About Our Middle School
The years between the Fifth and Eighth Grade represent a period of profound growth in the academic and social development of children. The Middle School years transition students from the self-contained classroom experience of the lower school years to the subject-driven, independent nature of the upper school years.
We teach your children at a critical age when they are developing their own identity, entering adolescence, and finding their sense of self among a larger community. We strive to enhance their commitment to and love of learning, and to develop their sense of responsibility to the community at large. These middle school years will offer many opportunities to engage in new activities and experiences, to explore new frontiers of knowledge, and to interact cooperatively with both peers and adults.
In a rapidly changing world we teach our students to be thoughtful citizens of their communities, locally, nationally and globally. Our four pillars serve as a foundation that will prepare them for high school and beyond, honing their critical thinking, research and writing, and textual analysis skills.
Deep, Integrated Core Academics in Judaic and General Studies
This will connect all core academic disciplines in a meaningful, broad way. We will engage in design thinking projects, discussions, and experiences that will enhance our students’ competencies, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration - all through a Jewish lens.
Health and Well-being: Mind, Body, and Soul
The goal is to promote and deepen student and communal connections and relationships. We will accomplish this by using the common language of Responsive Classroom, a student-centered social-emotional approach to learning. Our entire faculty and staff are working together to help foster our students’ self-confidence, self-esteem, and problem-solving skills in positive, productive, and joyful ways.
Tech Tools and Applications
We will prioritize tools that will enhance our students' technology toolbox and applications for learning and socially engaging in a safe, responsible, thoughtful way.
Worldview
With our world becoming increasingly more connected, our students will explore world issues and needs through a Jewish lens in an age-appropriate way. They will learn to consider the potential of their personal and collective impact as future Jewish and greater community leaders.
Digital Citizenship
At Ramaz, we teach students the skills to be good digital citizens, directly connecting our Jewish values of respect and kindness to actions and practices. Throughout the school year, we offer tech safety webinars, exploring the ways our children’s relationship with the Internet and personal technology has dramatically changed over the past year; how to manage screen time; the apps they are using and whether they are safe; and how we can help them grow into responsible digital citizens.
Our Approach to Teaching and Learning
We believe in educating the whole child—which means we foster the social, emotional, religious and spiritual well-being of every child, as well as their academic well-being. We support students where they are on their educational journey, whether at grade-level or in need of enrichment or additional learning center support. We also offer a wide array of programming, clubs and activities so students can pursue their passions, both in and out of the classroom. non-jargon language, describe this in as compelling a way as possible so that general non-educational web users will easily grasp.