Middle School
Middle School
Mr Pino Cutinelli – Head of Middle School
MR PINO CUTINELLI HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
Developing a real sense of connection
Our Middle School program is based on the generic skills we want our boys to acquire, including thinking, learning, organisation and communication. These core skills drive our curriculum both within the classroom and in the many extracurricular programs boys undertake.
Our boys are encouraged to be critical thinkers, to be sceptical about opinions and values that may be biased or based on stereotypes, and to be creative in their own responses to problems they see in the world around them. Responsibility for their own learning is likewise enforced in every classroom interaction. Teachers guide and facilitate learning, but it is the boys themselves who engage closely with their subjects and self-direct the focus topics they wish to pursue in greater depth.
In life, as in school, organisation is key to reducing stress and managing workload. The record book is an invaluable aid for parents, boys and teachers to map homework and outcome tests for each subject; and as the year progresses, boys become adept at planning their weekly study programs.
Finally, but possibly the most important skill the boys acquire, is the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with the important people in their lives: teachers, parents, their peers in school and outside school, and other older boys. Public speaking opportunities, the peer support program, and open discussion in every class help boys to assert their opinions in a safe and supportive environment, both in class and in extracurricular activities.
As the boys go about their academic program, each day they are encouraged to marry these skills with their interests and thoughts. At this stage of the year we see boys have established a clear link with many aspects of their school, from musical interests and sporting commitments to passions about fundraising for a charity group.
On Family Day we saw many aspects of boys’ interests, from artistic skills to sporting ability. Interests of a different kind were displayed by boys of 8EG, Mrs Emma Gates’ class. These boys showed that they were well able to organise, plan and run a stall on Family Day to support their chosen charity group.
Each form group in Year 8 had been asked to outline a business plan and submit the plan in a presentation format. The successful group was then enabled to run their stall on the day, implementing a basic business model. The skill set shown by the boys was certainly commendable, and we look forward to running this project again in the years ahead.
The skill set in our Middle Years enables boys to understand themselves and their abilities, developing their sense of place in the wider school community. In History classes, boys made creative models of trebuchets( medieval military engines for hurling stones); in Science, they designed a new amenities block. The models the boys made out of Lego pieces were innovative; and when they explained their purpose to me, they were clearly very proud of their work. Through these interactions and the many activities they have undertaken, I could see how the boys had made tangible connections between our curriculum and the generic skills program.
The boys have so much to be proud of, and now they can continue to develop their interests with confidence, looking forward to their classes because of the real sense of connection they have developed within their school. However, the level of‘ newness’ does continue for us in Middle School. The variety of ages and stages of development among the boys makes this period of educational transition rewarding and exciting for staff, parents, and especially for the boys themselves.
16 Great Scot Number 149 – December 2016