Middle School Marks a Great First Week

Posted by Chip Denton August 26, 2012

Middle School Marks a Great First Week

One of the unintended blessings of the Upper School's opening week class trips is to leave the Middle School the run of the place for a few days. It's actually quite a gift: eighth graders get to assume a certain leadership and the seventh graders have a calmer ascension into the ranks of Middle School.

Friday was a special day for these seventh and eighth graders. Dr. Goss and the Middle School teachers had planned an afternoon of fun and bonding, the sort of activities that capitalize on young adolescents' desire for social interaction.

They started out with a fascinating time of quiet and reflection on the verse for the year. I happened to walk outside in the early afternoon and I saw ninety-something seventh and eighth graders sitting leisurely on the ground--just far enough apart that they couldn't really talk to each other. (Some managed that despite the distance.) They had been instructed to take a time of quiet reflection. How unusual for a Middle School! How unhurried!

Then they came back together for some fun and games, all with a purpose. They played one game where they had to get signatures of someone with a particular profile (likes coffee, is fluent in another language)--a great way to encourage Middle Schoolers to reach out beyond their comfort zones and talk to others. They also had a scavenger hunt in teams. Each homeroom proudly donned its own color of Trinity T-shirt.

Then the afternoon ended, appropriately enough, with the Seniors resuming their leadership on campus. As I drove off campus to my last appointments of the day, I noticed the Class of 2013 painting the wall ball board white, in preparation for their own distinctive signature.