academics: middle school

Grades six through eight

With every book, idea and experience an adolescent encounters,
the answer to the question “Who am I?” becomes a little clearer.

Sixth, seventh, or eighth graders may not put it quite this way, but they’re entering the Age of Redefinition. No one escapes.
Teachers, parents, and friends are all redefined by the budding adolescent. With some help and understanding, adolescents
begin to define themselves as well.

Our Middle School program is designed specifically for this
curious, sensitive, and always exhilarating age group. More than
a mere “springboard” to prepare students for secondary
school, our program addresses the changing social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and creative needs so critical in the
early-adolescent years. Within a rich and diverse curriculum, students develop the study skills and habits they need to flourish, not merely succeed, wherever they continue their education.

Classes are vibrant, exciting, inspiring, and scholarly, because
our faculty members encompass all of these qualities. Passionate, dedicated, and experienced teachers impart knowledge, kindle intellectual curiosity, engage students in hands-on, student-centered activities, and share their joy and passion for learning.

Take a walk down our Middle School corridor and you’ll hear and see the results. Students are truly engaged in their work, whether it’s a science experiment, literary discussion, historical debate and simulation, high-level mathematical computation, computer-based or library research, or lively second-language conversation.

>Character-building. Middle School classroom lessons have a
long reach. They develop and influence the character, citizenship, and leadership that are at the heart of the Middle School
experience. A student can apply them at home, in a hallway, in the art studio, on stage, or on the playing field, as well as in the classroom. With daily practice, Middle School students come to embody and embrace the school’s tenets of empathy,
compassion, and respect for all people.

>Activities. Rich opportunities, so vital to students’ growth at this stage of development, are open to everyone. Every student
has three days of physical education classes weekly. Every
student learns to play a musical instrument and participates in
one or more of the school’s bands and ensembles. Every
student has a yearlong studio arts class every year. And every student may participate in interscholastic sports, regardless
of ability. A full-scale Broadway musical production each spring invites everyone’s participation. Well over half of the student
body takes part annually —acting, singing, dancing, designing sets and costumes, operating sound and light boards, and serving
on the stage crew.

>Field trips. Our field trips combine learning with social awareness and fun. Our annual all-school fall outdoor education outing, for instance, promotes community building and leadership development. Our four-day seventh-grade trip to Washington, D.C., gives students a civics lesson without walls. Class-specific
trips to museums, universities, science labs, and other relevant sites are all part of the curriculum.

>Community service. Each grade is actively involved in service learning and community service projects. Students collect
school supplies to send to impoverished children overseas. They organize every element of a community-wide scarecrow exhibit
and competition in October to raise funds for two local food banks. They also host a major four-mile road race, which supports a
local children’s hospital.

The middle years, so often associated with unhappiness, fear, discomfort, and bewilderment for both students and their parents, can instead be a time of enormous growth and discovery.
At IDS, this is the goal our curricula are designed to achieve.
We invite you to explore them.

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Academic Programs

Physical Education

The Arts

Fine Arts / Music/ Performing Arts

Advisors and Secondary School Placement

Academic Programs

Mathematics Section

A math problem is a labyrinth that strengthens the mind while testing the character.

A good math course should raise as many questions as it answers. It should acquaint students with skills they’ll need in everyday life, but it should also nudge them toward the hidden patterns and equations that underlie the physical world. As our Middle School students prepare to tackle algebra, they’ll get the best of both worlds — practical application and discovery.

6th Grade Math
At this point in their math education, students are on the brink of algebra. Crucial to their success is a solid grasp of arithmetic, so we spend a lot of time reinforcing the basics. These include units on fractions, integers and percents. We also focus on basic one- and two-step equations. Introductory geometry and data analysis (through graphs and charts) familiarize students with practical ways of using their skills. There’s no reason why math studies should be confined to daily drills and homework assignments. We encourage creativity and independent discovery through projects several times a year.

7th Grade Math (Level A)
This course is a precursor to algebra, challenging but also appropriately paced. Students strengthen and deepen their knowledge of the concepts learned in sixth grade, gaining the confidence they need to venture into new territory. A solid grasp of operations with real number systems, problem solving, percents and geometry readies them for bigger concepts — including complex equations. Once students have mastered these units, they’re ready to move on to algebra.

7th Grade Math (Level B)
More conceptually advanced than Level A, this course opens the door to algebra. Students actually use basic algebraic equations while studying patterns, graphing techniques, data interpretation and statistics — employing graphing calculator to illustrate and compare methods. The course also explores the properties of real numbers as well as operations of integers, decimals and fractions, geometry, proportion and percents, and solutions of simple and multiple-step equations. We thoroughly immerse students in the “how” as well as “why” — using problem-solving strategies with real-world applications.

8th Grade Math (Level A)
A basic introduction to algebra, this course begins by honing pre-algebra skills. Students learn about properties and operations on polynomials and their impact on exponents. Factoring binomials and trinomials (equations that include two to three terms) is one of the basic skills they’ll polish. They’ll also learn how to calculate the slope of linear equations and plot it on graphs. And they’ll learn solutions to systems of equations, as well as graphing on the coordinate plane — using a graphing calculator to illustrate these topics.

8th Grade Math (Level B)
Algebraic concepts first encountered in the 7th grade are the launching pad for this course. It’s a challenging yet fun journey from basic to more advanced concepts. It includes properties, multiple-step equations, systems of equations, the various formats of linear equations, absolute value equations, quadratics, graphing manually and with the graphing calculator, rational expressions, and radicals and operations on them. All of the above concepts are laced together with applications involving probability as well as geometry, in keeping with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards.

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Humanities Section— 6th grade

In gaining the power to reason, a child should always retain the freedom to imagine.

For a sixth grader who has grown accustomed to the self-contained classroom, the departmentalized world of the Middle School still seems like a giant leap upward. So, we ease sixth graders into it by having the same instructor teach the humanities — English and History.

The emphasis for both subjects is skills. Specifically, we teach students how to reason, how to improve reading comprehension, how to express thoughts clearly, how to study, and how to use these skills on tests. Perhaps the most valuable lesson is that learning is earned --- they get what they put into it.

We give them plenty of opportunity to practice this principle by highlighting study skills throughout the year. Students practice taking notes, organizing their binders, brainstorming, researching, and test- review strategies. We also free them to explore alternative modes of learning — building models, role-playing, or creating artistic representations of topics — through two small projects.

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English Section

Good writing is the product of great reading and prodigious practice.

Much of our emphasis in Middle School English can be summed up in a series of how-tos’ how to read for meaning; how to take notes from class lectures; how to participate in class discussions; how to respond in writing to literature; how to proceed from an outline to a rough draft and onward to a final draft. These are the basic but critical lessons that underlie our entire English curriculum. Once in command of these skills, students can become critics of their own thinking and monitors of their own learning.

6th Grade English
We provide a balanced course of grammar, vocabulary, writing, reading and critical thinking. As readers, students are introduced to the great literary genres— poetry, plays and fiction (novels and short stories). As writers, they’re encouraged to reflect and reason, as well as create. We assign response writing in addition to expository essays and critical thinking exercises as they read novels and plays. They write poems inspired by published works we study together. Through it all, we’re building their vocabulary based on reading and usage. Expect to hear them practice their new words and ideas on you.

7th Grade English
Our theme for the year, Coming-of-Age, has obvious relevance to seventh graders. We explore it through literature of different times and cultures around the world. Students identify and identify with the experiences and struggles of young characters as they journey from childhood to adulthood. This prompts meaningful discussions and writing assignments about their own lives. Writing is, in fact, a main focus of this course. From grammar review onward, we use the Collins Writing Program to structure our curriculum. We use students’ classroom writing to assess their reading comprehension and keep their skills well-oiled through nightly entries in writing notebooks. These daily exercises prepare students to express themselves fluently in longer assigned pieces.

8th Grade English
Eighth graders develop critical reading skills throughout the year as they make their way through a reading list that includes novels, short stories and poetry. They share their observations with classmates both orally and on paper. By working with their peers, comparing and critiquing each other’s written work under the teacher’s supervision, they quickly recognize strengths and weaknesses — why, for instance, an introduction needs a sharper insight or a more vivid description to hook the reader. Although developing a clear, concise writing style is our objective, we still review grammar and add to students’ growing vocabulary. By year’s end, eighth graders compose research papers on a technological innovation from the Industrial Revolution — complementing their history course.

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History Section

What happened according to certain people — that’s one story.
What really happened — that’s history.

We delve beyond the history textbook at IDS, exploring diverse perspectives, original documents and students’ own interpretations. Our approach is to experience history, rather than to just accept timelines and events at face value. To be sure, we approach topics and time periods chronologically. But we also explore them in depth to help students recognize that history is not merely a series of separate events in the past. Interactive Web sites, primary source documents like the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, and simulations and role-playing give students a chance to question, compare evidence, and imagine themselves in the shoes of their predecessors. To do this well, they must use the whole toolbox of skills taught in earlier grades. We reinforce them through reading, writing, research, oral presentations and projects. We also employ the technology of our time — the Worldwide Web and digital sources — as a major resource.

6th Grade History
The sixth grade history program is gradually making a shift toward Social Studies, with an emphasis on human cultural characteristics and social systems over the ages. Students investigate the Middle Ages as well as early African and Chinese civilizations to better see European developments in a broader context. The class explores the development of culture - ways of life - in various places, and how mankind shapes economic systems, how they govern themselves, and how they express themselves in artistic ways. While studying medieval Europe, our students look at the development of trade economies and the rise of nations. They explore society as it changed from trial life among the “barbarians” to the renaissance of the later period. The academic year ends with the onset of the Age of Exploration and beginnings of colonialism.

In our classes, students practice “reading-to-understand” techniques - including underlining text, summarizing the main ideas, and learning to ask themselves review questions - as a way of developing skills to learn new material and retain what they have learned. They also focus on taking notes, organizing their binders, brainstorming, researching, and test review strategies. Two small projects during the year let students explore alternative modes of learning, through building models, role-playing, or creating artistic representations of topics they have learned about.

7th Grade History
Students learn what shaped the American democratic republic by studying the settlement of the colonies, the American Revolution and the Westward Expansion and how it led to the Civil War. They also learn how our government works on each level — local, state, national and international — and how citizen participation is a principal element in the basic framework of a democracy.

8th Grade History
This course relates U.S. history during and after Reconstruction to our current world. Industrial growth is examined in relation to the influx of immigrants to the U.S. As we examine the sequence of wars in the 20th century — from World War I through the Vietnam War — we continue to consider immigration as a key phenomenon that shaped and diversified our nation, and continues to do so. Current events and the question “Why?” are always welcome and encouraged.

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Science Section

“ Prove it.” Like no other discipline, science invites students to make this demand — on themselves.

6th Grade Science
“ What is an ecosystem and what types of ecosystems occur on earth?”
“ How do living things grow and develop?”
“ How I light converted to energy?”

Our sixth grade science students are encouraged to ask questions and our science curriculum emphasizes “hands-on/minds-on” learning. This inquiry-based approach uses lab experiences, projects, and special readings to foster an interest and conceptual understanding of science in everyday living. Students keep an ongoing journal for class notes, labs, and reflections.

The major topics of study during the year are life through time, environmental science, and electricity and magnetism. Additionally, students design and complete a long-term investigation for participation in the school’s annual science fair. During this project, students have a chance to use their imagination, apply the scientific method, and practice expository writing in their research journal. Students write a short report about their topic, develop a problem, and design an experiment to address the question they pose. After writing a hypothesis they gather and record data, construct charts, tables, and graphs, and work to analyze and conclude their findings to share in a poster display and oral presentation on the day of the science fair.
Cooperative learning is emphasized in the lab with each student participating as a collaborative member of a team. Teamwork and communication skills are emphasized as participants work together to conduct research, set up experiments, make observations, reach conclusions, and share discoveries.

7th Grade Science
“ What goes on inside a cell?”
“ Why do we inherit our parents’ features and characteristics?”
“ How do animals develop special ways of breathing, eating, and protecting their young?”

Questions like these, posed by our seventh graders, form the basis for our life sciences course. Each trimester we cover specific topics ranging from discoveries at the microscopic level to observations along our nature trail. The lab is our workshop — students gain hands-on experience with the microscope and other tools. Term projects due each trimester provide a great opportunity for students to test their theories or present research in a creative format.

First trimester. We lay the groundwork with the scientific method and the metric system, and introduce students to cell theory (cytology), human development, genetics and taxonomy.
Term project: 3-D cell model.

Second trimester. Students learn about the animal kingdom through studies in comparative anatomy and observing specimens (live and preserved) from major phyla. We encourage them to become sharp, analytical observers. Term project: Science fair exhibit, based on student’s choice of topic and experiments.

Third trimester. Topics we covered during the first two terms are aligned with the theory of evolution. Students also study animal behavior and endangered species. In the spring, we move out of doors frequently so that students get a chance to explore life forms along our nature trail. Term project: A study involving an endangered species.

8th Grade Science
“ Why don’t oil and water mix easily?”
“ How can boiling points differ between one liquid and another?”
“ How can light possibly be a particle as well as a wave?”

Many of the questions we hear from our eighth graders were first asked by such eminent scientists as Newton, Kelvin, Bohr, and even Einstein. Physical science — which includes chemistry as well as physics — reverberates with knowledge the students can apply to both ordinary life and the biggest mysteries of the universe. Throughout this program, students develop confidence with laboratory equipment and begin to approach scientific experiments through their own line of inquiry. To challenge and expand these abilities, we assign a term project each trimester.

First trimester. Students learn to identify matter based on its properties, among them density, melting and boiling points, solubility and separation of mixtures. We emphasize the laws of conservation of mass and definite proportions. Term project: An illustrated talk and demonstration of the work of a great scientist — a member of The Royal Society of London, The Accademia Del Cimento or another scientific society.

Second trimester. We continue to test matter in the lab in order to understand its nature. Students create simple chemical reactions to form and break the bonds of compound substances. Term project: A one- to two-month independent study that follows the scientific method, and is prepared as an exhibit for the school science fair. Our students must explain their project to science fair judges orally and in writing.

Third trimester. How has the atomic theory changed from ancient times to the most recent discoveries? That is the question. Students ponder it while gaining insight on how the modern atomic model has evolved. Term project: A research study on the history of alchemy and a report on a scientist who contributed to the atomic theory.

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World Languages Section

To speak a new language is the ultimate trip.
Parler une autre langue, c’est le voyage ultime!
Hablar otro idioma es el viaje ultimo!

Language study opens up the borders of the mind. The broadest intent of our world language—program is, in fact, to take students on this journey so that they can not only speak a new language, but also gain a new perspective. In a time of global businesses and a world richly influenced by diverse cultures, language study is no longer a luxury item in a child’s education. It’s an essential.

We currently offer French and Spanish to our sixth, seventh and eighth graders. In each course, we practice all of the various modalities of language —listening, speaking, reading and writing.

By communicating in a new language, children can often develop skills that lay buried in ordinary English. For instance, many acquire or develop a newfound interest in history, philosophy, writing, art or music by studying a language steeped in a distinct culture.

For that reason, our language courses are never exclusively focused on words, but also on cultural practices and mores. Students in one class do a study of The Day of the Dead and construct sugar skeletons and dioramas representing the celebration. Students in another World Language class do a vertical tour of a country of their choice in which they investigate the culture, custom and geography of the country. Using technology, they present their findings and also report in the target language.

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Technology Section

Technology hands our students a larger window onto the world.

Technology is a boon to learning, and we make daily use of it. Our Middle School students use computers to acquire information, analyze data, and shape and reshape their ideas. Beyond this, they receive excellent grounding in the way technology works and how to make the best use of it for any given assignment.

We’re committed to keeping our computer technology updated and readily available. Students have the use of 18 eMac computers in our computer lab, as well as a mobile lab with 16 MacBook laptops. Each classroom is equipped with at least one computer for learning and research. Students can also use library computers to complete assignments and master the Internet.

At this stage in their education, students are ready and able to use their word-processing skills (including Spell Check) to compose English, world language and science papers, so we make it a requirement. In addition, we encourage the use of the Internet for researching anything from art to zoology. Students also take virtual tours of art museums and foreign countries via presentation software.

From their computer screens, students not only have a better view of the world, but also begin to find their place as global citizens.

Physical Education Section

A sports program that exercises the mind as well as the body.

Since our Middle School students have three 50-minute physical education classes per week, there’s ample opportunity at IDS for exercise and recreational fun. Here they’ll work on fine-motor skills and spatial awareness, as well as cooperation and teamwork. Since superior sportsmanship consists of attitude, effort, knowledge of the game as well as individual skill, we give equal emphasis to each.

Everyone is welcome to try out for our competitive teams in soccer, basketball and lacrosse. Game practice is held at the end of the school day or after school.
More than just an opportunity to blow off steam, our program incorporates such principles as leadership, social responsibility and the hard work that precedes both individual and team success. Whether your child is a born athlete, is someone who loves a particular game, or is still uncertain of his or her athletic abilities, we can help build confidence as well as enthusiasm.

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The Arts

Fine Arts Section

Our art students take their cues from cultural history as well as their own imagination.

Our art curriculum is designed to develop innate skills as well as a visual frame of reference for understanding culture. In classes that meet twice a week, our students experience the pleasure of self-expression and begin to see through eyes of great artists. While students are exploring their own visual imagination, they’re also getting an eyeful of civilization and cultural developments throughout time. That’s the real beauty of art — students can use it as a means of self-definition as well as a vivid learning tool.

We learn by doing. Students experiment with various techniques to create art in its many forms. These include painting, printmaking, weaving, collage, three-dimensional construction, and sculpture. Projects may involve close observation or an imaginative exercise. Throughout the course, we weave in plenty of art history. The result: an enriched personal perspective.

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Music Section

Cooperation. Coordination. Inspiration. Syncopation. Music teaches all four in the same practice session.

We value musical education as much for the way it teaches aesthetic appreciation and self-mastery as for its subtler lessons in trust and cooperation. Students who participate in any of our musical offerings receive the full measure. They learn to fine-tune their own skills while becoming sensitive to the challenges and strengths of their fellow musicians. They learn to pay attention to each other as well as to the effect a piece of music has on their audience. Through interplay they become better soloists, and better ensemble members. Here are the principal outlets for musical expression at the Middle School:

Chamber Music. Our chamber music ensemble program is flexible enough to vary with the needs and talents of our individual players. At present, a flute trio and trumpet duo receive major billing at IDS concerts, open houses and graduations. Participants range from fifth to eighth graders, yet, because the students involved are serious musicians, participation in these ensembles is by audition and invitation only. Our students explore a variety of chamber music literature by celebrated composers from various historical periods. In the process, they attune themselves to the demands of playing in a small group, polishing their own technique and musicality as soloists. In the past our chamber groups have earned superior ratings at various music festivals, and have been selected to perform for the Connecticut Music Educators Association.

Jazz Band. This lively group comprises both faculty and students (fifth through eight grade.) Students may audition or be invited based on ability. Once a week, they meet to practice a varied jazz repertoire, and soloists are encouraged to improvise. Our jazz band recently received a superior rating at the 2004 Musical Carousel Festival.

Chamber Strings. This is a prime opportunity for more-advanced string players, studying privately, to discover and play a variety of challenging string compositions. They learn advanced string techniques as well as the skills that make for a well-blended ensemble. Open to students in grades three through eight with the skills necessary to play in the group, Chamber Strings has won superior ratings at various music festivals.

Orchestra. For one concert per year, Chamber Strings adds a select number of wind and percussion students to the ensemble to learn and explore full orchestral literature. Playing in the orchestra also provides opportunities for wind instrumentalists and percussionists to tackle solo pieces. Everyone who takes a bow enjoys the distinction of playing a major work before an audience.

Private Lessons. We offer private instrumental lessons for an additional fee to the instructor. Your child can study violin, viola, cello, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone, piano, trumpet, trombone, and piano right here after school. It’s a convenient and worthwhile after-school activity.

Southern Region Music Festival. This is a major event and an honor for those selected to participate. Students in sixth through eighth grade who demonstrate the ability and desire to audition for the festival receive our wholehearted support, which includes preparing them for an audition. If selected, they perform ensemble literature with an advanced group of student musicians, playing or singing with some of the strongest young talent in the region. Several IDS students have had solos and have placed in the first, second, and third chairs at past Southern Region Music Festivals. Bravissimo!

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Performing Arts Section

Adolescence is a series of stages.
We make sure one of them includes footlights.

Acting is an art, but to middle school students it can also be an outlet for pent-up feelings, frustrations and aspirations. At IDS, we see it as a valuable experience, no matter how you look at it. From sixth through eighth grade, your child will learn about the dramatic arts, with an emphasis on performance. Although each grade’s curriculum focuses on a different aspect of performance, all are also invited to audition for the major musical or dramatic production we perform each spring. There are as many opportunities offstage as there are onstage — so even the shyest student can shine.

6th Grade Performing Arts
Students’ focus on acting, performing in front of their classmates and learning how today’s theater works. Be prepared for undiscovered talents to emerge!

7th Grade Performing Arts
Rhetoric in the form of public speaking is taught as a dramatic skill. Students learn how to present their opinions clearly, expressively and persuasively. They also create and produce a news magazine program about IDS, learning the basics of video production and broadcast journalism.

8th Grade Performing Arts
A music video is well within the creative grasp of our eighth graders. We teach them the basic video and music-analyzing skills they need to produce one of their own. This project has been showcased at the Connecticut Music Educators Association as well as –Connecticut Educators Computer Association, a group for technology educators.

Performance Opportunities in the Upper School
Opportunities to perform abound at IDS. Middle School students may participate in a number of performing groups, including Chamber Strings, Orchestra, 4th grade band, 5-6 Band, 7-8 band, 4-5 Chorus, Upper School Singers, Faculty-Student jazz band, String ensemble, and two chamber ensembles.

IDS Bands
At IDS, musical instruments are seen and heard in the hands of children from the fourth grade up. Participation in our bands gives children who enjoy music an all-purpose lesson in harmony and teamwork. It teaches them that something as complex and thrilling as a musical performance requires not only patience and practice, but also a diversity of skills and efforts. Here is what they learn to master in each year of the program:

The Fifth and Sixth Grade Band: Our instrumental students join with group lessons and join with the sixth grade for regular band practice sessions, developing a command of technique as well as their own musical talents. These are particularly exciting years, as students prepare music for our annual concerts and special school events. We also perform outside the school. Whenever an opportunity arises at a public gathering or event, we love to share our music with the community.

The Seventh and Eighth Grade Band: At this point in their musical education, our musicians are ready to shine. They perform at all annual school concerts and special events, and their fresh, festive sound brightens the holidays in various community venues. We’re very proud of the record of superb ratings that our Upper School band has received. IDS musicians consistently garner high praise when they audition for regional competitions.

The Middle School Singers
This group of students in grades six through eight performs various musical styles at our annual concerts and community events. This group is open to all students who love to sing and celebrate with music. Our Middle School Singers have received Superior Ratings at the Musical Carousel Festival.

The Middle School Drama Program
The world is a stage for students at IDS, and we look forward to having our students perform in our newly constructed Galluzzo Performing Arts Center. The Middle School puts on a Broadway-style musical production, encompassing up to 50 cast members and a crew of 10-20. Students take leadership positions in stage management, lighting, sound, and house management and the cast benefits from working with professional choreographers and musical and artistic directors. For those parents who have a bit of the actor in them, the Broadway Bound Booster Club provides assistance to our cast and crew and has staged its own parent/faculty production in recent years.

String Ensemble Opportunities
Chamber Strings meets one time per week and offers the opportunity for more advanced string players, who are studying privately, to discover and play a variety of string literature while exposing the students to the music of famous composers. More advanced string techniques are taught as well as good ensemble skills. This ensemble is open to students in third through 8th grade who demonstrate that they have acquired the skills necessary to play in the group. One time per year, the Chamber Strings adds a select number of wind and percussion students to the ensemble to learn full orchestra music. This opportunity allows for some of the wind and percussion students to play more soloistic music and allows for the Chamber Strings members to experience the full orchestra music.

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Advisors and Secondary School Placement

Student Advisory Program

Change is the biggest fact of life.
Our advisors will help your child through them all.

Just as your Middle School student gets used to greater academic demands, along comes puberty. Balancing good grades with healthy attitudes and social interactions isn’t easy. It’s why our Student Advisory Program provides support services that you and your child can easily access. Our advisors serve as a highly accessible and supportive liaison between you and the school.

As soon as your child enters sixth grade, he or she will be assigned to a faculty advisor. At the same time, your child will become part of a small advisory group of students, usually no more than eight, that stay together throughout their Middle School experience. This fosters a strong bond of support between students, the advisor and parents. Students who enroll in seventh or eighth grade are placed in an already established advisory group of their peers.

Advisories convene formally twice each week for twenty minutes. It’s really a rap session for myriad topics — from academic goals, study strategies, and school life to community service projects, peer relationships, even current events.

Students also meet with their advisors individually at the midpoint and end of every trimester to review grades and progress reports. Our advisors help them devise strategies for continuing or improving academic performance.

Most important, they’re here to listen. Our advisors are available on an informal basis if students need time to share personal concerns or just need a sounding board.

On a regular basis, the advisor will be in touch with you to discuss your child’s academic performance and progress as well as personal development. We’ll also invite you to formal conferences throughout the year. Feel free to be in touch yourself.

Secondary School Placement

Where do we go from here? Our secondary school placement program helps you answer that question.

After your child graduates from IDS, what then? The possibilities are exciting, but selecting the right destination can be stressful without guidance. That’s why we provide a comprehensive secondary school placement program. It gives you access to experts as well as students with experience in the decision-making process.
Here are some of the components:

One-to-one guidance. Liz Warner, the IDS Placement Advisor, meets with each eighth grade family to help them prepare for the choices ahead.

October school fair. On the first Tuesday in October, IDS hosts one of the largest secondary school fairs in the region, which is open to the public. It features more than 50 schools from the east coast, in addition to as well as schools from as far west as Ohio. Last year our fair was attended by more than 150 people.

Workshop series. The series is open to our seventh and eighth grade students and their parents. All are open to the public with the exception of the November workshop. Pre-registration is not required, but parents are welcome to contact Liz Warner at WarnerL@independentdayschool.org or call (860)-347-7235 with any questions.
September. Our introductory workshop for families of eighth graders includes admission representatives from several secondary schools. Students and parents feel free to ask questions in an open forum designed to help compare and contrast programs, and ultimately select the best match for your child.
November. Just before the Thanksgiving Break, IDS alumni/ae share their wisdom and experiences with our eighth graders in an informal setting. They discuss the choices they made and their impressions of nearby day, boarding, parochial, and public schools. A unique opportunity for students to get the inside story from their peers.
December. The final workshop for eighth graders and their parents brings them together with admission representatives from area schools. It’s a great opportunity to discuss application essays and receive answers to last-minute questions. We schedule this workshop just before students break for winter vacation, so it will remain fresh in their minds as many prepare their independent school applications.
February. While our graduating class members are awaiting the response from independent schools, our seventh graders are briefed on the process they’ll undertake in the following year. Tom Southworth, a member of the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) Board, comes to IDS to educate parents of seventh graders on the SSAT. How can students prepare for it? And what does the SSAT tell schools about our eighth graders? You’ll get the answers from an expert. All registration information and test dates are provided as well. IDS serves as a test site in June for seventh graders and in November primarily for eighth graders.
April. The whole application process for a parochial, day or boarding school is thoroughly explained to seventh graders and their parents. Placement Advisor Liz Warner and a consultant from outside the school lead the discussion on high school choices. We provide a timeline for the decision-making process and help families get a clearer picture of the upcoming year, as well as answers to those nagging questions.

Click here for updated information on
Secondary Schoool Placement

Please feel free to contact Liz Warner or Stephen Parnes to learn more about how IDS helps students plan their future beyond eighth grade.