Our Middle School academic program is the authorized International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. The MYP framework provides guidance for teaching and learning from both a pedagogical and curricular perspective. Our Middle School capitalizes on the students’ broad knowledge base from the Primary Years Programme, and helps them apply their diverse approaches to learning to reinforce a focus on global citizenship.

Middle School coursework and schedules are designed to develop and foster the skills associated with these formative years when students grow into young adulthood. Student schedules include seven classes and seven teachers, likely in seven different classrooms across the week: Individuals and Societies, English language and literature, language acquisition, math, science, arts, design, and physical and health education. 

Schedule samples:

2024-25 Grade 6 Daily Schedule

2024-25 Grade 7 Daily Schedule

2024-25 Grade 8 Daily Schedule

Language learning and development continues to be a priority, as we offer both novice- and advanced-level, intensive language instruction in French, Chinese, and Spanish to our Middle School students. New students are not required to have any prior foreign-language experience prior to joining the MYP. 

IB and MYP, Explained by Our Leadership

In 6th grade, students are assigned to a small group of seven to ten students with one faculty advisor. They typically stay with their same Advisory group and teacher for the three years of Middle School. Advisory meets three times weekly for twenty minutes and is the heart of our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum. Topics of discussion and activities include relationships, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, respect, local and global issues. Students also set goals related to their development as an IB learner, periodically reflect, and present their progress at the fall and spring student-led conferences.

Over 80% of our Middle School students participate in our competitive athletics program for children in Grades 6 - 8. Athletics help our learners develop character, sportsmanship, teamwork, and interpersonal skills, across a wide variety of sports each season. Students compete against local similarly sized independent schools.

Read more about our sports offerings here.

A student's transition into both our Middle School and High School is a critical time, and we have dedicated counseling services that serve both divisions.

Learn more about our counseling here.

A la the British House system (yes, think Harry Potter), 6th graders are sorted into one of four Dragon Houses. Houses are comprised of students from all three grade levels and, like Advisory, immediately foster a strong sense of belonging. Houses have friendly competitions throughout the year. Students can be awarded “positive house points” for behaviors we want to reinforce, like a student going above and beyond to be kind.

ISDenver's version of office hours for our Middle School students. Guided Study serves as time for catching up on work, and seeking extra help from teachers. In addition, the sixth grade team leader instructs the students on topics that include introduction to the IB Middle Years Programme, keeping track of assignments and organization, working with different teachers for each subject, notetaking skills, and using ManageBac, our learning management system - study skills that are critical for developing research skills in 7th grade, and completing the 8th grade capstone project.

Our 8th graders each choose a topic through which to make a global impact, which they focus on in partnership with their advisor throughout the school year. During the fall semester, 8th graders chose a topic of interest, research it, and make an impact through a variety of possible ways including raising public awareness, doing direct service, and developing programs.

Their capstone project can be a continuation of this community service project, or may dive into a new area. In the spring, students research and present their work examined from a global perspective. If they meet target language requirements, students can earn bilingual certificate recognition by completing their project in their target language.

But our students also go deeper, with an end of year symposium asking the question, "How will you make your mark as a global citizen?" The symposium includes an esteemed panel of thought leaders, activists, and change-making "doers" all leaving their impact as global citizens - covering topics from microfinance to combatting human trafficking and crimes against humanity to immigration law to dance to renewable energy.

 

• 6th Grade: Mountain Trip, Fall; Moab Trip, Spring
  • To bookend the year, this grade starts and ends their experience with trips exploring the Rocky Mountains. On the first trip, our goal is to come together as a class and build strong bonds that  last even beyond graduation day. 
     
• 7th Grade: Grand Circle
  • This trip, to the areas surrounding the Grand Canyon, is a culmination of their learning in Science and Individuals and Societies classes - a way for our students to truly get “into the field” as geologists and archeologists. Many of our graduates tell us this trip is among their favorite ISDenver memories.
     
• 8th Grade: International Service Learning Trip
  • Eighth-grade spring trips are community service-based trips to central American Countries. Students choose from 2-3 destinations. In 2023, trips went to Panama, Belize, and the Dominican Republic. 

Learn more about school trips and classrooms without walls here.

More and more, we see kids over-programmed after school which is where X Block, our elective offering, was born. X Block allows students to select something that interests them for two ungraded 45 minute periods each week. X Block offering examples include:

• Personal finance
• Art Studio
• Yoga and mindfulness
• Documentary film-making
• Million Solar Stars
• Yearbook
• Photography
• Strength in Difference (DEIB Course)
• Drumline