Middle School Viewbook
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Transcript of Middle School Viewbook
m i d d l e s c h o o l
PERK
200 Seminary Street / pennSburg, pennSylvania 18073 / 215.679.9511 t / 215.679.5202 f College-preparatory / CoeduCational / boarding and day / gradeS 6 through 12
why perk?
PERK
One Of the ways tO grOw intO a really strOng individual is by being part
Of a really strOng COmmunity.
PERK
m i d d l e s c h o o l A T P e R K
AcAdemic Strength A greAter level of chAllenge, A Stronger SyStem of Support, An inStructionAl ApproAch thAt SpArkS A Spirit of inquiry: theSe Are the ingredientS of A Superb educAtion, the foundAtion for A rigorouS college prepArAtory experience in upper School.
perSonAl focuS With An AverAge clASS Size of juSt nine, teAcherS knoW eAch of
their StudentS Well And plAn inStruction to meet their individuAl StrengthS And
needS. the reSult iS An experience fAr more poWerful thAn one receiveS in
A lArger Setting.
richneSS of opportunity from the chAnce to complete geometry in grAde
eight to the opportunity to bAckpAck the AppAlAchiAn trAil; from An
outStAnding ArtS curriculum to A competitive AthleticS progrAm thAt
includeS every Student; from community Service to SWim pArtieS—thiS iS A
truly Well-rounded experience.
A SenSe of joy perk’S middle School celebrAteS the energy And potentiAl of All our StudentS At thiS exciting time in their liveS And their educAtionS. We Welcome them into A cloSe community thAt feelS like A fAmily.
In science classes at many middle schools, content is organized into units
or lessons. At Perk, it would be much more accurate to think in terms of
“investigations.” Students are presented with samples of three mysterious
metals and asked to test and identify them. Or to build model bridges, then
load them to the point of failure to identify their structural weaknesses.
Or to research the behaviors of a species of animal and then design a zoo
enclosure to suit its needs.
Across the Middle School curriculum, students face meaningful and deeply
engaging challenges, whether taking part in a Model U.N. session or holding
mock elections, making fictional films in English, meeting with Holocaust
survivors, or discovering the complexities of a new language—Latin, Spanish,
German, or Chinese.
In all our classes, students build a strong foundation in study skills and
time management, and focus on important fundamental content. They
also rise to meet remarkably high expectations and seize wonderful
opportunities as members of a learning community that recognizes all they
are capable of achieving.
ExpEriEncEexplOre, experiment,
real sCienCe in sCienCe Classes at perk, students engage in extensive lab wOrk, learning sOphistiCated skills Of analysis. as a middle sChOOl sCienCe teaCher puts it, “this is hands-On, inquiry-based sCienCe. Our textbOOk is really the lab manual. Our One real assignment is very simple: think like a sCientist.”
m i d d l e s c h o o l A T P e R K
“ at my Old sChOOl, Only a few kids made the team. at perk, everybOdy plays.”
middle SChool Student
“ students COme here beCause they want tO learn. the teaChers are here beCause they want
tO help yOu.” middle SChool Student
“ there is nO plaCe On earth
like perk. the reasOn is Our sense Of
COmmunity.” middle SChool teaCher
“the thing i lOve
abOut perkis the OppOrtunities— tO play spOrts, tO make friends, tO have mOre Challenges, and tO learn mOre.” middle SChool Student
“ as teaChers, we reaCh Out tO inClude Our students,
engage them, and enCOurage them tO take themselves
tO new plaCes.” middle SChool teaCher
“ i Can’t tell yOu hOw great the differenCe is between
perk and publiC sChOOl— hOw muCh better Our kids’ experienCe is here.” perk parent
m i d d l e s c h o o l A T P e R K
pOwerful COnneCtiOns eaCh year, grade seven students mark the fine arts festival with the unveiling Of a majOr CreatiOn—a wOrk Of installatiOn art—fOCusing in sOme way On themes Of sOCial Change at perk. the arts resOnate with meaning, COnneCting with studies in histOry and english, with students’ persOnal experienCes, and with the wide wOrld beyOnd Campus.
The Schumo Academic Center is bedecked in multicolored Buddhist prayer
flags, each inscribed with students’ original poetry. Below, paintings, drawings,
and walk-in sculptures fill the Potamkin and Harris Lobbies. On stage in the
theater, grade eight students present a spoken-word piece, a powerful
interpretation of the poetry of Maya Angelou.
The occasion is the Middle School’s Fine Arts Festival, an annual highlight.
A multimedia event bringing together band and chorus, visual arts, creative
writing, and more; this is also a community event, bringing together students,
faculty, and parents. One of the things that makes it most special is the fact
that every Middle School student takes part in some way—and some in
many ways.
During the Festival, it becomes clear just how creative Perk Middle School
students are and how deep and meaningful their experience of the arts can
be. At other points in the year, students venture out on museum visits and
welcome guest artists. They have been honored to read their own poetry on
the main stage at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. They host and meet
with nationally recognized authors of young adult literature like Newbery
Medal-winner Christopher Paul Curtis. In short, creative achievement is a
part of their daily life.
All Aroundthe arts
m i d d l e s c h o o l A T P e R K
perkiomen.org
200 Seminary Street / pennSburg, pennSylvania 18073 / 215.679.9511 t / 215.679.5202 f