• Middle School | Wavers 2

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Middle School

Waverly’s Middle School intentionally builds on the strong foundation laid in our Elementary School. As students enter adolescence, they are ready for more independence, deeper intellectual engagement, and expanded opportunities for self-expression. 
The Middle School years at Waverly honor this stage of development with a program that fosters curiosity, confidence, and community connection.

Students continue developing critical thinking skills as they explore increasingly complex ideas and questions. They learn to support arguments with evidence, express themselves clearly and compassionately, and deepen their understanding of themselves and the world. The core academic curriculum includes math, science, social studies, English, and Spanish. Students also engage in the arts, physical education, Farm, and a variety of electives that offer both breadth and choice.

A strong commitment to Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) continues to be woven throughout the curriculum, including dedicated classes such as advisory, human development, and Flex Time. 
Our goal is to prepare students not only for High School but for thoughtful, ethical, and engaged lives.

List of 5 items.

  • Advisory

    Middle school students begin the school day by meeting in their advi­sory groups. In advi­sory, students build rela­tion­ships with their peers and teach­ers outside of the acad­e­mic curricu­lum. Students learn to support and to be supported socially, emotion­ally, and acad­e­m­i­cally. In addi­tion, students meet weekly for a longer block to partic­i­pate in activ­i­ties that develop essen­tial middle school skills. Topics include health and well­ness, main­tain­ing healthy rela­tion­ships, cyber-citi­zen­ship, conflict reso­lu­tion, study skills and time manage­ment, current events, and commu­nity aware­ness and service learning.
  • Athletics

    One of the primary acad­e­mic goals at Waverly is that each student works to his or her highest poten­tial. This is also true in sports, which enrich student life and the school commu­nity. We believe that partic­i­pa­tion in sports can contribute signif­i­cantly to the phys­i­cal, social, and emotional well-being of our students. Athletes are encour­aged to develop their skills and ability to work as a team. As a result, our coaches focus on maxi­miz­ing the partic­i­pa­tion of all team members. Success is measured in terms of personal devel­op­ment and the team’s overall progress.

    The athlet­ics program allows students to compete at the middle school level in fall, winter, and spring sports in the Foothill League. Sports include flag foot­ball, volley­ball, basket­ball, soccer, and tennis. Read more about athletics.
  • Outdoor and Experiential Education

    Middle School outdoor educa­tion takes form in annual two-night trips to one of two expe­ri­ences: Astro­camp in Idyll­wild and Cali­for­nia Island Marine Insti­tute at Toyon Bay. Students learn key science topics, team­work, and collab­o­ra­tion skills, while enjoy­ing the beau­ti­ful natural envi­ron­ment. Usually taking place in the fall, these trips bring students and faculty together away from the pres­sures of school. 

    Day-long field trips include visit­ing the Cali­for­nia Science Center, watch­ing dramatic perfor­mances at A Noise Within, and seeing local cultural exhibits or perfor­mances that fit in with the curriculum.
  • Phys­i­cal Education

    Our phys­i­cal educa­tion program aims to equip students with the skills and enthu­si­asm to main­tain a healthy lifestyle into adult­hood. Activ­i­ties are designed to promote phys­i­cal fitness, to develop motor skills, to instill knowl­edge and under­stand­ing of rules, concepts, and strate­gies, and to teach students to work as part of a team or as indi­vid­u­als. Students use the play­ground at the elemen­tary school campus, the open space at the Waverly organic farm, and grassy areas at nearby parks for active games.
  • Student Advi­sory Lead­er­ship Team (SALT) and Clubs

    Each fall, students are selected by peers in their advi­sory groups to repre­sent their advi­sory and share back infor­ma­tion to the advi­sory. The Student Advi­sory Lead­er­ship Team offers ideas for enrich­ing the school expe­ri­ence, plans events, and selects service learning projects. 

    Middle School students have also created various commit­tees and clubs to address more specific school activ­i­ties, includ­ing a social group for plan­ning dances, and many kinds of clubs for gath­er­ing like-minded students (past clubs have focused on poli­tics, popular novels, and the study of ninjas). Teach­ers support students in these efforts, but they do not tell students what to do, setting the stage for true student leadership.

About

The Waverly School is an independent day school for students from preschool through 12th grade, located in Pasadena, CA.
Waverly is a proud member of the following organizations: