MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM
CLASSROOM LINKS FOR CURRENT STUDENTS
Mrs. Lisa Lam
Middle School History/Math Teacher
Mrs. Julie Prentice
Language Arts/Science/STEM Teacher
ANNOUNCING: The next middle school Washington D.C. trip will take place in the Spring of 2026!
MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
MATHEMATICS
Math can be hard! Our goal in Math is to build student confidence so that they believe that they can do Math. Our Mathematics courses focus on preparing students for high school. We provide focused, one-on-one help for students. Advanced students have the opportunity to work at an individualized pace or be advanced to higher-level classes to allow them to reach their potential.
We offer Algebra I and Geometry for students who are ready for those classes.
HISTORY & SOCIAL STUDIES
Our objective in History and Social Studies in Middle School is to develop higher-order thinking skills while stimulating interest in the topics studied. These courses have a heavy emphasis on writing so that students can strengthen their proficiency in expository writing.
6th Grade: Regions of the Eastern Hemisphere
7th and 8th Grades: American History
ENRICHMENT CLASSES
At SMLS students are able to take a variety of enrichment classes, including:
-Gym
-Spanish (Spanish I in 7/8 grade)
-Art
-Technology
-Concert Band
STEM PROGRAM
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM helps develop creators, thinkers, problem solvers, doers, innovators, and inventors. The skills the students attain through STEM include critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, decision-making, leadership, acceptance, failure, and more. Exposing students to STEM activities today sets a foundation for higher learning tomorrow.
What does STEM look like in the classroom? It includes many inquiry-driven lessons that spark student curiosity. There is less direct instruction and more hands-on. The students are building, coding, creating, and collaborating with others with a strong focus on science, technology, engineering, and math.
HIGH SCHOOL READINESS
We focus on preparing your students for high school through rigorous academics. The teachers coordinate closely to discuss how we can not only help our students learn the information for each class, but also what skills we can teach them that will help them be successful in their classes today, in high school later, and beyond into the future. Our goal is to make them lifelong learners so that they can become wise, as Proverbs 9:9 says.
FAITH
Proverbs 22:6 instructs us to "train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." We strive to train our middle schoolers to live their faith every day through regular Bible classes and daily devotion time where they develop an understanding of what they believe, why they believe it, and how to defend that faith. Beyond that, we incorporate faith instruction in every aspect of our day. Whether it is during History or Science class or dealing with conflict on the basketball court or in the lunchroom, we focus on instruction through a Christian worldview.
SPECIAL EVENTS
We work hard in Middle School at SMLS, but we also love to have fun! We purposefully plan activities and events to help us build community, learn social skills, experience God’s creation, and extend our learning beyond the classroom. These include:
| - board games | - daily outdoor breaks |
| - Washington, D.C. trips | - 6th Grade Grand Rapids Public Museum trips |
| - Nature Center trips | - 7th/8th grade Chicago trips |
| - cooking days | - athletics |
| - 6th grade camp | - spirit days |
| - class parties | …and so much more! |
PARENT TESTIMONIALS
Download a PDF of the Middle School Program here.
