fbpx

 Middle School 6-8

Home 9 Middle School 6-8

Middle School 6-8

Middle School Faculty

Has your gifted middle school child outpaced their peers in mathematics, writing or artistic expression? Has school become a place of frustration rather than a place of possibilities and learning?

It might be time for a change.

At Quest, gifted students push boundaries and dive deep. They test hypotheses and are inspired to think critically and creatively. They will participate in authentic, immersive experiences. They will understand how to lead and impact the world around them. Furthermore, they will form strong connections with intellectual peers and teachers who understand how their minds work. In short, they will belong, be seen and be heard. A Quest Middle School education is a gifted education that has a lifelong impact.

At Quest, gifted students benefit from authentic growth and leadership opportunities that take them beyond the classroom. They will also forge meaningful bonds with intellectual peers at a time when these connections are paramount.

At Quest, teachers offer an interdisciplinary approach that provides immersive learning experiences as well as hands-on problem solving. Curriculum is accelerated or deepened in all domains as appropriate.

At Quest, graduates leave with uncommon self-awareness, confidence and the capacity to advocate for themselves. They take responsibility for their own learning on their lifelong journey.

Art
  • Two Dimensional and Three Dimensional Art Processes
  • Pottery Wheels
  • Art History and Aesthetics: Western and Non-Western, African American Art from 1800-1960, Japanese WoodBlock Printing, Native American Weaving Styles, POP Art, Ottoman Empire Tughras
  • Abstract Art Umbrella Painting
  • Creative, Self Expression
  • Artistic Process and Risk Taking
  • Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Ceramics, Mixed Media, Weaving
  • Tablet Photography
Computer Science/ Artificial Intelligence (CSAI)
  • Coding
  • Circuitry 
  • Microcontrollers/microcomputers
  • Design
  • AI 
  • Digital Citizenship
Design Tech
  • Infographics- Data Visualizations
  • Adobe Spark-Video, Graphic Design, Digital Illustration, Animation
  • WeVideo and iMovie- Video Editing, Documentaries, Science Fiction Short Films, Fantasy
  • Pixlr and Adobe Photoshop- Rotoscoping, Photo Editing, Stop Motion Animation, Drawing and Illustration
  • Google Slides- Gamification, Storytelling, Stop Motion Animation, AI Animation
  • AI, Google Earth Street View, AR experience creation
  • Podcasting and Sound Recording- Anchor and WeVideo
Drama
  • Improvisation
  • Scene Work and performance
  • Theater Terms/vocabulary
  • Self Expression
  • Theater Technique
  • Character development
  • Using your stage voice
  • Junior musical performance 
  • Mime-Body language
Language Arts
  • Vocabulary 
  • Grammar
  • Analytical paragraph form
  • Reading and writing as a tool to develop empathy
  • Novel studies
  • Persuasion and problem solving
  • Editing and revision
Social Studies
  • Reconstruction
  • Immigration
  • Civil Rights Movement
  • Research paper with MLA citations
  • Geography
Math

Students are placed in one of the following math classes based on their abilities:

  • Middle School Math (7th grade-level math)
  • Pre-Algebra (8th grade-level math)
  • Algebra 1 (High school freshman-level math)
  • Algebra 2 (High school junior-level math)
  • Geometry

All students get a chance to participate in local, state and national math competitions

Music
  • Bucket Drumming 
  • Music Theory(symbols, rhythm, melody)
  • History(European high art, jazz, American popular music)
  • Ear training(solfege, rhythm recognition)
  • Musical exposure(listening to live and recorded music)
  • Music technology(garage band, notation software)
Physical Education
  • Rhythm and tempo through movement
  • Health and wellness
  • Challenge beyond expectations
  • Physical assessment with goals
Science
  • Biology class
  • Students learn to use the framework of the Scientific Method
  • Students learn human body systems, classification, microscopy, microbiology
  • Agricultural immersion: agronomy, decision making, soil science, botany, parasitology
  • Hands-on labs, work on report format
Spanish

Students will acquire Spanish by:

  • Hearing stories about school life
  • Discussing characters found in school settings
  • Discussing school experiences, pets, families, appearances and much, much more
  • Reading a book as a class about a boy who really, really, really wants a dog
Art
  • Two Dimensional and Three Dimensional Art Processes
  • Pottery Wheels
  • Art History and Aesthetics: Western and Non-Western, Ancient to Renaissance, Impressionism, Contemporary Japanese Painting
  • Sculpture- Optical Illusion 
  • Creative, Self Expression
  • Artistic Process and Risk Taking
  • Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Ceramics, Mixed Media, Weaving
  • AI and Drawing
  • Illuminated Manuscripts from many World Diasporas and Calligraphy systems
Computer Science/ Artificial Intelligence (CSAI)
  • Coding
  • Circuitry 
  • Microcontrollers/microcomputers
  • Design
  • AI 
  • Digital Citizenship
Design Tech
  • Infographics- Data Visualizations
  • Adobe Spark-Video, Graphic Design, Digital Illustration, Animation
  • WeVideo and iMovie- Video Editing, Documentaries, Science Fiction Short Films, Fantasy
  • Pixlr and Adobe Photoshop- Rotoscoping, Photo Editing, Stop Motion Animation, Drawing and Illustration
  • Google Slides- Gamification, Storytelling, Stop Motion Animation, AI Animation
  • AI, Google Earth Street View, AR experience creation
  • Podcasting and Sound Recording- Anchor and WeVideo
Drama
  • Improvisation
  • Theater Technique
  • Self reflection 
  • Self Expression
  • Script analysis
  • Scene Work/writing and performance
  • Cross Curricular with LASS Shakespeare study and performance 
  • Theater History and Costume Design
  • Voice and speech Iambic pentameter 
Language Arts
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar
  • Essay form
  • Shakespeare (sonnet and play forms)
  • Epic
  • Editing and revision
Social Studies
  • Ancient civilizations
  • History of the English language
  • World religions
  • Ancient governments
  • Note taking 
  • History Fair (independent research project)
Math

Students are placed in one of the following math classes based on their abilities:

  • Pre-Algebra (8th grade-level math)
  • Algebra 1 (High school freshman-level math)
  • Geometry (High school sophomore-level math)

All students get a chance to participate in local, state and national math competitions

Music
  • Pitched instruments(percussion and piano)
  • Music Theory(basic harmony, the elements of music, intervallic studies)
  • History(sub Saharan African, European high art, jazz, American popular music, Indian Carnatic)
  • Ear training(solfege, harmonic and rhythmic recognition)
  • Musical exposure(listening to live and recorded music)
  • Music technology(garage band, notation software)
Physical Education
  • Rhythm and tempo through movement
  • Health and wellness
  • Challenge beyond expectations
  • Physical assessment with goals
Science
  • Earth science
  • Science fair every other year (in 7th or 8th)
  • Meteorology, geology, rock cycle/identification, geography
  • Plate tectonics, hydrology, astronomy, thermodynamics
  • Future problem solving: floods, drought, earthquakes, hurricanes, pandemics
  • Hands-on lab work, lab reports
Spanish

Students will acquire Spanish by:

  • Hearing stories about mysterious people and places
  • Discussing characters from fantastical realms
  • Discussing daily routine, clothing, appearances, food preferences and much, much more
  • Reading a graphic novel as a class about a strange town with a huge secret
Art
  • Two Dimensional and Three Dimensional Art Processes
  • Pottery Wheels
  • Art History and Aesthetics: Western and Non-Western, Ancient to Contemporary
  • Architectural Design and Monuments: African American Artist Alison Saar
  • Creative, Self Expression
  • Artistic Process and Risk Taking
  • Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Ceramics, Installation Art, Mixed Media, Weaving
  • Sculptural Teapot, Abstract Landscape, Self Portrait
  • Photography-DSLR: Photographers: Shirin Neshat, Rueben Wu, Angel Adams
Computer Science/ Artificial Intelligence (CSAI)
  • Coding
  • Circuitry 
  • Microcontrollers/microcomputers
  • Design
  • AI 
  • Digital Citizenship
Design Tech
  • Infographics- Data Visualizations
  • Adobe Spark-Video, Graphic Design, Digital Illustration, Animation
  • WeVideo and iMovie- Video Editing, Documentaries, Science Fiction Short Films, Fantasy
  • Pixlr and Adobe Photoshop- Rotoscoping, Photo Editing, Stop Motion Animation, Drawing and Illustration
  • Google Slides- Gamification, Storytelling, Stop Motion Animation, AI Animation
  • AI, Google Earth Street View, AR experience creation
  • Podcasting and Sound Recording- Anchor and WeVideo
Drama
  • Improvisation
  • Self Expression
  • Ensemble work
  • Monologue work
  • Theater Tech
  • Auditioning process
  • Spring Musical Process and Performance
  • Backstage
  • Design and crew work
Language Arts
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar
  • Essay form
  • Novel studies
  • Memoir
  • Editing and revision
Social Studies
  • U.S. Constitution
  • Political science
  • Document Based Questions (DBQ essay form)
  • WWI 
  • WWII and the Holocaust
  • History Fair (independent research project)
Math

Students are placed in one of the following math classes based on their abilities:

  • Algebra 1 (High school freshman-level math)
  • Algebra 2 (High school junior-level math)
  • Geometry (High school sophomore-level math)
  • Pre-Calculus (High school senior-level math)

All students get a chance to participate in local, state and national math competitions

Music
  • Guitar
  • Music Theory (high school level)
    • basic harmony
    • elements of music
    • intervallic studies
    • harmonic analysis
  • Music History
    • Sub Saharan African
    • European high art
    • Jazz
    • American popular music
    • Indian Carnatic
    • Latin American
    • East Asia)
  • Ear training(solfege, harmonic and rhythmic recognition, transcriptions)
  • Musical exposure(listening to live and recorded music)
Physical Education
  • Rhythm and tempo through movement
  • Health and wellness
  • Challenge beyond expectations
  • Physical assessment with goals
Science
  • Introductory Physical Science (IPS), a High school-level course
  • Hands-on labs that study characteristic properties of elements
  • Chemistry emphasis
  • Density, solubility, melting/boiling points, states of matter
  • Identification of multiple unknowns in a summative test in April
Spanish

Students will acquire Spanish by:

  • Hearing stories about people with challenges big and small
  • Discussing characters who are flawed or have made mistakes
  • Discussing relationships, preferences, careers, past experiences and much much more
  • Reading a graphic novel about a teenager navigating the stressors of high school life
Deanna Armentrout

Dr. Justin Bankert

Faculty – Middle School Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence

Jen Fabsik

Jen Fabsik

Faculty – Middle School Language Arts/Social Studies
Krista Genovese

Alaina Gibbons

Faculty — Middle School Music & Choir

Lisa Kropp

Lisa Kropp

Faculty – Middle School Spanish, Advisory Coordinator
Jeff Ryder

Jeff Ryder

Faculty – PE & Athletic Director
Nathan Stoffregen

Nathan Stoffregen

Faculty – Middle School Science

Andrea Dotoli

Andrea Dotoli

Faculty – Middle School Performing Arts
Brian Frank Head of School

Brian Frank

Faculty – Middle School

Mathematics

Hether Hoffmann

Hether Hoffmann

Faculty – Grades 4-8 Art
Holly Marciniak MS Math Teacher

Holly Marciniak

Faculty – Middle School Math

Andrew Shilhanek

Andrew Shilhanek

Faculty – Middle School Language Arts/Social Studies

About Admissions