Rachel, 14, has been a student at Maimonides School since starting Kindergarten in 1996. But she has the energy and enthusiasm of someone who has just discovered a new universe.

That world is known as Middle School, Grades 7 and 8, where the goal is to build a bridge between Elementary and Upper Schools by helping students to grow into mature, responsible adolescents, to teach them to become more aware of their behavior, learning styles, and religious beliefs.

“We never try to lose sight of the fact that our students are forever growing and changing and learning,” say Stephanie Samuels and Robert Borkow. They are part of the faculty leadership team, devoted to the concept of Middle School education that believes in meeting academic needs. “It is our task, therefore, to constantly meet the challenges that this offers and to provide our students with the finest religious and secular education.” Furthermore, Middle School classes are tailored so that each individual feels that he or she can succeed. “We try to provide choices for the students about their learning—we emphasize projects more than tests and quizzes, and group work more than lecturing,” Mrs. Samuels says.

Wednesday morning Rachel is at school a little before 8:00 a.m. However, having already prayed with the early morning service at Maimonides or Young Israel of Brookline, she catches up on his homework while most of her classmates are in tefilot. After joining fellow Middle and Upper School students at breakfast, “I hang out with my friends. At first bell (three minutes before the start of class), we rush to our lockers to get our materials for first and second periods, [Navi and math].” There’s a 10-minute break—time for a quick snack—before third-period science.

After Rachel leaves the science lab, she heads for Saval Auditorium for lunch. Saval Auditorium is Grand Central Station for students in Grades 4-12 at Maimonides School—a lunch room, an assembly area, the crossroads for all comings and goings, and a venue for informal student gatherings. Rachel points out that on nice days, some students choose to eat outside in the courtyard.

“After lunch I have English, and after English I have advisory,” Rachel continued, explaining, “For Middle School students, the advisory period is once a week, and it’s a different theme every week.” The advisory system connects small groups of students to an advisor. They meet as a group every other week for a structured activity focused on a topic of adolescence. Additionally, the advisor is available to students outside of the meeting time as well—to chat, to clean a locker, or to discuss strategies for how to stay organized in Middle School.

Last week featured the bi-weekly “community meeting,” when both the seventh and eighth grades get together. This gathering is a forum for talk about upcoming events, schedule or program changes. Student Council representatives participate, to inform their constituents or to elicit help for an upcoming project. The team also presents Positive Recognition certificates to students who have been nominated (either by a teacher or other students) for some positive contribution to the Middle School community. For example, Ruach Tovah awards cite students who display positive attitudes towards school, while Ga’avat Beit Hasefer recognizes school pride.

It is these two innovations—Advisory and Community Meeting—that have really begun to set seventh and eighth grade apart from the Upper School.

Grade 8 mincha is in Room 2 (shacharit is in the shul). The davening is followed by a double period of Talmud with Rabbi David Ehrenkranz. “[Last time] we discussed the halachot of Pesach through the Gemora.” Then another 10-minute break, and another snack, and it’s 4:51 p.m., time for the final class of the day, “Spanish, one of my favorite subjects.”

Often Rachel remains in school after that last period to take part in extracurricular programs. She was in the Middle School play cast and on the seventh and eighth grade basketball team, then she moved on to intramural hockey. “Between all these activities and school,” Rachel grinned, “I still manage to do my homework.”