group of middle school students next to a tree

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Where growing minds meet hands-on inquiry and artistic exploration, with real-world challenges channeling emerging ideals into purposeful action.

Overview

Awakening Thought, Purpose and Responsibility

As early adolescence unfolds, students seek deeper purpose, real-world challenges, and broader horizons. 

At River Valley, our collaborative middle school teaching model guides each class through experience-based science labs, primary-source historical inquiry, diverse and engaging literature, rigorous work with math, and our rich middle school arts programming. 

This dynamic curriculum channels emerging intellect and idealism into meaningful, inspired action.

group of smiling happy middle school students
Benefits

Whole-Child Approach

  • Developmentally-aligned, challenging curriculum: Literature, biography, and hands-on science experiments meet adolescents’ emerging intellect and unfolding capacity for abstract thinking.
  • Artistic approach to learning: Creative expression channels evolving identity and deepens capacities for focus and self-reflection.
  • Phenomenological science & real-world math: Observation and hands-on experiments establish the foundations for rich understanding in physics, chemistry, geology, business math, geometry, and algebra.
  • Leadership and service woven in: First-grade buddies, jobs at school and community festivals, afterschool clubs, service projects, and the 8th-grade trip foster confidence, responsibility and purpose.
  • High-school ready: Most students are accepted into their first-choice high schools and demonstrate strong academic and social preparation as they transition into high school. Our graduates consistently thrive in high school and beyond.
seventh grade boys in art class
Sample Day Schedule

A Day In the Life of a Middle School Student

  • 8:00-8:20 Morning recess on the back playground
  • 8:30–10:15 Main Lesson (History, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Creative Writing, ect.)
  • 10:15-10:45 Snack and recess
  • 10:50-11:30 Handwork / Woodwork
  • 11:35-12:15 Math skills
  • 12:15-1:00 Lunch and recess
  • 1:05-1:45 Chorus / Orchestra
  • 1:50-2:30 English Language Arts skills
  • 2:35-3:15 World Language / Art’
  • 3:15 Cleaning, Closing Verse, and Dismissal
Awakening to the World

Sixth Grade

Sixth grade at River Valley marks the true beginning of middle school, a year of rising expectations, growing independence, and deepening curiosity.

Inquire Now

As students enter early adolescence, they are ready for challenge, clarity, and complexity in both their inner and outer worlds.

The study of Ancient Rome provides a powerful mirror: students explore the construction of cities, systems, and empires while reflecting on transformation and the consequences of power. Their historical journey continues through the rise of Christianity and Islam and into the Middle Ages.

Math becomes more practical and precise, with a focus on business concepts like percentages, interest, and ratios, alongside the beauty and precision of geometry. Students work with compasses and straightedges to construct geometric forms, developing accuracy and discipline.

Science expands into geology, astronomy, and physics (sound, light, and heat) meeting students’ desire to understand the forces that shape both the earth and the cosmos. Geography shifts southward to Central and South America, broadening their global awareness and cultural understanding.

Through it all, the sixth grader is seen and supported as a thinker, a doer, and an emerging individual seeking purpose and connection.

Sixth Grade Faculty

  • Bridget Brier

    Bridget Brier

    Grade 6 Class Teacher

    “I love this pedagogy’s richness and experiential-based methods, and I love that our students are comfortable in so many art forms. I...

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  • The Courage to Question and Explore

    Seventh Grade

    Seventh grade at River Valley is a time of bold inquiry, personal awakening, and expanding perspective.

    Inquire Now
    class of 7th graders smiling together during holiday party

    As students step deeper into adolescence, their desire to explore both the outer world and their inner landscape is met with a curriculum that challenges convention and celebrates discovery.

    History comes alive through the Renaissance, Exploration, and Reformation, a time when humanity dared to question the status quo, chart new territories, and reimagine what was possible. Our approach seeks to de-centralize the European perspective, while still studying the lives of visionaries, explorers and inventors, including Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei. These figures mirror the adolescent’s own search for truth, identity, and meaning.

    Geography focuses on Africa, grounding the students in a rich continent with diverse cultures, histories, and ecosystems. Scientific studies build on previous years, delving into chemistry through the exploration of acids and bases, and into physics with combustion, electricity, refraction, and reflection. The study of simple machines reveals the power of mechanical advantage, beginning with the human arm as nature’s perfect lever.

    Mathematics enters the abstract with the introduction of algebra, equations, negative numbers, powers and roots, while work with geometry deepens through practical applications such as perspective drawing and geometric constructions, offering a unique intersection between math and art. These lessons foster flexible thinking and problem-solving while supporting the students’ growing capacity for logical reasoning.

    Seventh graders also begin to understand the interconnectedness of systems: astronomy and meteorology are not just scientific disciplines, but essential tools for navigation, both literal and metaphorical. They support students in orienting themselves in a world that is increasingly complex and interconnected.

    In all subjects, the curriculum reinforces a central truth: adolescence is a journey of transformation, and the tools of observation, creativity, and courageous thinking are essential companions on the path.

    class of 7th graders sitting in a circle on the floor

    Seventh Grade Faculty

  • Shenayah Herschkowitz

    Shenayah Herschkowitz

    Grade 7 Class Teacher

    “I am passionate about how Waldorf Education considers each child holistically, with the goal of meeting them where they are and nourishing...

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  • Culmination, Confidence, and Contribution

    Eighth Grade

    Eighth grade at River Valley is a year of culmination, confidence, and deepening social responsibility.

    Inquire Now
    eighth grade class posing together in white clothes on mayfair day

    As the oldest students in the school, 8th graders step into leadership roles mentoring younger buddies, participate in organizing events, and prepare for their 8th grade trip and 8th grade project presentations. They are seen not only as scholars but as role models and stewards of the community.

    Academically, the curriculum rises to meet their growing intellect and sense of justice. In history, students trace the arc of revolution, political, industrial, and ideological, through the Enlightenment, American and French Revolutions, and modern history. These pivotal shifts in human thought and society resonate with students’ own quest for independence and moral clarity.

    The study of geography continues with Asia and the Pacific, broadening global awareness and rounding out a five-year journey that began with local geography in Grade 4. Science deepens with explorations of human physiology, organic chemistry, aerodynamics and hydraulics, offering students insight into both the systems of the body and the forces of the natural world.

    8th graders sitting on the edge of a stage during valentine's day exchange

    Mathematics continues with algebra, plane geometry, surface area, volume, and the introduction of linear graphing. Students construct Platonic solids, reinforcing spatial understanding and mathematical beauty through hands-on work. Literature, composition, and journalism challenge students to articulate their thoughts with clarity and conviction.

    The eighth grade project, which includes months of independent research and creative effort, is the crowning achievement of the year. Whether building a combustion engine, designing a gown, studying the honeybee, or composing original music, students engage in meaningful inquiry around topics they are passionate about and present their work to the full community with poise and purpose.

    By year’s end, our eighth graders emerge ready for high school. They are not just academically prepared; they are also confident, curious, and grounded in a strong sense of self and their place in the world.

    8th grade class during graduation, laughing together on stage

    Eighth Grade Faculty

  • Molly Watson

    Molly Watson

    Grades 8 Class Teacher

    “I love how Waldorf education looks at each student as an individual on their own unique journey.”

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  • Combined Class Model

    • Deeper Learning and Stronger Connections Through a Combined Middle School Model

      River Valley’s combined class model continues into middle school, with adjacent grades often learning together as one large cohesive community.

      This structure offers students a broader range of social and collaborative experiences, while fostering a classroom culture where each individual can meet challenges with confidence and purpose, free from unnecessary comparison. Teachers thoughtfully integrate the academic content of both grades into a rich, developmentally aligned main lesson experience, while students work in smaller, grade-specific groups for targeted skills instruction.

      This model supports differentiation, deep relationships, and a strong sense of belonging as students navigate the transformative middle school years.

      middle school students sitting together and laughing