English

Middle School English students learn to be strong communicators and analytical thinkers, with a particular focus on the development of reading and writing skills. Through the study of different works of literature, students develop their analysis skills and learn to communicate their thoughts effectively. Students learn about the many steps of the writing process and focus on creating and argument based on textual evidence. Learning activities focus on research, technology skills, effective communication and presentation strategies, and digital citizenship.

Our small classes and emphasis on seminar style discussion allow students and teachers to build strong relationships and help every student make their voice heard.

History

The history department seeks to empower students with the knowledge that individuals can affect, alter, and shape the world around them if they understand what the past can teach us about the nature of change. The curriculum helps students acquire information about the major figures, movements, ideas, events, cultural patterns, and beliefs that have defined the human narrative and then challenges them to make connections between these pieces of raw data with the goal of discovering critical historical lessons and enduring sociological insights. Faculty guide students through the development of strong note-taking skills and help students learn to train their memories to retain essential details. This culminates with written assignments that require thorough analysis and independent thinking. Students’ studies begin in 6th grade with a study of government and economics. In 7th grade, students learn and gain an appreciation of various cultures throughout the world. In 8th grade, students’ studies begin with the dawn of recorded history and continue up to the beginning of modern times. As an Episcopal school, Doane Academy encourages students to view religious faith as both a personal journey and a driving force of historical events. Consequently, 8th grade students learn about the development of the major world religions throughout history.

Science

Doane Academy’s Science department seeks to engage students in the practice of doing science as a means of engaging scientific theory. Our inquiry-based approach to curriculum design challenges students to explore concepts through experimental design, projects, tinkering, data modelling, and more. We firmly believe that students learn best by “doing.” As such, we emphasize hands-on, real-world experiences which encourage our students to understand the nature of scientific inquiry and how it applies to their daily lives.

The department seeks to provide opportunities for students to participate in interdisciplinary lessons that encourage them to blend content from various subject areas in pursuit of their personal interests. Thus, students are taught through their lab experiences to include what they’ve learned in their other classes as a part of the scientific process. They will explore how scientific breakthroughs have changed the course of history, use concepts learned to inspire artistic representations, apply statistical methods to manipulate data, and take advantage of available technology to enhance their laboratory experience.

Math

The Mathematics department at Doane Academy is dedicated to the advancement of the mathematical reasoning skills critical for fostering quantitative and deductive thinking abilities in our students. We strive not just for competency with concepts necessary for effective citizenship, but also for recognition that mathematics is a vibrant field of study that can serve as a powerful and exciting tool in this ever-evolving world. We seek to develop students who are courageous in mathematics, unafraid to work collaboratively and take intelligent risks while developing their problem solving skills.

Our focus on problem-based learning and our small class sizes afford our students with a tremendous opportunity to tackle challenging, multidimensional problems with the help of their peers and their instructor. Those students looking for even greater challenges may participate in S.T.E.A.M. classes and competitions and Math Club.

S.T.E.A.M.

Doane Academy’s S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) program is dedicated to developing a community of young tinkerers ready to tackle the 21st century with their creativity, individuality, and unique passions. Our S.T.E.A.M. courses seek to accomplish this by providing students with open-ended, collaborative class structures which encourage them to pull content knowledge from a wide variety of other subjects in pursuit of problem solutions which they can truly call their own.

For many schools, “S.T.E.M.” education is the push for more math, science, and engineering majors going into college. At Doane, we include the liberal arts. We insist on including the liberal arts - History, Band, Theater, Poetry, and so on - because they drive the creative and entrepreneurial spirit that can lead our Middle School student to new discoveries. As such, our S.T.E.A.M. curriculum is as much about learning the engineering design process as it is about providing our students with the opportunity to test their own ideas in an environment that allows them to develop a growth mindset, make mistakes, refine designs, and eventually create a product which addresses the complexity of any problem.

Physical Education

Physical Education is required in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The focus of this physical education program is to provide an opportunity for students to participate in a wide variety of physical activities and experiences that promote the mastery of the core skills introduced at the elementary school level. Middle School physical education will build a framework for lifetime activities and healthy living. Middle School is a time of transition, which may bring about an upheaval in physical, emotional, social, and intellectual worlds. To successfully bridge this transition, students will explore and apply information, as well as participate in activities that empower them to assume responsibility for their own lifetime health, wellness, and fitness.

Language

The goal of our language program is for students to achieve proficiency in either Latin or Spanish and to instill cultural understanding and linguistic curiosity that will benefit them academically and personally. We function with the belief that all students can be successful scholars of linguistics and culture. Language learners at Doane Academy develop an acute global awareness by comparing, analyzing, and examining other cultures through the lens of a different language. To that end, our language students are able to recognize what is common to all human experience and to embrace that which is different. We support Doane Academy’s mission to create strong, ethical leaders by providing the skills necessary to participate in the international community with a well-developed sense of empathy, refined communication skills, and confident globally-minded leadership.