This year, our Middle School service-learning program has adopted a thematic approach, with each grade focusing on a specific service area. For 8th grade, the focus is conservation, complementing their Outward Bound capstone experience.

On Thursday, 8th-grade advisories put conservation into action at two local destinations. At the Botanical Garden, students learned about pollination, toured the grounds, and helped prepare for an upcoming convention. At Oatland Island, students spread mulch, maintained trails, and prepared for Saturday’s trail run while learning about Georgia’s native wildlife and habitat preservation. These hands-on experiences gave students a meaningful opportunity to support their community while learning the importance of environmental stewardship.

What a fantastic welcome back from fall break! WJCL reporter Emma Hamilton surprised seventh-grade history teacher Mrs. Fowler Doty with a Teacher Feature Award! This special recognition celebrates local educators who make an outstanding impact on their students and school communities.

Mrs. Doty was nominated by one of her students, who wrote: "Mrs. Doty deserves this nomination because she makes history unforgettable. She doesn’t just teach about the past; she brings it to life. She’ll show up dressed as famous historical figures, turn lessons into full-on rap battles, and organize great debates that make every student want to join in. Her energy makes learning fun."

Congratulations, Mrs. Doty! What a wonderful and well-deserved honor!

Seventh grade historians put their historical thinking skills to the test as they worked together to investigate the Boston Massacre! Using evidence, inference, and reasoning, students pieced together clues placed throughout the classroom to determine what happened that night. They then compared and contrasted sources from different perspectives to explore how the event was portrayed at the time and how perspective can shape our understanding of history.

In the spooky spirit of Halloween, members of the 8th-grade Middle School Writing Center teamed up with Ms. Abineri’s 6th-grade class for a creative writing activity called “Word(erer) Murderer!” Eighth graders guided their younger peers in identifying and “killing off” overused words and phrases, then designing gravestones to give those tired expressions a final resting place. It was a fun and creative way to help students strengthen their writing skills.

Sixth graders put their civic and economic knowledge into action at Junior Achievement’s BizTown, wrapping up their recent civic and economic studies unit in Global Connections! Hosted at Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong Campus, this hands-on experience let students step into a simulated economy, run businesses, make important decisions, and work together to keep their town thriving. In preparation for the big day, students practiced their skills through mock interviews and business planning, bringing their classroom learning to life!