Academics

Middle School

Parent of current sixth grade student

Middle School presents its own new challenges for parents, but from the moment we stepped on campus at Saint Edward’s, we were confident that our family made the right choice. His teachers describe our son as “respectful in class”, and “delightful”, and we have seen solid strides in his writing skills and other academic pursuits. He has a mixed, fun group of friends and we’re hearing from coaches that he’s putting himself out there with new athletic skills while demonstrating ideal sportsmanship. As a parent, it’s a gift to have a tween who is excited to go to school in the morning, and this experience is better than any of us could have predicted.

Welcome to the Middle School Experience at SES

There are many Florida middle schools to choose from but few focus so intently on the unique needs of the students in this age group.

Saint Edward's Middle School offers a developmentally age-appropriate program of traditional course study. Each member of the Middle School faculty is not only an expert in his or her academic field, but is also aware of the unique intellectual, physical, social and emotional needs of the early adolescent. This diversity allows us to deliver a challenging curriculum in a manner that promotes maximum acquisition of the knowledge and skills necessary for academic success at our Upper School.

- What Makes Our Middle School Special?
  
  Students Share the Middle School Experience

Creating Unique Pottery Art
4/3/2025
Seventh graders Stella Morris, Audrey Elliott and Sloane Moylan with their own unique pottery designs.
Read More
Life Assignment in Mrs. Van Hest's English Class
4/3/2025
In seventh-grade English, students have to read The Giver by Lois Lowry. The Giver is based on a futuristic society where the people have to live by rules or risk being “released” or killed. In this society when kids come of age they are given a job. These jobs help the community thrive. In Mrs. Van Hest’s classes, the students did a project where each student was assigned a job from the book. These jobs are called life assignments. These life assignments consist of a speaker, nurturer, pilot, law and justice, storyteller, caretaker of the old, doctor, rehabilitator, committee of elders, engineer, fish hatchery, laborer, security guard, the Giver, and the Receiver. For this project, the students brought in an outfit and a prop associated with their given assignment. They also gave a speech about how their job was essential to the community and what their job entailed.

Written by Peyton Bittle '30
Read More
Student Writes About the Global Expedition Project
4/1/2025
In sixth grade, there is an end-of-the-year project known as GEP. GEP or Global Expedition Project is when each student is randomly assigned a country to research. During this project, the student writes a letter to that country's embassy in Washington D.C. requesting any information on their country. At this time 25%, or 13, of the sixth graders have received responses from their embassy. Here are a few of the students that have received information.

Sienna Kirkland has the country of Morocco and received a map of Morocco, a letter, a pamphlet, two books, and a coffee table book called Morocco Land of Promise the Spirit of a King and a People.

Lily Postlethwaite who is researching Israel received a pamphlet and a letter that had websites and they thanked her for reaching out.

Emerson McGregor was assigned to India, and he received a packet with information about the country, websites, and information on the country's symbols.

Reagan Weaver has Spain, and she received an email with links to packets and websites.

Shelby Moore was given Germany and received a fact book, 2 magazines, a pack of gummy bears, a letter, and a bracelet.

In May when the students present their Global Expedition Projects, they wear an outfit that represents their country and they set up a display that showcases all of the information on their country that they acquired.

Written by Peyton Bittle '30
Read More
Seventh Graders See 'Murder on the Orient Express'
3/28/2025
Seventh-grade students visited the Indian River State College Performance Center last Friday, where they experienced a live production of Agatha Christie's classic mystery, Murder on the Orient Express. The captivating performance kept everyone intrigued and entertained. Students thoroughly enjoyed the show, appreciating the engaging storyline and remarkable acting. It was an excellent opportunity and a memorable experience for everyone involved.
Read More
Sixth Grade Oyster Dissection
3/13/2025
Students are reading The Pearl as part of the sixth-grade English curriculum, so we examined oysters in Science Lab this week. Sadly, none of the oysters contained a pearl, but students had a lot of fun dissecting oysters and learning about the importance of oyster reefs in the Indian River Lagoon.
Read More

Sixth Grade

Sixth grade is the best! I love that we have an awesome advisory group, that we get to change classes and have a different mix of students in every class. The teachers make learning fun, and I see all my friends throughout the day. We work on projects together and learn new technology to organize and present our knowledge. A highlight of this year is field biology where we go out on campus and collect data on plants and animals and then return to analyze that data throughout the year. In addition to all of the regular classes like math, science, history and English, I also get to take world language, physical education, band, chorus, art and theater. I can even try out for the plays and musicals. Having a study hall every day is really helpful so that I don’t have so much work to do after practice. I’m learning how to study more efficiently and how to organize my time and materials better. If I need help my teachers are always available to answer questions. I look forward to participating in competitive after-school sports and theater throughout the year. Sixth grade is the best!

Seventh Grade

Seventh grade is the best! I don’t have to worry about figuring out the schedule, where classrooms are or how to open my locker. I know most of my teachers already so I understand what they expect from me. But they also challenge me to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I am learning different ways to study and express my knowledge. We communicate regularly with students in other states and in other countries to share ideas. In tests, I am asked to write more about how my knowledge can be applied to new situations. I’m beginning to understand how math is related to science and that global topics and research apply to all academic areas. I get to choose the arts courses that I like the best. PE and Health class provide opportunities to be physically active during the day. My advisor leads by example and helps us learn how to be a good friend and a contributing member of the Saint Edward’s community and beyond. This year is about me understanding my strengths and working on my weaknesses so that I can really excel in eighth grade. That is why seventh grade is the best.

Eighth Grade

Eighth grade is the best! I feel like I am a much more independent learner because of all of the preparation I received during the first two years of Middle School. I appreciate that the teachers expect me to challenge myself my personal best on every assignment, project or assessment, but I also know that they are there for me whenever I have questions. I am my own best advocate. I’ve noticed that the books we read in English deal with much more complex issues, similar to the topics we tackle during Advisory group discussions. In science we use our math skills to investigate chemistry and physics topics. Every day in World Language my confidence grows in understanding and communicating in the target language because the classes are taught exclusively in that language. Athletics become more competitive but the no-cut policy means that I can still be on the team with my friends. My teachers work hard to make sure I am challenged appropriately. In eighth grade I can also take part in a few Upper School clubs. The ME Project in the Spring allows me to reflect and appreciate how much I have grown physically, academically, socially and spiritually over the past three years in Middle School. Also in the Spring we begin working with our Upper School Academic Counselor to choose the best courses to help me achieve my future goals during the next four years. I am ready to fly! Eighth grade is definitely the best year of Middle School.