Guided by experienced faculty, Middle School students build their foundation of academic and social skills in a supportive environment. Curriculum The Middle School curriculum uses an interdisciplinary approach that encourages students to explore and understand the world around them. For example, a research project on Native American culture that brings together lessons in literature, history, geography, and art is enhance by a search for arrowheads at a nearby park. A lab report on photosynthesis in campus plants asks students to hone their analytical and grammatical skills. The curriculum relies heavily on Barrie's campus and the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area as extended learning resources.
Classes are deliberately small to encourage every student's participation.
Discussion groups and team projects foster cooperation, respect, and intellectual exchange. The Middle School's co-curricular activities complement these core studies and broaden students' educational experiences. Extension Days, which take place on alternate Wednesdays, offer special programs on or off campus that enhance Middle School classroom studies. Community service is an important way for Barrie students to care for and learn about the people and world around them. From working at a soup kitchen on Capitol Hill to planting tulip bulbs on campus to tutoring younger students in the Lower School, Middle Schoolers learn the value of sharing their time and skills with other During Extended Study Week, students participate in programs that reach beyond their regular curricular offerings.