Middle School

ESD's middle school provides students with a supportive environment where they explore and develop their own intellectual, creative, and physical abilities while being a part of a community anchored in honor, respect, and integrity.

As a college preparatory school, our commitment to academic rigor is a given. Our commitment to community, service, and integrity is what makes us ESD. Students are challenged to think independently, embrace their love of learning, and act with moral and social responsibility within a life guided by faith.

Explore Our Curriculum

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30+
`Years of annual trips to Washington D.C.`

4++
`Species Dissected in Middle School Labs`

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22+
`Days Middle Schoolers spend each year in Community Service`

800+
`Objects uncovered at Wolf Run during Archaeological Dig`

Beyond the Classroom

Fifth Grade

Students travel to Galveston for learning fun in science and engineering.

Sixth Grade

After an in-depth focus on American History, sixth graders travel to our nation’s capital.

Seventh Grade

Seventh graders explore the Texas Hill Country and what it means to be a collaborative community.

Eighth Grade

Students adventure to Colorado the first week of school to build leadership skills and foster community.

Middle school is a time of great change, both physically and emotionally. As middle school educators, we shepherd children through this remarkable time of growth, opportunity, and discovery by honoring each student's curiosity, ingenuity, gifts, industriousness, and spirit. Our goal is not for students to 'win' middle school, but to equip them for a life of meaningful purpose.

- Jonathan Chein, Head of Middle School

Experiences You Don't Want to Miss

The advisory program is a cornerstone of both ESD and the middle school. This program, where each advisory is comprised of 8-10 students and one faculty member, helps create a unique, supportive environment for our middle schoolers.

Advisories attend chapel together each day and eat together at lunch. This time spent together allows the advisor to know as much as possible about their students and be the best advocate for each student.

Learn more about ESD's Advisory Program here.

Middle school computer science classes help students develop the necessary technology skills to be effective and productive in a digital world.

In Robotics courses, middle school students build robots and program them using feedback from touch, light, sound, and ultrasonic sensors. This hands-on class allows the student to experiment with engineering design and research and development of a project to be presented at competition.

Within ESD's robust fine arts program, middle schoolers have six different artistic disciplines to choose from: Sculpture, Drawing, Painting, Theater, Choir, Band, and Strings.

In middle school theater classes, students have the opportunity to perform several dramas throughout the year for family, friends, and classmates. They are also encouraged to audition for the annual spring musical. This year's musical was "Oklahoma!"

Learn more about ESD's Arts programs here.

In addition to the chickens in our outdoor chicken coop, fifth-grade students have several class pets, or "Learning Assistants," including fish, guinea pigs, a bearded dragon, and a rabbit named Cinnamon!