Dear Middle School Families,
After a restorative break, our hallways are buzzing once again with the particular energy that comes from students who have had a moment to reset and are ready to dive back in. Spring sports are underway, with competitions starting last week, the cast and crew of the musical are entering the home stretch, and middle schoolers have hit the ground running as we settle back into the routines of learning (and the Red Sox have settled back into the routine of losing baseball games…spring is truly here indeed).
One of the great joys of this time of year is the opportunity to look in two directions at once: back at how far our students have come, and forward at all that is still to come, both in the weeks ahead and in the year beyond. In that spirit, I am excited to share some program updates for the 2026-2027 year, along with snapshots of the wonderful learning underway in Trimester 3.
Program Updates for 2026-2027
At Wellington, our commitment to continuous growth means reflecting on our practice and iteratively gathering feedback from students, teachers, and families. We ask ourselves how we ensure that every student is challenged and supported, and whether we are creating experiences that reflect where our students are as learners and members of our middle school community. These questions are at the heart of A Bold Leap: 2032, our strategic plan, which calls us to elevate the standard for educational excellence and student engagement. Two new additions to the 2026-2027 middle school program reflect exactly that ambition.
For 8th grade English, we are introducing a dynamic new model that better reflects the range, depth, and individuality of our oldest middle schoolers. Rather than the current structure, in which students move through the same curriculum with the same teacher all year, all 8th graders will be scheduled for English at the same time, with a team of teachers offering different units of study. Students will be sorted at times by readiness and at times by interest and choice, creating genuine opportunities for both the support and the challenge that students need at this stage of their development. This model makes the 8th grade English experience more dynamic and engaging, with dedicated opportunities for discussion-based learning and close coaching of writing. We hope to empower students to take ownership of their learning as they prepare for the autonomy and independence of upper school. We look forward to sharing more details in the months ahead.
We are also thrilled to announce a brand-new performing arts offering for 7th and 8th graders: Theatre Arts. Currently, middle school students in grades 5 through 8 can participate in band, strings, and choir, and Theatre Arts adds a fourth option for our oldest middle schoolers. Co-taught by Dakota Elder-Thorn, Director of Performing Arts, and Aly Marchant, Assistant Director of Performing Arts, the course builds foundational performance skills through movement, creativity, and collaboration, including blocking, tableau, pantomime, and improvisation. No previous theatre experience is required. The course culminates in an Open Class in which students invite friends and family to join them as they teach and lead their favorite activities from the course. Current 6th and 7th graders will have the opportunity to express interest in Theatre Arts as they select their performing arts course for next year, and we hope this expanded pathway offers a meaningful option for students who want to engage in the performing arts beyond our music ensembles. We are excited to roll this out to students next week.
Learning in Action
Across grade levels, the academic energy of Trimester 3 is in full swing. Last week, 5th graders kicked off their study of “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen, and this week they will connect their reading to an experience of their own as they embark on Build a Canoe Week – exactly what it sounds like! Students will work together over the next five days to construct a canoe, with a culminating paddle trip once it’s finished! In math, they have been sharpening their decimal multiplication skills through a project in which they designed their own hoodies and calculated pricing for bulk orders. This is the kind of real-world application that makes abstract concepts suddenly feel very concrete (and very stylish, although I suspect many of their hoodies are not dress code). Sixth graders are diving into “The Giver” through Socratic Seminars, an inquiry-based discussion format that asks them to come prepared with questions, textual evidence, and a genuine curiosity about the world of the novel.
In 7th grade, students are immersed in the AIR Project, a signature independent research and writing experience in which each student selects a topic they care deeply about and produces both a full-length research essay and a full-length persuasive essay. This sustained, student-driven inquiry is one of the hallmarks of the Wellington 7th grade experience, and discussing topics with students is one of my favorite parts of spring. In 8th grade, students are reading, analyzing, and discussing inductive essays on topics like online anonymity and the role of anxiety in personal growth, building the skills and confidence they will need to write their own original essays. Meanwhile, 8th graders are also drafting six-word memoirs that will become part of our Moving Up Ceremony in May, a fitting reminder that as our oldest middle schoolers prepare for the next chapter, we want to send them off celebrating not just all that they have learned, but the thoughtful people they have become.
Beyond the classroom, our students have been having some remarkable experiences. Recently, nearly 40 Wellington students, parents, and teachers gathered at the Ohio Theatre for a special screening of “Amadeus,” accompanied live by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Choir. For our LYCEUM students, who had studied both Alexander Pushkin's "Mozart and Salieri" and Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus" in class, the evening carried particular resonance, as moments they had wrestled with on the page suddenly took on new force when Mozart's music filled the hall. Our Latin students also had a tremendous showing at the Ohio Junior Classical League Convention in Columbus last month, competing alongside approximately 380 students from across the state. Wellington earned an Excellent rating for its club project and a gold medal Superior rating for its banner, while individual students placed in grammar, translation, watercolor, costumes, and Modern Myth. We are so proud of the talent, preparation, and passion our students brought to both of these experiences!
Spring Reminders
We have an action-packed few weeks ahead of us:
Teaching Tomorrow: How Wellington Approaches Digital Responsibility - April 21
Join the Digital Citizenship Parent Group on Thursday, April 21, from 8:30-9:30 a.m., in the Doerschlag Den. Technology is changing quickly, and Wellington is thinking carefully about how to prepare students for the future. Director of Technology John Kruzan and Shelley Brown, assistant head of school for academics and head of early childhood and lower school, will help us learn more about Wellington’s approach to technology, including our work with artificial intelligence and digital literacy from preschool through grade 12. We will share how these skills grow over time and how we are connecting today’s learning to the expectations students will encounter in college and beyond. Learn more about the Digital Citizenship Parent group here.
Trimester 3 Interim Reports will post on Veracross at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 24.
The middle school musical, “Alice in Wonderland, Jr.” debuts at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 24, with the second show at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 25. Purchase tickets here!
Grandparents and Special Friends Celebration - May 1
Grandparents and special friends will be back to celebrate together the morning of Friday, May 1, for breakfast, a special program, and visits to classrooms. Invitations have already gone out via mail and email, and we are excited to see the RSVPs roll in. Though this is not a parent event, you may learn more here and assist your grandparent or special friend with registration by April 20. Questions? Email eggleton@wellington.org or call 614-324-1561.
At Morning Meeting today, Mr. Winslow offered his Tip of the Week: "Finish strong," and I know our students are up to the challenge. I am grateful every day for the partnership we share with you in making that possible. There is so much still to celebrate between now and the end of the year, and I can't wait to experience it together!
With excitement and joy,
Louis