English Literature, Grammar, and Composition (two class periods): Sixth graders become more adept at reading shorter texts, gaining a broad exposure to styles and genres through the study of a range of short stories and poems, developing reading strategies to quickly analyze and develop, support, and defend opinions about the materials they read. They apply their knowledge of intermediate English grammar both in their analysis of others’ writings and in crafting their own. A logical and structured thought process is encouraged through narrative, expository, persuasive, comparative, and research-based writing topics. Students submit their best works to the local library for judging in the county writing contest.

Science: Sixth-grade science focuses on the human body and its various systems. Special topics of interest include immunity and disease, a very current topic! Students participate in the annual science fair, allowing them to apply analytical and compositional skills in a scientific context as they design an experiment, conduct research, and interpret data.

Math: Combining theoretical and practical math is key in 6th grade, as students build on elementary math concepts and prepare for a high school math curriculum. WCDS utilizes the University of Chicago’s Everyday Mathematics, a nationally recognized applied math program designed to unlock a student’s ability to solve real-world math problems. Students begin work with variables, rates and ratios, graphs, formulas, and more complex mathematical concepts in preparation for Pre-Algebra, taken the following year.

World and Environmental Geography: As students prepare to become global citizens, an understanding of global political, human, and environmental geography is ever more important. In 6th grade, students move across the world, starting in the Americas, then on to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and finally Asia/Pacific regions. Students master map skills and data analysis and study the physical, political, and cultural geography of different regions using multiple resources to enhance their understanding. Students complete a variety of group and individual projects which incorporate writing and presentation skills.

Spanish: The Middle School Spanish program consists of an introduction to the language that is cumulative and theme-based. The goal is to immerse students in both the Spanish language and culture. As students explore the Hispanophone world, they experience the rich songs, books, arts, and culture of Latin America and Spanish-speaking Europe through interactive activities and technology-enhanced extension activities to encourage active speech and usage. Lessons in Spanish are centered around practical themes such as greetings, family, animals, numbers, colors, weather, clothing, and holidays.

Literature: Seventh graders review and further their knowledge of literary elements and annotations while expanding their understanding of character development and analysis, plot structure, and viewpoints. As students explore their paths forward, they focus on the themes of exploration and growth. The course covers a wide variety of topics, including American Manifest Destiny, India, and the effects of colonization. Students focus on writing about literature as well as reading and discussing it.

Grammar and Composition: This course includes heavily intertwined instruction in both grammar and composition. The purpose of grammar instruction is to help students understand and analyze the structure of English. This understanding will help students improve their writing and serve as an important linguistic foundation in their foreign language studies. In composition, students write across a wide range of genres, with an emphasis on solid analytical writing. Students also have quizzes on commonly misspelled or misused words, editing, summarizing, and outlining. Assignments emphasize stylistic techniques, outlining, organization, mechanics, and editing across a variety of formats, from drills pieces and in-class, timed writing to multi-draft essays and an MLA-formatted thesis.

Math: The WCDS college preparatory math sequence begins in 7th grade. Students have the option of taking Pre-Algebra or Algebra I, depending on a student’s ability in math. Pre-Algebra is an introductory, yet rigorous course for students to understand the fundamentals of Algebra and Geometry in depth. Students in Algebra I will develop a deep understanding of expressions, equations, and linear functions as they learn techniques for solving and graphing quadratic equations. Developing strong note-taking skills and producing well-organized written work is also stressed in the course. Students in both courses cover the important skills of data analysis, transformation, and real-world technological applications of mathematics.

British History: Seventh-grade British History, which follows the story of Britain from prehistory through the reign of George III, has two central aims. First, following the whole arc of human history in a single, centrally located place instills in students a strong sense of the sequencing of and causal relationships between major movements and eras of world history. Second, through tracing the rise of British democracy and religious movements, the course seeks to provide a deeper context for and understanding of our own American government and culture. The course emphasizes note-taking, analysis, and essay writing as well as evaluating and interpreting primary sources. As a capstone, students take an 11-day study trip to the United Kingdom.

Earth Science: Students are introduced to Earth Science in preparation for the AP Environmental Science course offered in high school. Included are the studies of matter, minerals, rocks, energy, plate tectonics, geological time, atmosphere, climate, oceanography, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Students perform multiple challenging, hands-on labs, including edible plate tectonics, fossil identification, and creations of solar-generated models and wind turbines that students enter in state-wide competitions.

Latin IA: This course is the first half of a high-school-level Latin I class. Students are expected to gain mastery of basic Latin grammatical forms, develop analytical and translation skills, acquire a Latin vocabulary of at least 250 words (with an eye both towards translation and English derivatives), and become conversant with diverse aspects of Classical culture. Many extracurricular activities are available, including weekend Certamina (quiz bowls) and state and national competitions sponsored by the Junior Classical League. WCDS students consistently rank among the best in the state and nation at these events.

The Hero's Quest in World Literature: Students read an extensive selection of classic literature centered around the theme of the Epic Journey or Hero’s Quest. The literature includes the Epic of Gilgamesh, Book of Job or Exodus, Odyssey, and Lord of the Rings. Students also put on a Classical Recital drama production after studying Sophocles’ Antigone and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Fundamentals of Grammar and Composition Part II: English composition focuses on advanced writing skills, including the 8th-grade thesis project; students write and present a 7–10-page paper on topics of their choice, learning all the higher-level research steps, citation, logic, argumentation, and defense. Assignments emphasize stylistic techniques, outlining, organization, mechanics, and editing across various formats, from drills pieces and in-class, timed writing to multi-draft essays and an MLA-formatted thesis.

Algebra I or Geometry: Depending on the student's math abilities and preferences from 7th grade, students will continue to progress through the college preparatory math sequence. In Algebra, students will develop a deep understanding of expressions, equations, and linear functions as they learn techniques for solving and graphing quadratic equations. Developing strong note-taking skills and producing well-organized written work is also stressed in the course. In Geometry, students focus on Euclidean geometry and the concept of logical reasoning in mathematics. Specific topics covered in Geometry include lines, solids, surfaces, graphical representations, and an introduction to trigonometry.

Survey of World History: World History Part I asks the question: "What is History?" as they examine the ancient civilizations like those in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India.

Physical Science: Students are introduced to Physical Science in preparation for the AP Physics Science course offered in high school. Included are the STEM studies of matter, energy, magnetism, electricity, energy sources, and waves, including mathematical equations and chemistry. Students perform multiple challenging and hands-on labs, including producing award-winning roller-coaster simulations and creating solar-generated models and wind turbines that students enter in state-wide competitions.

Latin IB: This course is the second half of a high school level Latin I class. Students deepen their understanding of Latin grammatical forms, develop analytical and translation skills, acquire a Latin vocabulary of at least 500 words (with an eye both towards translation and English derivatives), and explore further aspects of Classical culture. Many extracurricular activities are available, including weekend Certamina (quiz bowls) and state and national competitions sponsored by the Junior Classical League. WCDS students consistently rank among the best in the state and nation at these events.

Arts and Music: Students in Middle School develop more advanced drawing techniques and a deeper understanding of artistic elements and theory. During these years, students work on improving their observational drawing through the study of drawing strategies and techniques. Each year consists of a culminating project, including portraits of themselves in Andy Warhol's style and a series dedicated to an artist of choice. In music, students develop a fundamental understanding of sound, tone, composition, rhythm, and of course, instruments. As students grow and flourish, they prepare for their bi-annual concert performances. Students may also choose to pursue instrumental lessons further, depending on the student's time constraints and wishes.

Spanish: The Spanish-speaking world comes to life in Middle School Spanish through active communication and a strong grammatical foundation in the language that mirrors authentic situations. Students have daily opportunities to read, write, speak, and listen to the language to obtain new vocabulary and grammar. Students' study of Latin in Middle School makes remarkable progress in Spanish grammar and vocabulary acquisition. Students will explore many different cultural practices throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Upon graduation from Wakefield, the students can express themselves with fluency and precision and appreciate the rich Spanish literary tradition.