7th Grade Experience

As students progress to 7th and 8th Grade, the essential questions change. 7th Grade is a highly social year, and the questions students are answering then involve their place in group dynamics:

• How can I support my school community?

• How can I work with others cooperatively?

• How can I listen to others and learn from them?

These essential questions are reflected in our 7th Grade programming:

• Early in the year, we bring students to a ropes course that develops a sense of teamwork and builds community.

• The Community Conversations format, based on SEED principles, continues to be used, reinforcing goals of identity development & the development of tools to enhance community through conversational practices. 

• Through programming in Health, Ethics, and Ethics/Technology, students begin to determine their “public” versus “private selves” and how to respect others’ boundaries while also setting their own.

• Students experience Sexuality Education in two distinct ways: students learn the science of human sexuality and reproduction in science classes, while learning the ethics of decision-making and healthy relationships in Health. They learn to understand concepts such as consent, and to support positive and clear communication within relationships.

• We engage students in a capstone project towards the end of the year in which they must research an issue of importance to them that impacts their own school community, and then present a proposal for changes to be made to a panel of administrators.  Through this process, students learn how to work collaboratively, do research, and advocate for change.  

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