Middle School students begin the year by focusing on communication, collaboration, and cooperation.

By Brendan O'Brien | all school, Middle School, Student Life

Adolescence is tricky. Middle School in particular. Even for those lucky individuals that loved their teenage years – there are a few of us out there – 6th, 7th, and 8th grade involved plenty of awkwardness and uncertainty.

Or, to put it another, more metaphoric way, Middle School has obstacles. Lots of them. That’s why at Prairie, the Middle School faculty makes a conscientious effort to arm students with tools and experiences to overcome these challenges.

Take Grit ‘N Wit, for example.

Last month, this east coast company, that specializes in constructing tricky team building activities designed to test both the brain and the body, visited campus ready to put the 7th and 8th graders to work. They brought giant puzzles. They brought rope walls. They brought monkey bars. Much to the delight of teachers who were teenagers in the nineties, they even brought hula hoops.

Before students arrived at school on August 22nd, the JV soccer field was covered with a complex series of games and challenges, all of them designed with a single goal in mind: getting students to work together.

“One of my favorite things about the entire experience is watching students who do not know each other well,” says Kathy Boero, Head of Middle School. “It doesn’t take long for the kids to understand the importance of working as a team to accomplish a physical or cognitive challenge. They have to communicate, cooperate, and encourage one another in order to move on to the next station.”

 

Communication, cooperation, encouragement. These themes aren’t just front and center at Grit N Wit; rather, they are stressed all year long year through experiences like Camp Timber-lee, the annual retreat camp where students in 5th and 6th grade enjoy multiple days focused on adventure and building friendships, as well as Friendzy, the K through 8 curriculum focused on helping kids discover personal strengths, manage emotions, and cultivate empathy.

When it comes to being a teenager, there is no universal answer key. Everyone’s experience is different. However, by continually reminding them we’re in this together, by providing kids with the tools to communicate, cooperate, and encourage, the hope is Middle School students at Prairie will unlock their own definitions of self, while also learning what it takes to be good classmates, teammates, and friends.

“Activities like Grit ‘N Wit are so important for Middle School students,” says Boero. “By stretching themselves and trying new experiences, students grow confidence, build self-esteem, and develop relationships. It might sound corny, but the kids legitimately seem happier, walk taller, and engage at a deeper level following these activities. They are fully present and focused on a mutual goal.”