Music, Art, Theatre, and Communications/ Technical Theatre
In grades five through eight, Prairie’s Performing and Fine Arts programs help students gain a wider appreciation of the arts and broaden their self-expression. Aspiring performing artists play instruments, sing in choirs, and act in theatrical productions in Prairie’s performing arts theatre. In media literacy, students learn about color and its impact on theatrical production. The technical theatre class includes set production where scenery is created, and sound and lighting techniques are learned and utilized in a full musical production.
Fine Arts courses develop skills in drawing, painting, sculpting, papermaking, and working with clay. Young artists in grades seven and eight may also take glassblowing – Prairie is one of the only schools in the U.S. that teaches this medium to Middle School students.
Special Activities
Integrated, cross-curricular opportunities and off-campus experiences are important to the learning process. In grades five and six, our students learn about self-reliance and cooperation during the annual Environmental and Outdoor Education Program. Students in grades seven and eight take part in educational trips that take them to St. Louis, Mo and Washington D.C.
Physicality
Research shows active children perform better academically, so Middle School students participate in recess every single day, as well as taking a physical education class five out of every six days.
Advisory Program
Prairie has a comprehensive advisor/advocacy program to help guide our students’ growth. Advisors meet with their students daily to discuss academic performance and social issues, and set personal goals. Advisors also maintain regular contact with parents to ensure the “communication triangle” is complete.
Co-Curricular Activities (Sports & Clubs)
Starting in 5th grade, Middle School students may choose to participate in a variety of extracurricular clubs, as well as both intramural and interscholastic sports. While the athletic competition is intense, a school-wide no-cut policy encourages participation and camaraderie as student-athletes begin learning and focusing on the finer points of their favorite sports.
Goal: Students will be part of a four-person (maximum) team. Each team is responsible for reading about 40 books over the next 6 months. Teams meet in March/April for a “Battle” in which questions are asked about the various books read.
Who Can Join?
Meeting Dates/Times
Meeting Location
Leaders
Cost
All MS Students
B Day lunches, once per month: 9/20. 10/24, 11/5, 12/6, 1/8, 2/4, 3/4, 4/9
Dining Room
Students are responsible for obtaining a copy of each titled assigned. One copy of each title will be available in the SRC.
Goal: To encourage growth, knowledge, and creativity through coding and/or robotics. Students will learn the principals of coding and robotics through exploring with Sphero’s, learning the language of coding, and building and programming to solve problems. Coding without robotics is another aspect of this club.
Who Can Join?
Meeting Dates/Times
Meeting Location
Leaders
Cost
Details
All MS students
Wednesdays from 3:45-4:45PM, Session 1 runs October 10th through November 14th
Wonder Lab
No charge
We are also looking for parent volunteers to assist in the many hands-on projects we’ll do this year. If you are able to give an hour or so of your time after school, please contact Kathy Boero at (262) 752-2550.
Goal: To improve focus and problem solving skills through the game of chess. Participants will also learn sportsmanship and tournament etiquette.
Who Can Join?
Meeting Dates/Times
Meeting Location
Leaders
Cost
Details
All MS students
Thursdays from 3:45-4:45PM
M-21
$128.00 for 8 weeks
- Session 1 (10/18-12/20)
- Session 2 (1/24-3/21)
- Session 3 (4/11-5/30)
Goal: To explore math through a variety of hands-on games and activities including Bouncy Dice Explosion, Glow In The Dark Geometry and Toilet Paper Olympics.
Who Can Join?
Meeting Dates/Times
Meeting Location
Leaders
Cost
Details
Grade 5
Wednesdays from 3:50-4:50PM
M-15
No charge
Session 1: September 12 – November 7 (We will not meet on Oct. 31)
Session 2: November 14-January 23 (We will not meet during Holiday Break)
Session 3: January 30 – March 20
Session 4: April 10 – May 29
Maximum 16 participants per session
Goal: To be part of a newspaper team, to entertain and inform our MS community.
Who Can Join?
Meeting Dates/Times
Meeting Location
Leaders
Cost
Details
Any MS student
F day lunches
M-5
No charge
5th-8th grade students may contribute stories, photo, and more to the paper. 7th and 8th grade students will serve as the leading editors of each page of the paper.
Goal: To plant, tend and harvest the garden while discovering the natural world. The group will do activities about such things as soil composition, helpful and harmful insects, birds, the water cycle, botany and the interrelation of plants, animals and humans. We will even be preparing food to eat.
Meeting Dates/Times
Who Can Join?
Meeting Location
Leaders
Cost
No cost
M-1
Once a week, during lunch (Day TBD)
All MS students
Goal: To build problem-solving skills and foster achievement through four levels of fun, in-person “bee” style contests.
Details
Cost
Leaders
Meeting Location
Meeting Dates/Times
Who Can Join?
Math Counts is a national middle school mathematics competition! Find more information at www.mathcounts.org.
No charge
M-22
TBD
Grades 6/7/8
Goal: Students will meet once a month to discuss 1-2 books. Reading options will be chosen and narrowed down by the students. Books read for Book Club can be used towards OR assignments in English/Reading classes.
Cost
Leaders
Meeting Location
Meeting Dates/Times
Who Can Join?
Students are responsible for obtaining a copy of each titled selected. Group orders will be placed for each selected title as a convenience. Purchase forms will be sent home with students. Total costs of books will be about $20 for the year.
SRC
Once a month during lunch: 9/28, 10/25, 11/30, 12/20, 1/25, 2/21, 3/22, 4/26, 5/17
All MS students
Goal: Students will review Spanish Vocabulary taught in Primary School and have an opportunity to learn about the Hispanic Culture with fun activities.
Cost
Leaders
Meeting Location
Meeting Dates/Times
Who Can Join?
Goal: To assist in tech delivery
Cost
Leaders
Meeting Location
Meeting Dates/Times
Who Can Join?
No charge
Tech Cave (SRC)
Daily before and after school, and during lunch once a week (TBD)
All MS students
The Prairie
Fund
Gifts to the Prairie Fund make it possible to develop our scholars, artists, athletes, and leaders in a number of important, impactful ways. Prairie Fund dollars supply our robotics team with building supplies, enhance our annual World Language Week and Multicultural Fair, and buy uniforms for our athletic teams, your donations directly affect every experience and leadership opportunity offered to our students.
The
Importance
of Possibility
Like every private and independent school, Prairie relies on the philanthropy of our donors to balance the budget. Our academic, arts, athletic, and co-curricular programs – they are all supported by the Prairie Fund. Without the generosity of our alumni, parents, and faculty, the very elements that shape and define the Prairie experience would not be possible for our students.