Middle School
Grades 6–8Middle School is an important period of rapid development, and Grayson understands that gifted adolescents crave purposeful learning with a clear “why” behind it.
Our faculty fires up the intellectual curiosity of our students while empowering them to take ownership of their education. We guide them to be the drivers of their own experience, not just passengers.
These years are packed with both intellectual and social-emotional growth, and at Grayson, our students thrive in a safe, supportive environment where they can truly be themselves. They forge strong connections with peers, teachers, and counselors who appreciate—and embrace!—their unique ways of looking at the world.
Academics
In Middle School, we foster gifted students’ growing sense of agency. In this time of self-discovery and increasing independence, Grayson gives students more say over what they spend their days learning.
Our teachers evaluate students’ growth through authentic assessments that require them to apply their learning to novel situations, synthesize complex ideas, and stretch their thinking. Teachers use comprehensive narratives and standards-based indicators in their evaluations.
Projects
Bringing Big Ideas to Life
Grayson’s Projects curriculum challenges students to solve problems through collaborative and design thinking. Our Middle School students learn to set ambitious goals, take intellectual risks, and to recover when they fail.
Acrylic Cathedral
One group recently designed and built an elaborate “Acrylic Cathedral” from the ruins of all the acrylic panels our school used during the pandemic. Students designed windows telling the story of the universe from the Big Bang to the birth of the modern world and far into the future.
Pre-digital Kinetic Products
Other groups immersed themselves in forgotten American history, culture, and people to simulate pre-digital kinetic products such as a modern model of King Kong on the Empire State Building; a carnival game based on the history of the powdered wig; and a version of the game “Operation” based on real-world conditions during the Civil War.
Experiences
