At The College School, learning thrives everywhere, including across grade levels. These experiences connect students of all ages, providing younger learners with role models to look up to and offering older students opportunities to work together, lead, and mentor.
These connections come to life in so many joyful ways, like third graders sketching portraits of our Big Bend students, buddies creating handmade placemats for the Thanksgiving Feast, and first graders discovering the magic of test-tube rainbows alongside their Sixth Grade science partners. Each experience deepens empathy, communication, and creative expression.
One of the most meaningful examples of cross-grade connection is the Student Service Leadership Program (SSLP). This unique exploratory class invites selected eighth graders who are chosen for their academics, service, and collaboration to design and lead service-learning projects within the school for an entire trimester. Some partner directly with younger classes, while others create projects that benefit the entire TCS community. Through their leadership, SSLP students model responsibility, creativity, and care, embodying the spirit of learning through service.
Another Middle School offering that builds these connections is the Storytelling Across Cultures exploratory class. Largely performance-based, this course helps students develop storytelling techniques as they prepare for real-world performance opportunities. They are asked to take creative risks, meet deadlines, and refine their craft as they perform for both peers and younger TCS students, including during regular visits to our Newport classrooms. A key feature of the course is the creation of “storyvines,” which are visual storytelling aids that help both narrators and their audiences engage more deeply with the tales being told. As part of their preparation, students analyze the wisdom within each story and share those insights with their younger audiences, sparking meaningful conversations across ages.
Together, these experiences remind us that at TCS, learning is about academics, connection, contribution, and community.