Middle School

TIS Middle School - At a Glance

The middle school program at TIS places students in active group learning environments that support the development of Learning skills including collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Daily Schedule

Middle School Course Offerings

Core Courses	Electives
Mathematics Literature (Reading) or Intensive English Writing or Intensive English Cultural Studies Physical Education Art Science Music	Technology American Studies Instrumental Music Study Skills Dramatic Arts Art I (secondary course) Languages Other Than English (Foreign Languages)

As appropriate, some students in the 12 and 13 year-old classes may take secondary level courses and receive secondary credit. If a student leaves a QSI school before entering the secondary school, a letter will be attached to the student’s evaluation form (status report) indicating the secondary level of work in which the student was involved.

Student Services

Counseling

Our middle school students have access to counseling to ensure that all students are well adjusted, learn appropriate social skills, and receive extra support when needed. The middle school teachers and counselor work to create and provide a comprehensive social emotional learning program for all students.

Intensive English

Every QSI student has the opportunity to be successful in their learning, and students are expected to flourish in their classrooms. However, a student whose English proficiency level is below that commonly associated with their age may not be able to flourish in the mainstream classroom. The Intensive English program is designed for these students. The goal of the Intensive English program is to facilitate an accelerated learning environment in which students are able to acquire the English language skills in the four domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing to be successful in their age-appropriate mainstream classes. Intensive English classes are smaller than mainstream classes to allow teachers to target individual student needs more effectively. The Intensive English program allows students to be successful at school and feel confident as learners.

Learning Support

TIS admits students with special needs within the scope of meeting the student's needs in the classroom. For students with more moderate to severe disabilities, the school will review additional information including; educational psychological evaluations, IEPs, teacher and counselor recommendations, and parent information. The school will review this information and speak to relevant service providers to be sure we are able to appropriately meet the student's needs. At times, TIS accepts students with special needs based on the family or sponsor providing the additional school fees to cover the cost of appropriate professional services.
TIS values an inclusive approach to educating students with disabilities. We believe an inclusive and diverse school community helps us to grow together and effect positive change in our world. This means that our students with special needs are active learners with their age appropriate peers, their differences are celebrated alongside the differences of all TIS students, and they are encouraged to form authentic and possibly lifelong relationships with their peers.

Student Life

Middle school is a time of discovery. We encourage our students to develop their interests and passions through our extracurricular activities programs. From athletics to fine arts, there is something for everyone. In middle school, students also begin to participate in interscholastic events, having the opportunity to travel to other regions or countries and developing positive relationships.

Middle School has always been a time of growth and discovery for young people. Not only are Middle School students expanding their learning in the classroom, but they begin to try new things, meet new people, and forge the path that will lead them into adulthood. Throughout the three years students spend in Middle School, they are given the opportunities to expand their thinking and sharpen their skills all in a safe environment that promotes internal growth and experimentation. Students at TIS Middle School should walk out of these doors not only ready for High School, but with an idea of who they are, who they want to become, and a fundamental knowledge of how to get there. At TIS MS we are helping build 21st century adults and the future of TIS MS will continue to adapt to an ever-changing world so our students will be ready.

Jeffrey Tempel
Director of Instruction

A primary component of our middle school program are 21st century skills. Developing these skills helps our student to prepare for a rapidly changing future. Through project-based learning, our students are engaged in authentic, real-world learning situations.

The academic environment is focused on kids growth, with customized learning plans when necessary and tailored opportunities for kids to ensure academic challenge. We also love that TIS is part of the CEESA network, allowing for enriching opportunities to exchange with other schools in the region, engage with other kids and their families, and appreciate diversity and cultural difference.

TIS Parent

In This Section

11-Year-Old Program

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12-Year-Old Program

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13-Year-Old Program

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Middle School & Secondary Classroom Peaks

MS/SEC: Lit 13, IB Psychology, TOK Year 2

29 Sep 2023

Literature-13 and Writing-13 students engage in QSI’s new English curriculum. This inaugural year of the recently released updated course of study benefits from new-and-improved synchronization and tried-and-true timeless works of literary merit. Students assemble portfolios in Literature class, marshaling evidence to demonstrate how an author’s voice and perspective affect stories and how they are told. Using narrative fiction short story classics from Edgar Allen Poe, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and W.W. Jacobs, students apply evidence from texts in literary analysis essays in Writing class. IB Psychology students concurrently progress on designing, implementing, and reporting on their recapitulation of a landmark experiment, while beginning study of developmental psychology. Drawing on the biological and cognitive bases of behavior, the class delves deeper into critical periods of development for perception, behavior, and moral development. In Theory of Knowledge, Year 2 students reflect on the scope, perspectives, tools & methods and ethical considerations as applied to the Human Sciences of economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology and global politics, as they gird themselves to teach each other “how we know what we know” in fundamental findings from Natural Sciences: basics of cosmology; chemistry; the nature of reality. It’s all in a day’s study!

SEC: AP Seminar

22 Sep 2023

Students in AP Seminar have been hard at work learning the ins and outs of the course and even attempted their first Performance Task Team Presentation as they argued for how they will be surviving Junior Year. Students identified the biggest threats they may face this year through different lenses (such as sleep deprivation and various social pressures). We’re really looking forward to conquering these challenges this year and becoming even better students and people along the way!