Middle School

Our goal is to prepare students to walk confidently through the doors of the high school of their choosing. Mastering an essential core of knowledge, enhancing critical thinking skills and developing effective communication strategies are integral components of the ESK Middle School experience.

Our Philosophy

In a caring and challenging academic community, Middle School students develop integrity, respect, responsibility, perseverance and compassion. Students’ spiritual, moral and social growth is nurtured through daily chapel, religion/guidance classes, advisory groups, off-campus learning, extracurricular activities, interscholastic sports and service learning.

View Curriculum Guide

Service Learning

The Service Learning program incorporates social responsibility into educational and instructional methodology as students serve their community in a variety of ways.

Guidance and Religion

The goal of the Middle School guidance program is to help students achieve four primary tasks of adolescence: autonomy and independence; social competence; a sense of purpose; and independent problem solving.

Students learn positive character traits, problem and conflict solving, study skills, manners,Â methods for dealing with teasing, relationship building, personal safety and many other developmentally-appropriate skills.

Fine Art

students choose between chorus, concert band and string band

Electives

ranging from advanced math and ceramics to yearbook and intro to robotics

Innovative Tech

Students are well prepared to use technology in creative and innovate ways to demonstrate learning, ingenuity and problem-solving skills.

120

current students

100%

accepted to the high school of their choice

12

sports teams

9:1

student-teacher ratio

“Aside from the exceptional education I received at The Episcopal School of Knoxville, ESK prepared me mentally and socially to stand on my own two feet in an ever-evolving world.”

– Jamie Wise ’10

Middle School Portfolio

For this yearlong project, each eighth-grade student selects a topic of personal interest. He or she then writes an MLA-style research paper that includes an interview with an expert, envisions and carries out a service project and produces an artifact related to his or her chosen topic.

Language Arts

Language arts is presented as an integrated whole that includes reading and comprehension, creative and expository writing, grammar and mechanics, research strategies and spelling.

World Language

The goal of our foreign language program is to take full advantage of the heightened receptiveness of the young mind.

Math

The mathematics curriculum emphasizes conceptual understanding while building a mastery of basic skills.

Physical Education

Students maximize well-being by fostering the development of athletic skills, leadership, perseverance and fair play.

Social Studies

Students gain an appreciation of their own culture as well as those of others through the study of local, national, and world communities.

Science

The science curriculum is interactive and inquiry-based, and provides students with the opportunity to explore while relating science to their everyday lives

Art & Music

The goal of ESK is to instill a lifelong appreciation for music and art. We explore a wide variety of art and music including video editing, 3-D art, band, chorus and more.

Academic Electives

Middle School students choose from a variety of offerings each semester, including:

Yearbook

Students help document the school year. They write copy, lay-out pages and learn basic photography skills

Ceramics

Students learn about and use both hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques for the creation of 3-D clay work

Advanced Math

Students use and develop math skills to find solutions for problem-based, real world applications

Drama

A "workshop" style class where students learn through performing partnered scenes, ensemble exercises and monologues

Jump With JK

Students mentor ESK Junior Kindergarten students, assisting with science experiments, art projects, musical expression and the exploration of ESK's nature trails.

Intro to Robotics

A beginning course in robotics where the objective is to introduce the student to basic programming as well as problem solving strategies

We recognize middle school as an exciting period in an adolescent life

We believe in the research that shows middle school students do best when their division is attached to a lower school. Developmentally, middle school students need the comfort of continuity with earlier educational experiences, opportunities for leadership and a safe, age-appropriate place for navigating a time of natural social, emotional and academic intensity.

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