Middle School Traditions
Grade 6 - Grade 8
Middle School is the bridge to high school with an emphasis in grade six on study skills and organization in preparation for the challenging courses taken in seventh and eighth grades. All students continue with the school’s core curriculum, including two English classes per day, but in the seventh and eighth grades, students also begin the study of Latin, completing high school level Latin I, and take high school level Spanish I or French I. Math instruction is geared to a student’s ability and experience. Thus, a student in eighth grade, depending on the math he or she has already had, could enroll in Pre-algebra, Algebra, or Geometry.
Academic Traditions
Weekly Clubs
Lights, Camera, Action!
Weekly Assemblies
Medieval Banquet
Latin Convention
Academic Competitions
Middle School Sports
Experiential Field Trips
Trips Abroad
WCDS Courtesies
Student Government
Team Building and Character Education
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Academic Traditions
Weekly Word of the Day tests & Monthly Great 100s are core elements of a WCDS classical education.
The curriculum includes vocabulary and origins of words as well as 100 important figures who have shaped the history of the world. -
Weekly Clubs
Clubs are offered on Fridays. Students choose from an array of activities that can include:
- Archery
- Drama
- Creative Writing
- Guitar
- Fishing
- Gardening, and more
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Lights, Camera, Action!
Students perform in the classroom and on stage for the Classical Recital, the Lord of the Rings Feast, and Medieval Banquet.
They memorize scenes from Tolkien, Shakespeare, and Sophocles and write and produce their own original plays. -
Weekly Assemblies
Each week students gather for a formal Assembly to hear announcements and share scholastic and artistic expertise. All Students participate in one or more of these traditional performances:
- Recitations of famous speeches or poems
- Enactments of historical events
- Dramatic presentations of scenes from literature
- Celebrations of seasonal holidays
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Medieval Banquet
Fun for all!
Students become nobles of the Court as the school is transformed into a Medieval town and castle.- Jousting
- Crafts
- Pancake races
- the Roasted beast
- Prizes for authentic costumes, and more!
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Latin Convention
Fall and summer competition opportunities for classic scholars abound.
Students are immersed in Latin culture and fun, from artistic and athletic pursuits to academic testing and dramatic recitations. -
Academic Competitions
Students compete individually and with middle school teams to win at the regional, state, and national levels.
- History Bowl
- Certamen
- Robotics
- Rocketry
- Area contests for art, music and writing.
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Middle School Sports
Students compete on teams in the Dulaney Athletic Conference with 8th graders having the option to play on high school varsity and junior varsity teams.
- Soccer
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Lacrosse
- and Skiing
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Experiential Field Trips
All students travel to enhance classroom learning
- Washington DC monuments
- National Parks
- Museums
- Theaters
- Battlefields
- Rivers for local trout release
- Canoe trips
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Trips Abroad
All 7th and 8th graders travel to England as an extension of their study of British History.
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WCDS Courtesies
All students are taught the Wakefield Courtesies
- Never lie, cheat or steal
- Treat others with respect
- Stand when an adult enters a room
- Hold the door open for others
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Student Government
Students lead the school from within.
Elected class representatives from grades 4-12 oversee multiple student activities from dances to science and movie nights; dodge ball games to pep rallies. -
Team Building and Character Education
Students learn to work as a team and through literature and daily interaction with each other strive to embody and learn the following character traits:
Respect - Responsibility - Courage - Humility -Charity - Citizenship - Honor - Perseverance and Wisdom