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You Might Be an MICDS Middle Schooler If…

Crystal DAngelo /

Middle School at MICDS is packed with unique customs, events, and milestones. How do you know you’re in Middle School at our School? Read the list below of just some of the many fun traditions that are classic MICDS Middle School experiences!

Swinging through the trees and completing all sorts of obstacles at Camp Wyman is a rite of passage in seventh grade.


You look forward to one of the best days of the year: the day for the Middle School Talent Show.


You don’t have to wait until high school before learning Mandarin, French, Latin, or Spanish.


When someone says, “Do the right thing,” you yell back, “BECAUSE IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!”—a popular Middle School phrase shared at all Middle School meetings.


Building Egyptian pyramids, constructing and testing a heat shield, studying dinosaur fossils, and participating in a scavenger hunt are all part of your “typical” school day.

Music is a key part of your week, whether you’re in band, strings, or choir.


You already have friends on the first day of school since you went to the Bridge Orientation Program over the summer.


You’ve got spirit, yes you do! You’ve gone to school decked out in Cardinals gear, Blues apparel, red and green MICDS colors, a suit, and pajama pants! 


You go to great lengths to earn the coveted Octiram in your eighth-grade advisory. This trophy, if you will, represents the spirit of the 8th-grade class. It is given throughout each school year as a prize for winning various advisory competitions ranging from feats of intellectual strength to triumphant winners of zany trivia battles.


It’s always a great day when the Middle School Dining Hall serves s’mores bars or cereal bars!


Each year, you look forward to participating in the Ram Impact Summit where you learn more about yourself, others, and practice building community and empathy.


When you see the word “lead,” you start riffing off:

  • Learn with curiosity and joy
  • Embrace challenge
  • Advocate for self and community
  • Demonstrate collaboration and teamwork


You’re thrilled to play as a Ram on some of the 19 seventh- and eighth-grade athletic teams in state-of-the-art facilities while even having one of your teachers as your coach.


You can’t believe how wise the Upper Schoolers seem when you learn from them in the Peer to Peer mentorship program.


You haven’t experienced a true Halloween until you’ve gone all out with a fabulous costume for the 5th Grade Halloween Party where you play such games as Halloween Bingo, Limbo under a chain rope, and Ring Toss with witch hats.

You’ve planned your very own overnight camping trip at Hawn State Park with your classmates as part of the capstone experience in sixth grade to conclude the school year.


You can’t be part of every single club you have an interest in because there are so many, so you settle for three.


When someone asks you to cut something out or print something, you immediately head to the Middle School Makerspace to use the laser cutter and 3D printer.


Your advisory is like your second family. You even proudly created an advisory poster with your brilliant advisory name boldly displayed on the front.


You learned how to design spaces, create how-to videos, and make 3D assistive technology for individuals with disabilities through the sixth grade Passion Projects.


There’s no way you can picture a Makerspace without a set of records playing Mr. Lawrence’s favorite tunes.

 

ASAP stands for Academic Support After-School Program, not As Soon As Possible. In this free student support program, you enjoy help with homework, growth in organization and time management skills, and improved study habits.


Fifth Grade Adventure Night is your favorite sleepover of the year! Between the Minute to Win It Games and tasty food to the on-campus planetarium and numerous yard games, it’s a surprise anyone gets any sleep while camping out in the MAC.

Beyond Middle School, MICDS as a whole from Junior Kindergarten through 12th grade is filled with intentional learning opportunities for every Ram. View our traditions web page to see some of the memorable experiences to be had by our students.