Middle School Students

We are committed to helping our students become their best selves, in and out of the classroom. This page is all about the many opportunities at Beaver to explore, learn, develop ideas, deepen understanding, and have fun as a community outside of the classroom!

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The Beaver Middle School Experience

What’s it really like to be a Beaver Middle School student? Let our students tell you!

Meet Maddy SaCouto ‘29

Maddy—Beaver Class of 2029—enjoys her theater arts and humanities classes and participated in the winter Middle School musical in 6th grade.

Meet L’mar Hibbert ’30

L’mar made a lot of new friends in 6th grade and was exposed to many new and different classes.

Meet Eva Bachman '31

A student with a passion for science and art, Ava spent her first year at Beaver exploring her interests.

Community Times

Our schedule is structured to allow for community bonding times for the entire Middle School. The week starts with a Middle School Moment on Monday, followed by Middle School Meetings every Tuesday, and grade-level community time on Thursdays. We also have seasonal events like BVRFest, Winter Carnival, and Spring Fling.

Middle School Moment

Middle School Moment is a quick touchpoint with students on Monday mornings, where students enjoy a snack and a few brief announcements.

why we have this time

We feel it is important to start the week together as a community—whether it’s to share information or simply see each other, face-to-face.

Middle School Meeting

Middle School Meeting is a student-led full division meeting where students share highlights from the past week, announcements regarding upcoming events and opportunities, and logistical notes relevant to the student body

Why we do this

Middle School Meeting creates leadership and public speaking opportunities for students, and it’s a way to make sure all students hear important information. It also creates a framework to share information home with families, and provides a space to showcase great things happening in the Middle School.

HarvestFest, Dam Jam, SpringFest

These seasonal full community events where all Middle School students can opt-in to several activities. Middle School Student Council helps with the planning and execution of these events.

Why we do this

Middle School is FUN! And we enjoy getting together as a community to celebrate and have a good time.

Clubs, Groups, and Programming

There are many different ways students can be involved and lead in the Middle School. Most clubs, groups, and programming meet during lunch/recess, and students can pick more than one option each day or week.

Clubs & Groups

Graham Dam

Small group lunches with the MS Counselor, Tammy Graham.

Admission Ambassadors

Help the Admission Office with events, tours, and reaching out to prospective families.

RISE

Learn ways to destress and be better prepared to face the challenges of life.

Student Body Advisory Council (SBAC)

Make Beaver Better.

Student Council

Lead, Plan, Do!

CREATE

Coding, robotics, engineering, art, technology, and everything in between.

The Times of Boston

Student-run newspaper covering the news of the world.

Lego League

A competition that focuses on scientific and real-world challenges. Meets during recess and after school.

Speech & Debate

Debate team run by Lumos for grades 6-8. Meets Wednesday evenings.

Yearbook

Design the Middle School yearbook pages.

Kindness Club

Talk about ways to be kind, encourage others to be kind, and be kind to themselves.

Chinese Table

Students can practice Chinese and learn more about Chinese culture outside of the classroom.

Mathletes

Come play with math and if you’d like participate in math competitions.

Book Club

Share your love of reading with others.

Yoga

Movement, breathe, and mindfulness to build strength, flexibility, and balance.

BVR Debate

Students interested in debate to get weekly practice and compete in tournaments.

Dungeons & Dragons

All students who want to play are encouraged to attend.
Affinity Groups

Affinity Groups are a(an):

  • Safe space meant for students who share a particular identity
  • Space to speak from the “I” perspective
  • Affirming space for students and faculty leaders to be in the community
  • Explorative space for students to further explore their shared identity
  • Space to raise Awareness in the community
The following affinity spaces are offered in our Middle School:

Jewish Heritage

Black/African Heritage

Asian/Pacific Islanders (API)

Multiracial

Students of Single Parents/Divorced Parents (Caregivers): SSDP

LGBTQIA+

The following ally spaces are offered in our Middle School:

SAGA (Sexuality and Gender Alliance)

Open to all students who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and/or for those who wish to explore, learn, and develop allyship

Expanding the Middle School Classroom


R-Time

R-Time is a structured time (2x per week by advisory group) for students to do all sorts of things to support their learning. R-TIME is a great time to meet with teachers and peers, and students regularly visit Math R-Time to get extra help and dig deeper into topics. They can also complete assignments, grab a book from Research Level, practice their instrument at Music R-TIME, clean out their backpack, and use some materials on the Design Level.

Feed Your Brain

Feed Your Brain is an ongoing series where we encourage students to consume and create content outside the classroom. Think of it as strength and conditioning for the mind and an opportunity for students to further expand their interests and discover new ones. From books to podcasts to coding to meditating, there’s no one way to feed your brain. Community members share how they’re feeding their brains at our weekly Middle School Meetings and in our Feed Your Brain Book Buffet to further inspire one another. We also regularly compile blog posts of additional ideas and remind our community to feed their brain during all school intercessions.

Middle School Feed Your Brain: Summer 2024 Edition!

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Middle School Feed Your Brain: Summer 2023 Edition!

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MS Recap: Feed Your Brain Outside the Classroom Conference

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Hey, Middle School students! Let’s Feed Your Brain (summer 2022 edition)

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The BVR Student

The “BVR Student” is kind, takes care, and works hard.

Everything we do in the Middle School ties back to the BVR Student. We ground our work in these three values. You’ll see this referred to in classroom norms, at MS Meeting, and even in the hallways.

Middle School Leadership Institute

During the academic year, students are invited to opt-in to a series of monthly workshops through the Hiatt center. Through these workshops, students will build skills and deepen their understanding of leadership, civic engagement, and social justice. The workshops are flexible so students may sign up for a single workshop that interests them or engage in the entire series. Participation in six or more workshops will award students with a Hiatt Leadership Institute Certificate of Completion.

Middle School Social Justice Retreat

The Middle School Social Justice Retreat is a day-long opportunity for middle school students to learn and reflect about their identities, their interactions within a diverse society, and their role in the creation of a more just, safe, and accessible world for all.

Picture of the Beaver campus

DEIJ

In our Middle School, we understand and value the development of the middle school student. During these pivotal years, middle schoolers are on a journey to identify their sense of self. Students ask themselves, “Who am I?” “Who am I in this community?” and “How do I fit in?” To ask these questions is to engage in DEIJ work.

Middle School Wellness

Our target focus for Middle School Wellness is to normalize the developmental challenges with which students face and help our students further develop their social and emotional learning skills to help them navigate the content of their lives. Our work is intended to help our students be connected and engaged members of our community.

Afternoon Activities

At the end of the academic day, students choose among the extracurricular activities offered in the Afternoon Program. Students in grades 6-8 are required to participate in the Afternoon Program all three terms, and at least one of the terms must be a physical activity.