Middle School
Middle School Program
Our Middle School nurtures students spiritually, academically, and socially during these important years of growth. We partner with parents to strengthen each child’s Christian identity while preparing them for rigorous high school programs through advanced coursework in German, math, literature, and science. Students also grow as leaders by mentoring younger peers, leading worship, and participating in experiences such as outdoor education camp.
Middle School Awards
President’s Award for Educational Excellence
The President’s Award for Educational Excellence, sponsored by the United States Department of Education, recognizes academic success in the classroom. This award is given to the students in 8th grade who have earned a 3.5 – 4.0 average accumulated through midterm of the fourth quarter. These students must also have high achievement in standardized testing.
Qualifications: Students must have a 3.5-4.0 cumulative grade average. They must also have a 85% or higher on the MAP test scores in reading, language arts or mathematics.
Our graduates achieve at a higher level in high school than many of their peers. Their years at St. Andrews equips them with Christian values, foundational knowledge, critical thinking skills, self-discipline and personal confidence to thrive both as students and as leaders within the high school communities.
Sixth through Eighth Grade
Middle School Curriculum
Math
Here at St. Andrews, we use a time-tested, standards-curated math curriculum that blends proven instructional practices with carefully selected learning goals. The curriculum is written in a “step-by-step” process, to encourage scaffolded instruction and allows the teacher to tailor lessons to our students’ needs, while maintaining strong academic rigor and expectations.
ELA
Middle School English/Language Arts classes use the McGraw Hill, StudySyncLA curriculum and include reading, writing, spelling, Daily Oral Language, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as leveled novel reading studies.
Science / Social Studies
In middle school, science is taught using the Savvas Elevate curriculum, introducing key concepts in Earth and life science. In Earth science, students explore topics such as weather, minerals and rocks, human impacts on the environment, and the solar system. In life science, they study topics such as cells, the human body system, ecosystems, and genes and heredity. Through a combination of digital and hands-on experiments, students develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the material.
Foreign Language
German instruction begins in Middle School and continues sixth through eighth grades. St. Andrews German program is unique. As a highly recognized and comprehensive three-year program, St. Andrew’s German program represents one of the few German language programs at the middle school level in the greater Chicago area.
Fine Arts
The visual arts are taught through observational drawing, color theory, and master work appropriation. Focusing on the elements of art and principals of design allow students to respond to, analyze and make judgments about works in an educational setting.
Physical Education
Students in grades six through eight attend PE multiple times each week, where they develop strength, endurance, and advanced coordination through sports, fitness training, and team-based activities. The program encourages healthy lifestyles, strong sportsmanship, and confidence as they grow into active, capable young adults.
Religion
The religion curriculum for grades 6–8 includes daily devotions, chapel, worship opportunities, Bible study, catechism, memory work, church history, and along with opportunities for students to share what their faith means to them.
SEL
We believe that social/emotional education is imperative to instill self-love and empathetic response in daily interactions. Through the use of the Friendzy curriculum, we teach students self-awareness, self-management, and conflict resolution skills.