Middle School
Ages 11-14
A peek inside the class
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OSP
11-14 year-olds / Grades 6-8
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A strong emphasis on primary source research, writing, speaking, and leadership skills, and the development of inquiry practices.
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Social-emotional well-being and self-care are foundational; a program where students are comfortable being themselves.
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A portfolio-based culture develops skills of reflection, self-evaluation, and intrinsic motivation while relieving test anxiety.
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Students graduate as confident, curious individuals who are uniquely prepared for their future pursuits.
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Preparing Students for Success
The Older Student Program (OSP) offers a middle-level education that builds self-assuredness through centering adolescent development and focusing deeply on collaborative learning. Theme-based work at this level gives students the opportunity to push class discussions in ways that feel real and relevant to them. As they pursue their passions, they exchange peer feedback and practice incorporating suggestions with humility, building lifelong capacity as thoughtful, adaptable individuals. OSP students emerge as researchers, able to develop their ideas, think critically, and enact change in the systems around them.
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Classroom learning places a special emphasis on primary sources, using Facing History and Ourselves as a grounding point for theme work, with comprehensive units that tie together history, social and lab sciences, literacy, and current events. Additional literacy support is focused on individual goals with a high emphasis on growing as a persuasive and clear writer. Math work focuses on establishing strong foundational understandings, while small math groupings allow for individualized progress and teacher guidance. In all areas, Touchstone faculty support students in building their voice and confidence, enabling them to step bravely into their high school years.
Touchstone students are curious, intrinsically motivated, and interested in working closely with their teachers on the process of learning. They ideate, iterate, revise, and reflect as they go. They set individual progress goals, map out milestones along the way, and work towards a representational portfolio of work each spring, paired with thoughtful reflection on their goals and progress. Work contained in these portfolios is recognized as representational of their learning process. At times, students return to their work in a future year as they gain confidence and skills that allow them to approach it from a new lens, or go deeper into a topic. Self-analysis is a key component of progressive education as it promotes a lifelong openness to growth and change as an individual, and sets the stage for students to independently accomplish the goals they set for future learning and work.
