The Ethel Walker School
Curriculum: Grade 8
8th Grade Seminar: Finance
Grade 8
The Finance seminar introduces students to the fundamentals of how a market economy operates. They learn about the stock market and participate in “The Stock Market Game.” Students also learn about personal investing and building a portfolio.
8th Grade Seminar: Speak Out!
Grade 8
Speak Out: Prepping for Upper School seminar allows 8th grade students the opportunity to work together as they become comfortable and confident with using their voice through public speaking. Throughout the trimester, students engage in intentional games to experiment with persuasive language, crowd engagement, peer support, and learning how to balance anxiety with energy. Members of the Upper School faculty and staff join students in class as guest stars to help build community. Guest stars partake in conversations with students regarding leadership opportunities, equity and inclusion on campus, Upper School public speaking classes, and college counseling. The goal for the 8th grade in this seminar is to prepare students to present their 8th grade speeches and help students gain a sense of independence through the power of their voices.
Middle School Orchestra
Open to Grades 6-8
This ensemble is for Middle School students who are interested in preparing and performing orchestral music. The Middle School Orchestra performs at Middle School concerts. This experience will prepare the musician for the Upper School Orchestra. All musicians at any level are welcome.
Meets outside of a class block
Middle School Ceramics
Open to grades 7-8
This ceramics class will provide an introduction of sculpture techniques, the science of glazing, and wheel skills, and students will be encouraged to experiment at all times. In addition to developing technique, students will design their own multi-part construction based on exploration of pottery around the world. Each student will be expected to produce work that portrays her creative powers and technical abilities.
Offered Fall 2025
Middle School Visual Art
Open to grades 7-8
Students will review and apply the elements of art and principles of design as they relate to both two dimensional and three dimensional works while developing individual work habits and creative problem solving. Students are asked to create, write, assess and reflect on their work, the work of their peers and works from history.
Offered Spring 2026
Middle School Digital Arts
Open to grades 7-8
In this course students will dive into the exciting world of digital art by exploring Adobe Photoshop and Canva. They will create engaging photo manipulation projects while learning essential principles of art and design. Students will also be introduced to digital painting in Photoshop, developing foundational skills in composition, color theory, and creativity.
Offered Fall 2025
Middle School Photography
Open to grades 7-8
This course is designed as an introduction to photography using iPhones or equivalent and manipulating digital images in creative projects. The course includes basic photography principles, photography challenges, portraiture, macro photography, collage making, photomosaics, agamographs, stop motion, and movie production using the still image.
Offered Spring 2026
Middle School Music & Choristers
Open to grades 7-8
MS Music includes singing and choral activities, rhythm training, music theory, musical theater/theater exercises, sight singing, and audition preparation. There is an emphasis on listening and skill development, as well as music appreciation.
The full Middle School music meeting is called Choristers. All Middle School students participate in this choral group, which performs in the Holiday and Spring Concerts, as well as all-School Chapels.
Offered Spring 2026
Middle School Dance
Open to grades 7-8
The Middle School Dance program concentrates on the development of technical skills, and the appreciation of the art form.
Offered Fall 2025
This is an Honors level class that prepares students for the rigors of high school math. A full range of topics will be covered including all topics of elementary Algebra plus systems of equations and inequalities, polynomials and factoring and quadratic functions and equations. This course challenges students to continue to develop their mathematical fluency while going more in depth with Algebraic concepts. After successful completion of this course, students advance to Geometry or Honors Geometry.
This course begins the formal study of Algebra. Topics include algebraic properties and notations, real numbers, inequalities, number lines, variables, equation-solving and a thorough examination of linear functions and their graphs. Algebraic language, reasoning and tools are the focus of this course while students improve mathematical literacy and continue to strengthen their mathematical study skills.
This course is designed for students who have previously studied French. In Middle School French, learners will continue to expand their vocabulary and build upon the structures they acquired previously. By the end of the year, not only will they be able to talk about themselves and the familiar topics covered during the previous year with greater confidence and in greater complexity, they will also begin to develop narrative competency in multiple time frames as they talk about what they did in the past and what they will do in the future.
This course serves as an introduction to the Spanish language through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. By the end of the year, learners will be able to talk about very familiar topics: themselves; the weather; their likes, dislikes, and preferences; their families and homes; and their favorite pastimes and hobbies. Learners will also discover the many places in the world where Spanish is spoken through music, video, artifacts, and projects.
This course takes as its basic question, “What does it mean to be American?” Students explore the foundation of American democracy, examining the ways in which the American government functions, and how citizens engage in that process. Students dig deeper into the experiences of three groups who have been influential in the development of this country: indigenous peoples, Black Americans, and the Latinx community. Students also have the opportunity to explore groups that resonate with their own American experience. Students use a variety of sources ranging from primary documents to academic articles to help them improve their ability to think like historians.
Have you ever wondered how and why the planets move, how energy is transferred in ocean waves, or where all the different species in Connecticut have come from? We will explore questions like these in STEAM 8. STEAM is an integration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. This class allows our students to practice the science and engineering skills that professionals use every day, engage in hands-on exploration, and design projects as they explore the natural world. Students in STEAM 8 will use real-world phenomena such as car collisions, tidal waves, fossils and dinosaurs, and space exploration to focus on the topics of forces and energy, energy in waves, mechanisms of diversity, and the changing Earth. This course builds upon the problem-solving mindset developed in STEAM 7 to build skills in extending quantitative analysis to investigations, distinguishing between causation and correlation, and using basic statistical analysis to construct explanations and design solutions supported by multiple sources of evidence.
Voce Felice
Open to Grades 6-12
This course provides students with an opportunity to learn and improve vocal technique and to experience a repertoire of various styles. Enrollment in Choir is not required. Voce Felice, a fine vocal ensemble, is formed from members of this class. Individual singers have the opportunity to perform as soloists at the end of the school year concert. All singers are welcome.
Meets outside of a class block
Gospel Choir
Open to Grades 7-12
The Gospel Choir is a lively vocal ensemble that incorporates musical styles from the spiritual, blues, and gospel genres. This ensemble demands a willingness to participate in the appropriate style that this music commands. All singers are welcome.
Meets outside of a class block
Private lessons are offered for many instruments. Numerous recitals and assemblies involve the music program, and public performance opportunities continue to expand the musical experience here on campus.
Financial Commitment: Private lessons are billed through the Business Office. The Music Instruction Agreement must be signed by a parent/guardian and returned before lessons can begin. Please contact the Business Office for additional details.
In English at the 8th grade level, independent thinking and writing play major roles, as every student is encouraged to further develop their creative and critical skills in response to literature and in preparation for secondary school. Through discussion and writing, which include analytical and personal essays designed to promote mastery of essay writing, each student is supported as they learn to express herself clearly, accurately, and fluently. In this way, student voice is at the heart of English 8. We read short fiction, novels, narrative nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Texts may include Macbeth, The Poet X, The House on Mango Street, and One Last Word, among others.
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