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Middle School

Grades 5, 6, 7, 8

Honoring Students as the Amazing,
Inquisitive People They Are

The hallmark of Harley’s Middle School is the close relationships our outstanding teachers forge with their students. Their passion for supporting, engaging, guiding, and challenging pre- and early teens can be seen in action every day.  

Our curriculum, both innovative and challenging, coupled with enriching electives, modified sports, and afterschool opportunities gives students a well-rounded school experience. Each child’s journey is different and our small class sizes allow students to grow positively as they develop. 

Social-emotional Learning 

We continue social-emotional learning (SEL) throughout Middle School. 

SEL is the process through which tweens and teens learn to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. This provides a holistic atmosphere which address adolescent development in many dimensions.

Areas of Focus:

  • self-awareness
  • self-management
  • social awareness
  • relationship skills
  • responsible decision-making

By continuing to practice and learn these skills, students become better equipped at managing feelings and peer relations and handling stress.

Middle School Experiences

Flex Time Electives

Our Middle School students can choose from a variety of flex time electives such as: podcasting, Harley Makers, digital drawing, running club, guitar, community service, and many more.

Modified HAC Sports

The Harley School and Allendale Columbia School maintain 18 Section V teams to provide a wide variety of athletic options for students of all levels.

Our teams provide your tween with an opportunity to develop physically, mentally, and emotionally while participating in  interscholastic athletics. 

HAC Athletics website

Middle School Expedition Week

Every year in the month of May, the entire middle school participates in “Expedition Week.” This is a week full of exciting activity designed to help students connect the dots between the ‘real-world’ and what’s learned inside the classroom.  

In addition to real-world learning, field trips fulfill an important social-emotional role. Research shows students who go on field trips become more empathetic and tolerant.

Experiential Learning

We emphasize hands-on, often cross-disciplinary projects, which allow students to be guided by curiosity, to be challenged by critical thinking, and to be engaged in deep levels of problem-solving.
Experiential learning is student-centered with an emphasis on flexible, open learning outcomes. A primary goal is to develop knowledge and skills through experience.

Our Middle School is a safe place for students to learn, develop, explore and grow. Our experienced faculty understand that this is a critical time of transition, and with it comes new experiences, new schedules, and new responsibilities.

Our class sizes are small and our faculty intentionally focus on each student as an individual, providing a challenging, hands-on learning environment that prepares our students for the social and academic demands of middle school, upper school and beyond.

MS foodlink

As members of the Harley community, students in our Middle School learn the importance of personal responsibility. They are expected to contribute positively to the daily life of the school as we work together to maintain a safe and healthy learning environment where mutual respect and civility are valued and practiced.

Middle School students are encouraged and supported, yet given the opportunity to apply the skills they have developed in the Lower School, while stretching them to further develop the skills they need for the Upper School. It is during these years that our students learn to fly–they are given the freedom to explore independence as they embrace responsibility.

Joy in growing. Middle School is a time to learn the art of being a student. We nurture and support our students individually, while providing academically challenging and authentic work.

MS Erosion table

At Harley, our program has strong roots in traditional education, focusing on academic areas such as mathematics, reading, writing, the sciences, language, physical health and the arts. But our unique approach takes each of these subjects one step further by emphasizing skill development, growth of the whole child, and helping students learn thematically while seeking and finding joy in learning.

Our students learn to develop oral and written communication skills, mathematical computation and reasoning, scientific inquiry, computer literacy, proficiency in a second language, and how to research, problem solve, and more.

And that’s just the beginning…

We discover together.

Our dedicated faculty work with Middle Schoolers by choice. They understand their students and embrace the notion that children this age (10 to 14-year-olds) mature at different rates, they learn differently, and they require individualized attention, care and concern.

We all participate.

At Harley, we believe that extracurricular activities are an extension of the classroom. For that reason, all students have the opportunity to join various clubs and enjoy flex time. And students are encouraged to participate in team sports. We create a safe place for students to try, fail, and try again both in the classroom and on the field, with a goal of teaching our students to live balanced, healthy lives. Learn more about Athletics at Harley.

7:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Hands-on learning with individualized attention is part of the daily Middle School experience.

We make a difference.

In Middle School, students get involved in meaningful service learning projects, helping them develop empathy and compassion through volunteer work and projects designed to raise awareness of issues impacting our society.

We challenge students to grow by placing them in charge of their learning. Through hands-on projects, challenging coursework, and opportunities to solve problems, students develop the skills, habits, and instincts to be successful at The Harley School and beyond. Students are encouraged to aim high, think differently, and to create their own path toward academic excellence.

Middle School Curriculum

Scheduling and Looping

Students enjoy a unique block schedule that provides time for in-depth learning at a pace that benefits students and allows teachers to employ different methods of teaching. In addition, both students and teachers are able to build strong relationships thanks to our two-year “looping” sequence, where students remain with the same teachers for both 5th/6th and 7th/8th grades.

Middle School students at Harley also benefit from Flex Time, a unique period at the end of the day where they choose to study a particular area of interest, seek out extra support from teachers, or independently work in a structured study hall. We believe students should be in charge of their learning, finding joy in what they discover and taking ownership of their education.

7th Grade Cell Project

How the study of cells became an engineering project: A Harley School story of collaboration and 21st century skills at work.

Commons Teaching Kitchen Opening

The Harley School, a independent school, in Rochester, NY celebrated the opening of their new teaching kitchen with a cook off, ribbon cutting and celebrity food judges!

In Their Own Words

Uncompromising on strong academics and creating a caring, responsible community. Puts children first, always.”

—Cara Cardinale, P ‘26, ‘29

One of the best things about Harley Middle School is all of the staff and teachers, even the Head of the Middle School, are there to help you and make sure you understand everything. They all work hard to make sure everyone is included. We have fun, more freedom, and more choices in what we do in Middle School—and I love it!

— Zora S., Grade 6

Acorn Grants Are Now Available!

Interested in learning how to make a Harley education possible for your child? Acorn Grants are smaller grants awarded to families who may not be eligible for need-based financial aid.  It is a grant of up to $5,000 intended to put the Harley education within reach for your family. The Acorn Grant stays with your child until graduation. 

Thinking of applying?

Explore our enrollment and application process.

Financial Assistance Opportunities

A Harley education is possible for your child.

The Harley School

1981 Clover Street
Rochester, NY 14618
(585) 442-1770

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©2023 The Harley School

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College Counseling

Harley’s Approach to College Counseling is highly individualized and student-centered. Students have direct access to college counselors throughout their Upper School experience, but really, each student is part of a team including faculty, administration, and staff. It’s our job to support each student and we want nothing more than to send students on to the next step of their journey at a right fit school for them. The student centered and driven process is wrapped in care, expertise, and professionalism.

We host college reps during times students are available (no need to miss a class) so they can make connections and learn more about potential schools. We also arrange campus visits for classes as field trips, host an alumni college day (where recent Upper School graduates return to share advice and answer questions), and help connect students with our international alumni network. In fact, representatives from schools all over the world actively seek opportunities to come to Harley and meet with our students!

Our college counselors are accredited and are part of national/global conversations on admission trends. They also attend and present at conferences across the country.

Beginning with our Grade 11 parent night, we offer informational sessions for parents, including one devoted just to financial aid. Our partnership with families is critical, as the college admissions world changes very quickly and having an expert to guide students and families through the process is essential.

View the downloadable College Counseling Guide

Clubs

“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.

A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).

Athletics

​Each and every year, students at The Harley School participate in HAC Athletics, and their success continues to be impressive, both as students and athletes. Our athletic program is an integral part of Harley, teaching student-athletes invaluable lessons about teamwork, time management, persistence, and competition.  Our program allows them to develop physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally as they represent their school on and off the field. They grow, mature, and work hard to be the best teammate they can, while creating lifelong memories with teammates who often remain friends for life. 

Helping our athletes to reach their potential are some of HAC’s best assets: our coaches. More often than not, they are drawn from the ranks of our faculty and  have a deep understanding of the personalities and abilities of the student-athletes on their teams.  

We strive to find the right balance of academics, exercise, and personal growth for everyone.  By offering a variety of sports at many different levels, all student-athletes find a sport they can be successful in. It is with great pride and pleasure that my team and I work to enrich the athletic lives of all our HAC student-athletes. Go Wolves! 

To learn more check out our athletics page.

Student Leadership

Our Upper School is filled with formal and informal opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Whether following passions or learning new skills, student-driven opportunities take many shapes.

– Independent study: one trimester, full year, and multi-year projects have included automating our solar chimneys, coding handmade musical instruments, or developing a class on financial literacy for underserved high school students.

– Serving on student council

– STEM: Climate curriculum program, biomimicry program, NASA Hunch program

Clubs

“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.

A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).

Hospice

Unlike this class, death is not an elective. Although it is one of two universal human experiences, our culture often ignores, denies, or misconstrues the true nature of death and dying. What happens when we bear witness to this natural process in the cycle of life and develop our ability to be fully present with others when they need us more than ever? It has the potential to change us deeply and fundamentally while shining a brilliant light on the path of our own lives.

With the support of their classmates, teacher, and comfort care home communities, senior students are offered the chance to care for others who truly need their purposeful, non-judgmental attention. In the home-like setting of a comfort care home, opportunities for learning extend beyond a traditional classroom rubric and conventional methods of evaluation. In this course, students will certainly find tangible “learning outcomes” by studying the medical/physical processes associated with dying and the basic nursing assistant skills of comfort care. The ultimate goal, however, will always be rooted in true relationships and connection, which occurs only through empathy and compassion.

Learn more about the Hospice Program at Harley HERE.

Capstone/Independent Studies

This program utilizes environmentally-focused approaches to education and hands-on learning in order to foster the next generation of leaders through a lens of sustainability and problem-solving.

Food & Farm: These year-long and trimester-long classes are held outside as much as possible, allowing students to become leaders in our various growing spaces. They cover environmental justice issues as well as hands-on work such as planning and overseeing planting, harvesting, and preparation of the gardens.

Past year-long focus projects have included: Creating a native plant shade garden in the Wild Wood area, redesigning our hydroponic system, overhauling Harley’s high tunnel, and improving the irrigation system for the MicroFarm.

Culinary Arts: These classes have a two-fold purpose: to give students practical skills in cooking and the science behind different techniques in the kitchen, learning about food justice, food sourcing, labor topics, and sustainability.

Past topics have included: Examining a plant-based diet, looking at the carbon footprint of different meals and food preparation methods, proposing a low carbon footprint menu to the dining hall, links between food labeling and environmental issues of food production.

Beekeeping: This one trimester class provides hands-on training in beekeeping, how to be a beekeeper, and safety and other techniques for working with bees. Once trained students help with all aspects of Harley beekeeping such as hive inspections, honey collection and extraction, and teaching students in Lower School about our hives.

Students pick a research topic addressing honeybee health and the larger environmental picture.

Social Justice

At Harley, our students learn how to evaluate social systems in order to identify complex problems in society through a lens of social justice. They take a hands-on approach to working for a fair, equitable society by researching, exploring and evaluating different perspectives, and offering solutions—both theoretical and practical.

Our faculty integrate social justice into our broader curriculum to assist students in gaining a foundational knowledge about what makes a democracy function. By gaining skills in ideating supportive pathways they become more exposed and experienced to how communities can undergo healing and restorative actions.

 

Capstone/Independent Studies

Students may create independent studies with supervising teachers throughout their Upper School experience or, during Grade 12, they can design Capstone projects—intensive collaborations with Harley faculty and off-campus mentors—involving rigorous academic study and culminating in public presentations. They are empowered to create their own curriculum, set goals, and work on time management skills in order to accomplish their objectives.

Independent Studies run the gamut from The Psychology of Sports to Furniture Design to The Neuroimaging of Alzheimer’s Disease. Capstones, meanwhile, are as diverse as the students who pursue them: Fictional Rochester, Autobiographical Art, Biomimicry Education, Organic Fuel, and Rochester Refugees. 

Indicative of Upper School curiosity and creativity, pursuits such as these distinguish our graduates in college. Through deep dives of this sort, Harley students master more than speaking, writing, and computing: they learn to communicate, advocate, collaborate, organize, listen, and empathize. 

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In Every Issue

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By the Numbers

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Divisional Highlights

Alumni Profile: Vandebroek

Alumni Profiles: Keller

HAC Athletics

2021 Lives of Great Purpose Awards

1000 Words

Commencement 2022

Reunion 2022

In Memoriam

Retirements and Fond Farewells