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MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

The Westminster Middle School focuses on the development of the whole child through a rich and challenging curriculum that balances traditional and innovative teaching methods.

Cultivating creativity, enhancing skill development, and supporting personal growth, teachers build study strategies as they incorporate technology, experiential learning, and critical thinking skills into the daily curriculum. The goal is to prepare students for a seamless transition to the Upper School—and for their lives beyond.

Course Offerings

MayATL

In May, all Middle School students take a mini-elective course designed to engage their curiosity and interests beyond the standard curriculum in the final days of the school year. Leveraging the bounty of resources within the city of Atlanta, MayATL offers authentic learning experiences that transcend classroom walls and connect our students to the broader community.

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Our Schedule

The Middle School schedule features seven courses, rotating six periods a day. Office Hours four times a week provide ample time for students to connect with faculty, ask questions, or get additional help. Daily recess and homeroom meetings, along with twice-weekly community time, balance the academic schedule. 

sample schedule

Academic Experiences

 

Eighth Grade Science Fair

The Middle School Science Fair is an exciting opportunity for Westminster students to experience the scientific method in action while researching a topic of their choice.  The Science Fair encourages students to hone their team-building skills as they work with others throughout the first semester to investigate challenging scientific problems.  The project culminates in a school-level fair where students share their work with parents, fellow students, and panels of judges. The top projects advance to the regional competition and potentially to the Georgia State Science and Engineering Fair (GSEF) and the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

Seventh Grade National History Day Project

Seventh grade U.S. History students have participated in the National History Day (NHD) competition since 2020. Students choose their topics based on the annual theme set by the NHD organizers and conduct extensive primary and secondary research to create a unique thesis about their topic. They then present their findings in a variety of different formats of their choosing: website, visual exhibit, documentary, dramatic performance, or individual paper. Students also share their final projects with the entire Middle School. Westminster students have had great success in the regional, state, and national competitions, including a second-place finish in the national group exhibit category in 2022.

 

Sixth Grade Outsiders Project

Sixth grade students enhance their study of The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton through a collaborative experience in the Innovation Lab. Students work as a whole class to build a scale model of the town in the novel, highlighting the key features of the setting through the intentional use of size, detail, and color. While the scale and craftsmanship of each element of the setting are central to the project, students are also evaluated on their ability to practice meaningful collaboration, communication, and problem solving with their classmates.

Holy Days and Festivals Expo

In alignment with Westminster’s Christian Mission, the Middle School strives to cultivate in students an ethic of respect and appreciation for persons of all faiths. To this end, the seventh grade Exploring the Bible and World Religions curriculum offers students the opportunity to learn about the precepts, customs, and celebrations of four major faiths—Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam. The Holy Days and Festivals Expo invites Westminster parents to share the most meaningful aspects of holy days and festivals related to their faith. In the days following the Expo, the seventh grade students embark on a field trip to explore sacred places in Atlanta, each representing one of the four major world religions.

 

Eigth Grade Oscars / Romeo and Juliet Film Project

As part of their English studies, eighth grade students take on the challenge of adapting a scene from Romeo and Juliet to a new medium: film. In small groups, they select a scene from the play and deepen their understanding of Shakespeare. Students must think critically to convincingly adapt their scenes. The project culminates in an eighth grade Oscars ceremony complete with red carpet arrivals, where Oscars are given out in 15 categories.