teams at Riverbank State Park for the FIRST Lego League (FLL) competition. It was a long and grueling day and one that was preceded by many weeks of preparation. After multiple rounds of competition and the research and technical presentations, the LREI Robotics Team walked away with the first place Teamwork Award and the third place Champions Award.

Champion's Award (1st, 2nd and 3rd Places)

That the team was recognized for their intellectual and community-focused efforts speaks to our overarching commitment to help students to think deeply and to act with an awareness of the needs of others. While the competition is a highlight of each team members' experience, the real work took place over many weeks in the LREI science lab. Along the way, their preparation was guided by a number of core principles that resonate with our schools progressive values. The Robotics Team and the related robotics curriculum that is part of the Middle School science program seek to ignite an enthusiasm for discovery, science, and technology in our students. Each year, the Robotics Team embarks on an adventurous challenge based on a current, real-world issue. This year, the team explored the field of Nano technology and discovered that his new frontier will impact every facet of society, from medicine to computers to the environment. Guided by their coaches the team members:

• Researched and solved real-world problems based on the Challenge themePresented their research and solutions
• Built an autonomous robot using engineering concepts

Guiding this work are a number of key principles that drive the robotics program. The experience should:

• Entice kids to think like scientists and engineers
• Provide a fun, creative, hands-on learning experienceTeach kids to experiment and overcome obstaclesBuild self-esteem and confidence
• Inspire kids to participate in science and technology

Whether it is by creativity, technology, or research, the LREI robotics program dares kids to test, explore, expand, and revise their thinking about foundational scientific concepts as they tackle meaningful real-world problems.

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