Shadow Puppetry

The Middle School years are a time of substantial growth, both physically and emotionally, as students enter as children and leave as teenagers ready to enter Upper School. We give students the means to think, understand, and apply their knowledge through intellectual and practical problem solving. We address their developmental needs by supporting their increased need for good organization, routine study skills, responsibility for their work, and mature social behavior. Our top priorities in Middle School: guiding them toward independence and self-advocacy. As students come to understand and adapt to their own learning styles, they develop the capabilities to become lifelong learners.

Woodlawn applies multiple approaches to learning in order to prepare students to be effective 21st century learners. Our project-based interdisciplinary curriculum stretches students' thinking from the concrete to the abstract; students respond to real-world questions and challenges through an extended inquiry process. Classes are small and discussion-based. Students collaborate with their classmates, using their critical thinking and communication skills. Teachers, as curriculum designers, create innovative projects that engage Middle School students in complex, real-world experiences through which they develop and apply skills and knowledge. Our approach keeps enthusiasm high, while helping students to become creative, resourceful problem solvers. The students also have frequent opportunities to apply their academic learning and to "give back" to the community through field trips and our service learning partnerships.

When Woodlawn students complete Middle School, they are equipped to:

• communicate clearly
• work effectively with others
• make intellectual connections
• synthesize and analyze information to solve problems
• understand issues from multiple viewpoints
• use good judgment and common sense
• recognize and respond to ethical issues
• demonstrate compassion and empathy for others