Day in the Life - Hannah Grade 8
Middle School students take a total of eight classes, alternating four classes per day (rotating A & B days).
Before School
My mom is a teacher in the Lower School, so each morning my sister and I go to her classroom at around 7:30 am. Then, at around 7:45 am, I take a short walk across campus to the Middle School. Some mornings, if I need extra help, I head to a specific teacher’s classroom. On other mornings, I use this as a time to talk to friends before the academic day starts at 8:15 am.
1st Period - US History
History class with Mrs. Cook is one of my favorites. Often, we participate in fun activities that help us to learn about the causes and effects of historical events, which help us to better understand their impact. An example of one of these fun projects is when we had the opportunity to “teach” the class about a specific historical era, by creating a presentation, where we chose the key information.
2nd Period - English
Mrs. Longman is my eighth-grade English teacher. We are currently working to improve our argumentative essays, through the process of drafting and editing one we wrote on a topic that matters to us. The topic I have chosen for this essay is “Do Children Receive Too Many Trophies?” When writing the essay, we spent some time focusing on how to find and cite reliable sources for research with the Middle School Librarian, Ms. Martin-Gull.
10:10-10:25 - Advisory/Snack
Advisory provides me with a great opportunity to work on the aspects of Mind, Body, and Spirit. I am the president of the Middle School’s Student Leadership Council, which meets virtually every Tuesday via Google Meet. On Thursdays, we have Chapel, which gives me time to reflect and learn about Christianity. Some weeks, I participate in the Chapel service as an acolyte and reader.
3rd Period - Dance
During dance class with Ms. Petronio, we often work to improve our technique and our knowledge of dance history, in the different styles of jazz, ballet, and modern. Additionally, we are given the opportunity to create our own dances and movements through the choreography unit, where we learn about the language of dance, as well as tools for choreography like mirroring and cannons.
4th Period - PE
PE with Coach Robertson has helped me to both learn more about various sports and taught me how to better take care of my body, by doing things such as eating healthy and staying active. This time to move around during the school day also provides me with a nice brain break from academics.
5th Period - Chinese
Ms. Zhang is my Chinese teacher this year. In her class, I am able to learn about the language of Mandarin Chinese, as well as the culture and customs of China. I have definitely found that Chinese is difficult, but the challenge and beauty of the language are part of what makes the class so special. In this class, I am given the opportunity to showcase what I have learned through things like the FSCC Chinese Competition and the CLASS National Poster Contest.
12:15-1:30 - Lunch Block
By lunchtime, I’m usually pretty hungry, so it's a good thing the food is so delicious. Pizza on Wednesdays is a fun tradition, though chicken tenders are probably the favorite for most students. It’s no issue if you’re not really in the mood for that day’s hot food either, as there’s always a nice selection of sandwiches and salads to choose from.
6th Period - Math
Right after lunch, I walk over to the Upper School. In Middle School, students have the opportunity to take advanced math courses in the Upper School. Math has always been my favorite subject, and Geometry with Upper School teacher Mr. Fisher is definitely no exception. The material in the class is sometimes challenging, but I’m always given the extra help I need to succeed. I love when the things I learn in class come together, and I’m able to see math’s connection to the real world.
7th Period - Design
Ms. Crombie’s Design class has been very interesting to me. We did several things in this course, but working with Arduinos, which are programmable circuit boards, was definitely my favorite. In these lessons, I learned a lot about the way ordinary things, like a light switch or distance sensor, work. One of my favorite projects with an Arduino was when I combined the code for a distance sensor and LCD display so that different messages would appear depending on how close I got to the sensor.
8th Period - Science
In eighth grade science, which is taught by Mrs. O’Connell, we work mainly to learn the basics of biology, such as the various organelles in eukaryotic cells and the different parts of our DNA. Periodically, we have hands-on projects and labs that allow us to show our knowledge in interesting ways. One of my favorite projects this year was when we had the opportunity to present an idea we had of how to “redesign” a system in the human body, using current scientific studies and technology.
After School Activity - Dance Company
Dance has been a hobby of mine since I was around five years old. In sixth grade, I had the opportunity to join the Saint Andrew’s Dance Company. We meet after school Mondays through Thursdays, and it is always one of the best parts of my day. Under the instruction of Ms. Petronio, we have the opportunity to improve our technique in ballet, modern, and jazz dance styles, as well as perform several times each year. These performances include some on campus, like Novemberfest: a Fall Festival of Dance, and the Spring Celebration of Dance, but there are also some off-campus performances, like the Future Stars Performing Arts competition, which we took second and third place in this year.