Courage in the Middle
The middle years are full of change, questions, and new discoveries. In Grades 7-9 at STS, students explore who they are, who their people are, and how they want to show up in the world.
Nurturing Independence
Learners take on harder work and more responsibility with guidance at every step, building the habits and confidence they will need for Senior School and beyond.
Seen & Supported
Advisory groups, small classes, and a close staff team mean students are noticed when they are thriving and when something is off, with support ready to step in early.
Finding Their Fit
Arts, athletics, clubs, service, and outdoor adventures give students room to try different activities and roles, helping them discover what feels like a good fit for their passions and strengths.
Possibilities Taking Shape
Learning begins to look and feel more like the world students are stepping into. Big questions sit at the centre of units, with subjects connecting around real issues and ideas.Structure grows alongside independence. Expectations rise, and so does support. Students are known closely enough that they cannot slip into the background, even if they sometimes want to.
SPARK
Program
SPARK is a key part of the Middle School experience. At regular points in the year, students step away from their usual timetable to dive into short, intensive offerings that stretch their thinking or introduce something new.
Space to Explore
Options might include areas such as design, entrepreneurship, outdoor skills, wellness, social impact, arts, or technology. Students choose from a range of SPARK sessions, then work closely with teachers and peers who share their interests.
Core Outcomes
SPARK gives learners a chance to:
- explore topics that go beyond the regular curriculum
- work in different groupings and meet new mentors
- take healthy risks in a low pressure environment
- notice emerging interests that they can carry with them into the future
These focused experiences help students see how their skills and curiosities can connect to real problems, creative projects, and future pathways of possibilities.
BELONGING
Growing up, together.
The middle years are a practice ground for the kind of independence life will ask of them. A team of advisors, teachers, learning strategists, counsellors, and administrators gives students more responsibility while staying close to guide and cheer them on.
Whether they have been on campus for years or arrive midstream, they are encouraged to try new things, make mistakes safely, find their people, and learn how to look out for others. As they move into the next phase of life, they carry a solid sense of who they are, where they belong, and how to be a kind, grounded human in community.
Middle School in Action
A closer look at learning and life from 7-9
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