Middle School Academics
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Goals and Purposes
The Middle School program serves the needs, interests, and abilities of children in grades 6, 7, and 8 whose educational goals include college-level academic work. The program is designed for students who seek a challenging learning environment with behavioral expectations at the same challenging level. The Middle School provides a transition through the period of physical, emotional, and intellectual development between childhood and early adolescence.
The school's program serves the dual role of preparation for the immediate and well-defined future of the next grade and the largely unknown years to come. The school attempts to include in its offerings, experiences that help individuals accept changes in themselves and others. As a result, academic development and personal development go hand-in-hand as equal partners.
Academic Preparation
Academic subjects prepare students for a secondary school program that is, itself, college preparatory. In each subject, topics are introduced as early as students can profit from them. Academic development involves stretching, even if this means taking the chance that the reach may exceed the grasp. The academic program includes opportunities both for the development of basic skills and for acceleration and advancement. But academic development does not mean just learning facts and being introduced to information. It includes learning problem-solving skills, inquiry, research, and discovery, as well as oral and written communication skills. To this end, the school provides opportunities for learning how to learn.
Academic Program
The program of study in the Middle School serves as a bridge between the Lower and Upper Schools. Along with the core curriculum of English, history, math, science, modern language, physical education, and the arts, students may choose from several electives offered throughout the year. These quarterly electives are intended to extend and enrich the HPA Experience.
The approach in each core course is to encourage the highest possible degree of student involvement. We believe that a student who carefully completes assignments in each subject makes the greatest progress towards the achievement of educational goals. Therefore, we expect all students to complete their assignments to the best of their ability, and seek help when needed from their teachers.
The academic schedule for each Middle School student is prepared in August and distributed during the first week of school at Open House. All students are enrolled in six required year-long courses and an elective.
English - English is taught as a separate subject in middle school. Reading diverse genres (short stories, novels, poetry, and plays) and the development of writing skills (mechanics, usage, and grammar) are stressed throughout the year. Writing is often based on current reading and personal experience, and the school emphasizes vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and punctuation in these written compositions.
History - Sixth graders study Geography: The World Around Us and focus on the "six essential elements of geography" beginning with the Big Island's unique geography,culture and history then moving to Oceania, Antarctica, Asia and Africa. Seventh graders study World Cultures by examining the cultural attributes, physical geography and some of the regional historical events that define North and South America, West Asia, Europe and Russia. Eighth graders take U.S. History in a study from the 18th to 20th century with respect to particular time periods and events affecting America. Students practicetheir writing skills through essays, journals, and reports. Several creative projects, cooperative group learning opportunities, as well as public speaking, are a part of these classes.
Math- All sixth graders take a full year course designed to build upon and continue the strong foundations laid in the elementary program. In 7th Grade all seventh graders take pre-algebra. In eighth grade students are placed according in one of three classes; Algebra IA, Algebra I or Algebra I Honors. They are placed according to their skill and performance level.
Science - Science study during the Middle School years includes components from a variety of different disciplines: biology, earth science, physical science, and nutrition. The curriculum, which spirals throughout various concepts, is a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to learning science. The many activities provide the students an opportunity to learn through observation by applying the scientific method. They also give science theories a practical foundation.
Modern Language - Students may enroll in Conversational Spanish, Spanish I, or Conversational Japanese in eighth grade.
Music - Sixth graders have music twice a week. Students learn to read musical notation as they play an instrument. Students study the early history of music and how various styles of music developed in different cultures. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders may choose from a wide variety of music elective offerings that include vocal instruction, hand bells, ukulele, and Hawaiian dance.
Physical Education - Instructional units are planned to challenge students to improve their skill level, physical fitness, team play, and sportsmanship. Data are recorded from individual efforts and progress is monitored. Units might include volleyball, football, water polo, and archery.
Computer Literacy - In grade six, students learn introductory skills in word processing, database development, spreadsheets, graphics, and electronic research. The program also makes use of software that supplements math and science curricula. In grade seven, students take Computer Applications. In grade eight, students take Computer Graphics.
Performing Arts - Seventh grade students explore performance opportunities in music, drama, and movement. They learn about play production and acting by analyzing and interpreting short stories and plays written by American authors. Students will develop their musical skills by singing, moving, performing, and listening to music that parallels their studies in U.S. History. Elective offerings provide performance opportunities.
Visual Arts - The elements of art (line, shape, form, color, value, texture, and space) and the principles of design (balance, movement, rhythm, contrast, emphasis, pattern, and unity) become the vehicles for the creation of art in a variety of styles. These are never used in isolation, but in infinite combination, and students gain visual literacy as they utilize them in watercolor, colored and graphite pencil, acrylic paint, marker, printmaking, and clay. In addition, students investigate “how to look at art” and apply these skills to works at the Isaacs Art Center, as well as to their own, and the work of their classmates. Students gain awareness of and work in representational, impressionistic, abstract, and non-objective styles. sixth graders focus on the elements of art and come to art class four times a week for two quarters of the year. Eighth Graders have art once a six day rotation and focus on the principles of design. Students participate in a spring show and have a portfolio of work to bring home in May. In addition, art electives are offered in Digital Media, which includes digital video filming, editing, and production, as well as ceramics and silk painting.
Personal Development
HPA promotes personal development in a climate of high behavioral expectations. The school sets standards to identify responsibilities and principles important to cognitive, spiritual, and emotional growth and social interaction. The attitudes and values of honesty, duty, concern for others, sportsmanship, and respect are developed through many parts of the school program including classes, assemblies, physical fitness, and positive relationships with adults in grade level advisories.
Values and Ethics
HPA considers the spiritual and ethical dimensions of life important parts of a young person's educational experience. Quarterly visits to the Davies Chapel place emphasis on the ethical standards and spiritual values shared by the world's great religious traditions that affirm life and enhance what is right and good.
School-wide concepts of respect, responsibility, and safety stress specific points of reference to remember during the entire year. These concepts are reinforced through chapel presentations, assemblies, excursions, classroom discussions, and guest speakers. The school affirms its own traditions and its religious diversity and seeks to encourage students to develop an understanding and respect for spiritual and ethical values.
Academic Assistance
Extra help from teachers is available upon the student's request. The boarding and day faculty have duties in the dorm on a weekly basis. They represent various academic departments, which allows boarders to have easy access to help. In cases where more academic support is needed, tutoring can be arranged through the school office.