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: Connecting the Dots: How 12-Year-Olds Build Bridges Across Books

16 Jan 2026

The 12 year old students have been making text connections visible with across units and genres. During each unit we add more books and students practice higher level comprehension by making inferences about connections they see between the books.

MS: Exploring Ancient Greece: Creativity and Collaboration in Cultural Studies

16 Jan 2026

The 11-year-old cultural studies student have been diligently engaged in their ancient Greece projects, demonstrating both creativity and collaboration. Working in small groups, they have been working on creating detailed facades of the Parthenon, carefully incorporating architectural features that highlight the significance of this iconic structure. They have also been working on interpreting Greek mythology, producing comic strips that illustrate key themes and characters in a visually engaging format. Through these projects, students are not only deepening their understanding of history and culture, but also strengthening essential skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and artistic expression.

SEC: Tracing Change: Understanding Agricultural Revolutions and Their Global Impact

16 Jan 2026

AP Human Geography students have been studying the unit on Agricultural Patterns and Processes throughout the world and are working on timelines to label and describe the main Agricultural Revolutions that have occurred in history and the impacts they have had on our world. Other topics within the unit include some of the major consequences of different agricultural methods on the environment and a debate on current agricultural practices that have been developed recently.

MS: History in Action: Photo Essays and Mock Trials Await

19 Dec 2025

In the past weeks, Cultural Studies students have been exploring the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Currently, they are discussing the causes of the Renaissance and comparing the Italian Renaissance with the Northern Renaissance, as well as examining the technological advances of the period. They concluded the unit with a photo essay, answering the question: “How would the world be different if the Renaissance had never happened?” Students are now looking forward to the new unit on the Reformation and the exciting mock trial that comes with it. Way to go!

SEC: From Substitution to Strategy: AP Calculus Gets Creative

12 Dec 2025

AP Calculus students practiced evaluating 10 limits using direct substitution and L’Hospital’s Rule. After working through each problem, they selected the correct answers by coloring the indicated sections on their activity sheet.

MS: First-Time Competitors, Big Wins: Badminton in Zagreb

12 Dec 2025

Middle school CEESA badminton players recently traveled to Zagreb for the new CEESA badminton tournament. In 2 days over 150 matches were played on 8 courts by more than 70 players from 5 schools. This was the first time anyone on our team had played a competitive match of badminton. However, the team still did very well. Our team consisted of 6 boys and 6 girls and competed in 8 divisions: 1^st & 2^nd singles and 1^st & 2^nddoubles for boys and girls. Each member of our team improved over the course of the tournament, and we were winning most games by the end. The girls ended up taking 5^th place overall (There were 5 schools, but 7 teams). The highest place for the girls was a 4^th place finish in 1^st doubles. The boys were able to clinch 2^nd place overall. 1^st and 2^nd singles and 2^nd doubles all placed third in their divisions. Boys 1^st doubles went undefeated and were the champions of their division. Thank you to all the players for their hard work and parents for their support!