Welcome from the Head

The middle school years are among the most formative and important in any boy’s development. At St. Mark’s, Middle School is a time to learn how to learn. We put a priority on both academic achievement and the skills of executive function and self-regulation. Our nine-period daily schedule affords great independence to our boys. With this independence comes great responsibility. Middle School Marksmen take ownership of their learning through their thoughts, their words, and their actions. Our boys learn how to study each individual subject, how to organize their materials, how to manage their time, and how to set and realize both short-term and long-term goals.

 

Although rigorous academic expectations are core to our mission, content acquisition is not the sole aim of the Middle School experience. Lessons in character and leadership are woven into our intellectual endeavors. Successful Marksmen achieve great things in their academic disciplines, but also identify and develop core virtues such as gratitude, empathy, responsibility, and honor. Our character and leadership program provides our boys with a vocabulary and a road map to becoming positive contributors to our school and to the communities beyond our campus.

 

Academics, fine arts, athletics, community service, and extra-curricular activities create a robust experience for all Marksmen. Middle School is a time of learning, a time of fun, a time of exploration, and a time of growth. The transition from boyhood to manhood begins in Middle School. The four years in grades five through eight are designed to be a significant experience in their own right, and also to provide a foundation for the life our boys will build in the Upper School and beyond.