Dear Middle School Families,
As we head toward the end of the calendar year, I’ve found myself reflecting not only on the excellence of our academic program, but also on the breadth of opportunity that Wellington’s middle school offers students to explore, stretch, and challenge themselves. There are so many ways to be a Jag, and our students continue to show us new ones every day.
That ethos has been on full display in the weeks leading up to the break. Last Tuesday, our 5th and 6th grade orchestra and band ensembles performed for a packed house in the BPAC. Perhaps the most instructive demonstration of the Wellington Way came from a 5th grader who had recently sustained an injury that prevented them from “driving” their bow, so Ms. Rone stepped in and helped out, a perfect snapshot of performing arts and supportive teachers intersecting in true Wellington fashion. On Wednesday, our 7th and 8th grade musicians took the stage, and Thursday evening capped off a wonderful week of concerts with our 5th and 6th grade choirs. I’d like to extend a special shoutout to James Becker, Allison Enchelmayer, Dakota Elder-Thorn, and the aforementioned Dawna Rone for bringing these performances to life!
This week also features several celebrations of student voice and creativity. On Friday, the Devised Theater Dive will debut its original work, “Rotted,” a hilarious and sharply observant piece of student-created commentary that showcases just how imaginative, incisive, and collaborative our young artists can be. Their script, written and shaped entirely by the students(!), blends humor, critique, and creative storytelling in ways that feel both timely and unmistakably Wellington. We will also see the debut of The Middle School Morning Show, the longest-running middle school TV news magazine in Central Ohio, and the Creative Writing With Found Forms Dive has transformed our hallways into a temporary museum installation. Students have shared their short stories on Post-It Notes throughout shared middle school spaces, inviting readers to pause, reflect, and enjoy the showcase of our emerging writers. Of course, all of this will be documented rigorously by The Wellington Post, our middle school newspaper!
Yesterday marked one of the great rites of passage in 7th grade: Volcano Day! This fully student-centered experience brings together research, modeling, scientific writing, and presentation skills as students become resident experts on their assigned volcanoes. Our intrepid volcanologists were positively erupting with learning, as this project stretched them in all the right ways – time management, collaboration, creativity, and scientific reasoning – while anchoring their learning in authentic inquiry. Meanwhile, our 8th graders have been learning across disciplines with momentum this month…quite literally in science, where students are exploring Newton’s laws through hands-on lab investigations (two puns in one paragraph; I’m on a roll!). The 8th grade Spark Project is moving into its next exciting phase. After spending the fall exploring ideas, committing to a topic, and crafting and recording their project pitches, students are now beginning their first round of authentic research, reaching out to primary sources, organizations, and community experts. Their work this month reflects the heart of the Spark experience: learning to ask better questions, reading and analyzing complex texts, managing long-term projects, communicating professionally, and taking real ownership of their learning journeys.
Our youngest middle schoolers have been equally busy leaning into curiosity and thoughtful inquiry. In 5th grade, students recently delighted in the much-anticipated dry ice “ice cream lab,” a perfect blend of wonder and hands-on discovery. What was branded as a “pop quiz” quickly became an authentic exploration of states of matter, energy transfer, and cause-and-effect. Their enthusiasm was matched by real conceptual understanding as they predicted outcomes, tested assumptions, and watched science unfold before their eyes. Meanwhile, 6th graders are launching the Wellington Culture Project, a thoughtful and future-focused assessment. By examining the components of culture and applying them to our own school community, students are learning to deconstruct systems, identify the values beneath everyday practices, and articulate how shared beliefs shape group behavior. The work demands critical thinking, perspective-taking, and a systems mindset, and it is inspiring to see them study Wellington not just as a place they inhabit, but as a community they actively shape.
The first snow day of the year means that winter has announced itself in full force! Students will enjoy a well-deserved break, with our last day of school on Friday, December 19; school resumes on Monday, January 5, 2026. We are excited to kick off our Winter Ski Program at Mad River Mountain beginning on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
Important 26-27 Enrollment Reminder
Mark your calendars! Families will receive an email from Head of School Eliza McLaren on Wednesday, January 21 with details about re-enrollment for the upcoming school year. Tuition assistance awards will be included in contracts for families receiving support. Please note: To secure your child’s space for next year, contracts must be submitted by Friday, January 30.
I wish you all a restful and restorative break full of joy and ease!
Warmly,
Louis